Can I become a minister and perform ceremonies if I am not an U.S. citizen?

August 14, 2009 1:56 PM

I am a 'permanent resident', not an American citizen - can I become ordained as a minister and perform wedding ceremonies?

I have been toying around with the idea of getting ordained as a minister in order to be able to perform wedding ceremonies (by getting a certificate from the United Live Church or The Church of the Latter-Day Dude, for example) for quite a while now. My wife and I got married by a friend who got ordained that way and I think it's a nice and intimate way to get married. We enjoyed that experience a lot.

However, I am a 'permanent resident' and not an American citizen (my citizenship is German), but I live in the USA and this is also my primary place of residence. This would also be the country where I would perform weddings. Is it possible for me to get ordained and perform legit wedding ceremonies?

Thanks!

posted by Bearded Dave to law & government (13 comments total)

I'm pretty sure that's a matter of state law in whatever state you live in. (Which one is it?)

I think you probably can, given how many imams are not citizens.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 2:03 PM on August 14

By the way, it's not just a matter of getting the certificate. You have to formally register with the state and get formal recognition by them before you perform any weddings, at least if you want them legally recognized.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 2:06 PM on August 14

I agree with Chocolate Pickle.

Also, some states might not approve of online ordination (Washington, DC apparently does not, though I didn't push them very hard). If you look around online you might be able to get a sense of how your state stands, or update us with your location.
posted by exogenous at 2:11 PM on August 14

You have to formally register with the state and get formal recognition by them before you perform any weddings, at least if you want them legally recognized.

Again, this is entirely a matter of the state that the ceremony will be performed in. I dare say that most states, like California, leave the onus of verifying credentials up to the Brides and/or Grooms.
posted by muddgirl at 2:18 PM on August 14

IE, if you go to a county clerk in California and ask for "formal recognition", they will undoubtedly tell you that no such recognition exists. This is just one example out of 50 states, some of which may require formal recognition.
posted by muddgirl at 2:19 PM on August 14

Muddgirl, most states require the officiating minister to sign the wedding license, and will only accept signatures from ministers already registered with the state.

The ceremony can be performed any way you want. That's First Amendment territory. But the paperwork is a different matter.
posted by Chocolate Pickle at 2:20 PM on August 14

Oh, yeah, sorry about that. I'm in Connecticut. So, depending on the state, I have to get the ordainment but the important part is (or might be) to get formally recognized by the respective state, right?
posted by Bearded Dave at 2:26 PM on August 14

Here is a pretty good breakdown by state.

Here's an article specifically about Connecticut. It seems that they are "one of a half-dozen places that do not recognize marriages performed by someone who became a minister for the sole purpose of marrying people. Such a minister “doesn’t meet the requirements of the state statutes,” said William Gerrish, a spokesman for the Connecticut Department of Public Health."

Seems like the Connecticut Department of Public Health would be the organization to contact to find out specifically how to become a registered officiant there.
posted by muddgirl at 2:43 PM on August 14

The relevant law in CT is Sec. 46b-22. "Who may join persons in marriage. Penalty for unauthorized performance". It includes "all ordained or licensed clergymen, belonging to this state or any other state, so long as they continue in the work of the ministry may join persons in marriage."
posted by exogenous at 2:51 PM on August 14

To answer your specific question: Scanning the link I posted, it doesn't look like any states have an explicit citizenship requirement. However, the state or county offices that register officiants may have a requirement. It looks like you'll have to contact each county/state of interest individually.
posted by muddgirl at 3:01 PM on August 14

Hm, so I will see whether I can get some information from a state official. Thanks for the link to the article and the CT law excerpt! You guys are great.

I also wonder whether my residency status could make this entire project possible at all.
posted by Bearded Dave at 3:11 PM on August 14

Residency matters in Virginia, at least. As exogenous points out, DC is pretty restrictive about which churches are legitimate--I was able to do a mail-order ordination and get certified to do weddings in DC (and did one), but it was a hassle. There's a lot of state-to-state variation.
posted by MrMoonPie at 5:51 PM on August 14

You have to formally register with the state and get formal recognition by them before you perform any weddings, at least if you want them legally recognized.

Some states require registration, however most do not.
posted by applemeat at 2:59 PM on August 15