Officiating a wedding in Kansas
Registration, the license, and who returns it — the essentials for officiants.
Informational only. Informational only, not legal advice. Confirm the current rule with the county clerk or issuing office that handles the license.
Reviewed August 2026 · Issuing office: ksrevisor.gov
Can you officiate, and is registration required?
Kansas sets no officiant registration. Currently ordained clergy or a religious authority of any denomination, judges and justices of courts of record, municipal judges and retired judges may solemnize, and the two people may also marry themselves by mutual declarations in accordance with the customs of their religious society. An officiated marriage needs at least two competent witnesses over 18 who are not the officiating person. The couple gets the license from the judge or clerk of the District Court, no earlier than the third calendar day after the application, and it expires six months after issuance.
Who returns the license, and by when
The person who performed the ceremony endorses the certificate, gives the duplicate to the couple, and returns the license to the judge or clerk of the district court who issued it within 10 days after the marriage. Confirm the window with that court.
Suggested return window: about 10 days after the ceremony. Confirm the current deadline with the issuing clerk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to register to officiate in Kansas?
No. Kansas has no officiant registration. Whether a given online ordination satisfies the statute is not addressed by any official Kansas source reviewed, so ask the clerk of the district court in the issuing county.
How many witnesses does Kansas require?
Two competent witnesses over 18 who are not the officiating person, for an officiated marriage. The self-uniting route under the same statute needs neither an officiant nor witnesses.
When is a Kansas marriage license due back?
Within 10 days after the marriage, to the judge or clerk of the district court who issued it.
Never miss a return deadline
RiteBinder's license tracker keeps every state's note in front of you (free, no card). On Solo it also turns the signed license into a task and reminds you before the deadline.
Confirm the current rule with the issuing office:ksrevisor.gov.