To get ordained in Wyoming to officiate a wedding, sign up for free online ordination with a recognized religious organization such as the Universal Life Church or American Marriage Ministries. Wyoming does not require officiants to register with any state or county agency, so once your ordination is confirmed, you are legally authorized to perform a ceremony anywhere in the state. The whole process takes about five minutes and costs nothing.
Why Online Ordination Is Enough in Wyoming
Wyoming’s marriage statute authorizes any licensed or ordained minister, bishop, priest, rabbi, or other qualified person acting in accordance with the traditions or rites of any religion, denomination, or religious society to solemnize a marriage.1Justia Law. Wyoming Statutes 20-1-106 – Who May Solemnize Marriage; Form of Ceremony The law does not distinguish between in-person and online ordination, and it does not define “religious society” narrowly. County clerks across Wyoming routinely accept marriages performed by ministers ordained through online organizations.
There is no state registry for officiants. You do not file paperwork with Wyoming before the wedding, and you do not need to live in the state or hold credentials from a Wyoming-based organization. Your authority comes from the ordination itself.
How to Get Ordained Online
Two organizations handle the vast majority of online ordinations used for Wyoming weddings. Both are free and both issue your ordination immediately.
Universal Life Church
The Universal Life Church ordains people of all faiths and backgrounds at no charge. You fill out an online form with your full legal name, email address, and mailing address, submit it, and receive an email confirmation. Use your true legal name exactly as it appears on your government-issued ID. Nicknames or variations can invalidate the ordination.2Universal Life Church. Become an Ordained Minister Online
American Marriage Ministries
American Marriage Ministries also offers free online ordination. The application asks you to agree to three tenets about the right of all people to marry and to choose their officiant. No particular spiritual belief is required beyond those principles, and ordination is immediate upon submission.3American Marriage Ministries. American Marriage Ministries – Free Online Ordination To Officiate
Keep a Credential on Hand
Wyoming county clerks do not require you to show proof of your credentials when the signed license is returned.4Teton County, WY. Marriage Licenses Even so, order a physical ordination certificate or letter of good standing from your ordaining organization and keep it accessible. If the validity of a marriage you officiated is ever questioned, that document is your proof. Printed certificates and wallet cards typically run between $10 and $40.
If you want extra reassurance before the wedding, call the clerk’s office in the county where the couple is getting their license and confirm that your ordaining organization is accepted. It takes two minutes.
What You Do at the Ceremony
Wyoming does not prescribe a script. The only legal requirement during the ceremony is that both parties declare, in the presence of the officiant and at least two witnesses, that they take each other as spouses.1Justia Law. Wyoming Statutes 20-1-106 – Who May Solemnize Marriage; Form of Ceremony Everything else is up to the couple: religious, secular, short, elaborate, your call together.
The two witnesses must be adults who are physically present. The marriage license has signature lines for both of them, so identify them in advance. Three people sign the license after the declaration: you and the two witnesses.
You are also required to provide one of the parties with a marriage certificate specifying the names, ages, and residences of both spouses, the names and residences of the witnesses, and the date and place of the ceremony.5Justia Law. Wyoming Statutes 20-1-107 – Certificate of Marriage The license issued by the county clerk includes all of these fields. Fill them in carefully. This becomes the official record.
Returning the Signed License
After the ceremony, the signed license goes back to the county clerk’s office that issued it. Wyoming’s statute does not set a specific return deadline, but individual counties do. Many require the license back within 10 days of the ceremony.6Albany County, WY. Marriage License4Teton County, WY. Marriage Licenses The clerk then records the marriage within one month of receiving it.5Justia Law. Wyoming Statutes 20-1-107 – Certificate of Marriage
Most clerks accept the license by mail or in person. Don’t sit on this. If the license never makes it back, the couple has no official record of their marriage, which creates problems for name changes, insurance, taxes, and anything else requiring proof of marital status. If you’re mailing it, use a trackable service.
Penalties for Officiating Without Authority
Performing a marriage ceremony when you know you are not legally authorized is a misdemeanor in Wyoming, as is performing one when you know of a legal impediment to the marriage. The penalty is a fine of up to $500 or up to one year in jail.7Wyoming State Legislature. Wyoming Code 20-1-108 – Offenses Relating to Marriage Generally Skipping the ordination step also puts the marriage itself at risk: a ceremony performed by someone without legal authority may not be recognized, forcing the couple to redo it with a qualified officiant.
Taxes If You Officiate Regularly
Officiating one wedding for a friend with no payment has no tax consequence. If you start officiating regularly and accepting fees, the IRS treats those earnings as taxable income, and ministers performing services as part of their ministerial duties may owe self-employment tax and file Schedule SE.8Internal Revenue Service. About Publication 517, Social Security and Other Information for Members of the Clergy and Religious Workers IRS Publication 517 covers the specifics, including estimated tax payments and the self-employment tax exemption available to qualifying ministers who file Form 4361.