Officiating a wedding in Minnesota
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: revisor.mn.gov
Can you officiate, and is registration required?
Minnesota asks an officiant to register as a civil marriage officiant with a local registrar in a county of the state, using that county’s certificate of filing. The rule was restructured recently and keys authority to being at least 21 and registered rather than to ordination of any kind, and the counties reviewed did not ask for proof of ordination. File in person with government photo ID, or by mail or online with the signature notarized. The amount is county-set and the spread is wide, so confirm it and the form with the registrar you file with. The county of registration is endorsed on each certificate.
Who returns the license, and by when
The officiant files the certificate with the local registrar of the county in which the license was issued within five days after the ceremony. Confirm the window with that registrar.
Suggested return window: about 5 days after the ceremony. Confirm the current deadline with the issuing clerk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to register to officiate in Minnesota?
Yes. Register as a civil marriage officiant with a local registrar in a Minnesota county before the ceremony. Filing in person needs government photo ID; by mail or online the signature is notarized.
Does registering in one Minnesota county cover the whole state?
The statute says a registered officiant may solemnize throughout the state, and one county reads it that way while another presents the registration as tied to its own county. Confirm the scope with the registrar where the license was issued.
When is a Minnesota marriage certificate due back?
Within five days after the ceremony, to the local registrar of the county that issued the license.
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:revisor.mn.gov.