Ordainment and Wedding Officiating For New Jersey
A summary of the rules and regulations pertaining to wedding proceduresThe 4 Steps To Performing Marriage In New Jersey
Get Ordained
Get ordained as a minister with the North Shore Universal Church and receive our ordination package.
Becoming ordained with North Shores Universal Church is free, quick, and easy! Register today to begin officiating weddings!
Registration
Learn the laws and register your ordainment status with your state of residence.
Ministers may or may not be required to register with any government office in your state to officiate.
Training
Review our wedding training materials to learn the proper procedures for weddings.
Our training materials will properly prepare you for officiating and conducting marriages in your state
Officiate!
Now that you are ordained and trained the next step is to being officiating weddings.
Be confident when officiating marriages in your state with the materials and knowledge provided in our training.
Important Information About Officiating Weddings In New Jersey
Is government registration required?
No. Please see: New Jersey Permanent Statutes 37:1-13
What is the minimum age for an minister/officiant?
18
With what office do I need to register?
None
Does my residency affect registration?
N/A
General License Info
Prior to the wedding ceremony it is the couple’s responsibility to file for their marriage license. The marriage license issuance office is usually located at the county courthouse. Your job as the wedding officiant is to sign and complete your section of the license. Once the marriage license is completed and returned to the office where it was issued, the marriage is recorded and made legal.
Completing The Marriage License
This is your one major legal responsibility. Fortunately, it is also an easy task to fulfill. Completing the marriage license simply involves completing your portion of the license and signing it with the couple in the presence of any required witnesses. This can be done at the conclusion of the ceremony.
It’s important to do everything correctly. As the officiant, it is your duty and responsibility to know the rules and laws governing marriages in your state. If you want to know more about what fields you may have to complete on the marriage license and what you should write, check out our Wedding Officiant Training to ensure you do things by the book.
Returning The Marriage License
After the marriage license is completed it must be returned to its issuance office. This is usually the responsibility of the couple though some states require this to be done by the minister. When the couple receives their marriage license it should also come with instructions as to who must return it and how.
Different states have different deadlines that dictate when the completed marriage license must be returned, so make sure that this duty be done as soon as possible. In most states this is as easy as mailing the marriage license back to the county clerk. Below is more information about New Jersey marriage licenses.