Officiating a wedding in Pennsylvania
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: phila.gov
Can you officiate, and is registration required?
Pennsylvania sets no state or county officiant registration, and counties expressly decline to rule on who qualifies: one Orphans’ Court states it will not confirm or deny a particular person’s qualification to officiate. Judges, mayors of any city or borough and a minister, priest or rabbi of any regularly established church or congregation may solemnize, as may a religious society under its own rules. Online ordination is genuinely contested there: two county courts reached opposite conclusions and no appellate decision settles it, so validity can turn on which county issued the license. Pennsylvania also offers the self-uniting license, under which the couple marries with no officiant and two witnesses sign, which removes the question entirely.
Who returns the license, and by when
The person solemnizing signs the duplicate certificate and returns it for recording within ten days to the court that issued the license, the county Register of Wills or Clerk of Orphans’ Court. For a self-uniting marriage both parties sign, attested by two witnesses, and return it. Confirm the window with that office.
Suggested return window: about 10 days after the ceremony. Confirm the current deadline with the issuing clerk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Pennsylvania accept an online ordination?
It is unsettled. One county court held such a marriage invalid and another held one valid, and no appellate decision resolves it, so the answer can depend on the county that issued the license. The self-uniting license avoids the question.
What is a Pennsylvania self-uniting license?
A license under which the couple marries with no officiating clergy, with two witnesses signing. Philadelphia issues it for a little more than a regular license and notes that another person may preside only in an unofficial capacity.
When is a Pennsylvania marriage license due back?
Within ten days, returned for recording to the court that issued it, the county Register of Wills or Clerk of Orphans’ Court.
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:phila.gov.