To become ordained in Connecticut to officiate a wedding, get ordained through a religious organization — most people use a free online ministry — and hold onto your certificate. Connecticut does not require wedding officiants to register with the state or with any town before performing a ceremony.1Connecticut Department of Public Health. License to Get Married Your real obligations are on the back end: sign the marriage license after the ceremony and return it to the correct registrar of vital records on time.
Connecticut General Statutes § 46b-22 authorizes “all ordained or licensed members of the clergy” to solemnize marriages, and the statute does not define “ordained.” That determination is left to the religious organization granting the ordination, which is why a five-minute online ordination carries the same legal weight as one that took a decade.2Justia. Connecticut Code 46b-22 – Who May Join Persons in Marriage
Get Ordained Online
The Connecticut Department of Public Health explicitly recognizes “persons who have been ordained through online ministries and who are given the authority to officiate marriages through such ministries.”1Connecticut Department of Public Health. License to Get Married The process is straightforward. You visit an online ministry’s website, fill in your name and contact information, and receive a certificate of ordination, sometimes instantly by email and sometimes by mail. Many services are free; some charge for a printed certificate or supplemental credentials.
Well-known options with long track records in Connecticut include the Universal Life Church and American Marriage Ministries, though any legitimate religious organization’s ordination qualifies under the statute. Pick one that will send you documentation you can keep, ideally a certificate of ordination and a letter of good standing. Some town clerks ask to see credentials when the couple applies for their license, and clear paperwork prevents avoidable friction.
Why 2015 Matters if You Search This Topic
Older guidance floating around the internet says Connecticut clergy must “continue in the work of the ministry” to be authorized to marry people. That language was in the statute, and it created real uncertainty for anyone ordained online who wasn’t actively ministering. Public Act 15-74 deleted it.3Connecticut General Assembly. An Act Concerning the Department of Public Health’s Recommendations Regarding Various Revisions to the Public Health Statutes You do not have to perform any other ministerial act before officiating a wedding. Your ordination stands on its own.
When Traditional Denominational Ordination Makes Sense
Ordination through an established denomination generally involves theological education, a period of formation or mentorship, and formal examination by denominational leadership, ending in an ordination ceremony. Timelines range from a year or two to a decade. If you plan to serve in ongoing ministry, lead a congregation, or perform religious rites regularly, that’s the route. If you only want to officiate one wedding, it’s more than the law requires.
No Registration, So Keep Your Paperwork
Connecticut has no statewide clergy registry and no town-level sign-up for officiants.1Connecticut Department of Public Health. License to Get Married Because nothing is filed with the state in advance, your ordination certificate is your proof of authority. Keep it, along with anything else the ministry sent you. If a question ever arises about a ceremony you performed, that’s what you’ll produce.
Your Job on the Wedding Day and After
The couple obtains the marriage license from the town clerk before the ceremony. The license costs $50 and is valid for 65 days; no blood test is required.4Connecticut Department of Public Health. Marriage Licenses and Certificates1Connecticut Department of Public Health. License to Get Married They bring it to you. You perform the ceremony, then certify on the license the fact, time, and place of the marriage.
You then return the signed license to the registrar of vital records in the town where the marriage took place. The filing deadline is before or during the first week of the month following the marriage, and a late filing carries a fine of up to $10.5Connecticut General Assembly. Connecticut General Statutes Chapter 815e – Marriage
This is where things most often go wrong. The ceremony can be lovely and the ordination perfectly valid, but if the signed license never reaches the registrar, the marriage won’t appear in official records. Don’t hand the license back to the couple and assume they’ll file it. Filing is on you.
What Happens if You Officiate Without Authority
Anyone who solemnizes a marriage without legal authority faces a fine of up to $50, and the marriage itself is void under Connecticut law.2Justia. Connecticut Code 46b-22 – Who May Join Persons in Marriage The fine is small; a void marriage is not. The couple would need a new license and a new ceremony performed by an authorized officiant. Get ordained before the wedding, not the week of, and keep the certificate somewhere you can find it.