Becoming a licensed wedding officiant in Florida is often more complicated than one might imagine, especially if you want to do it yourself. The process requires obtaining the proper credentials and filling the right paperwork with the right agency. The application itself can be arduous, demanding a lot of information about you as a person and your professional experience as an ordained minister, priest or other religious leader. Furthermore, it may take several weeks for the agency to process your application — no matter how simple or straightforward you may have made your request. In most cases, it’s best not to run ahead of procedures and complete them correctly from beginning to end. We’ve outlined them in this article, outlining in detail what you’ll need to do to become a wedding officiant in Florida on your own.
Becoming a wedding officiant in Florida is easier than you think. Thousands of people get married every year, and many don’t have anyone who can officiate the wedding. Whether you’re a practicing religious leader, or just someone wanting to be a part of someone else’s special day — being a wedding officiant in Florida is probably the best way to go about it!
How To Become A Wedding Officiant In Florida
5 Useful Officiant Registration Facts
1.
WHO CAN OFFICIATE WEDDINGS IN FLORIDA?
” (1)All regularly ordained ministers of the gospel or elders in communion with some church, or other ordained clergy, and all judicial officers, including retired judicial officers, clerks of the circuit courts, and notaries public of this state may solemnize the rights of matrimonial contract, under the regulations prescribed by law. Nothing in this section shall make invalid a marriage which was solemnized by any member of the clergy, or as otherwise provided by law prior to July 1, 1978. “
Florida Statutes Stat § 741.07
2.
ARE ONLINE ORDAINED MINISTERS RECOGNIZED IN FLORIDA?
Yes. All online ordained ministers, including those ordained through AMM are recognized in Florida.
Get Ordained Now
3.
AM I AS THE MINISTER OFFICIANT REQUIRED TO REGISTER WITH THE FLORIDA GOVERNMENT?
The Florida Government does not license, register, or certify ministers or wedding officiants. Officiant registration is not required in Florida to officiate a wedding.
4.
WHAT FLORIDA OFFICE HANDLES OFFICIANT REGISTRATION?
The Florida Government does not have any office that licenses, registers, or certifies wedding officiants.
5.
HOW OLD DO I HAVE TO BE TO OFFICIATE A WEDDING IN FLORIDA?
All Wedding Officiants in Florida must be at least 18 years old.
What are the Wedding Officiant Registration Requirements in Florida?
You may be surprised to hear this, but wedding officiants in Florida are not required to register with any government office prior to performing marriage. The Florida State Government has no laws requiring officiant registration or office dedicated to the registration of wedding officiants.
Florida does have a law (Florida Statutes 741.07) that specifies who can solemnize marriage. This includes all ministers, including online ordained ministers of American Marriage Ministries. However, there are no laws, offices, or procedures requiring officiants to register with any government office.
Simply put, once you are an online ordained minister of American Marriage Ministries you immediately have the legal ability to officiate weddings anywhere in Florida. If you have been asked to officiate a wedding in Florida, Get ordained with AMM today!
Ordination with AMM is fast, free, and simple. To learn more about getting ordained in Florida with AMM, check out our Get Ordained in Florida page.
Keep Records of Your Ministry Credentials
Though there are no officiant registration requirements in Florida, you must be an ordained minister to be able to legally perform marriage. Local regulations in Florida stipulate that wedding officiants under the designation of “Minister” be ordained by a religious organization, such as American Marriage Ministries.
While you are not required to register with any Florida government office as a wedding officiant, it is a good idea to keep personal records of your official Ministry Credentials. Proof of your ordination is essential in the event that the couple, government officials, or the wedding venue request to see proof of your ordination.
We recommend that you order your Florida Minister Ordination Package to receive your official ministry credentials. Your package includes your official Ordination Certificate and Letter of Good Standing.
Your Letter of Good Standing is signed by a church officer, dated, and notarized. Your Minister Ordination Package also includes your AMM Minister’s Manual, a valuable resource for officiant training information.
Part of the proceeds from your order will go towards our charitable activities. So along with receiving your AMM ministry credentials, you are also helping to support a good cause.
Start Preparing for the Wedding Ceremony
Your next step is to learn how to officiate a wedding ceremony. If you have no experience, you are in good hands. Our Florida Wedding Officiant Preparation Guide covers all aspects of how to prepare for a wedding ceremony.
You will learn everything from the format for a wedding ceremony, the names of the ceremony parts, how to write a wedding ceremony, and more.
PREPARE FOR THE FLORIDA WEDDING CEREMONY
Use Our AMM Wedding Helper
If the process of planning, scripting, and performing a wedding is daunting, then you need our Wedding Helper suite of tools.
We have distilled years of experience into an easy-to-use platform with training materials, quizzes, a personalized ceremony script generator, and tips to prepare you for performing marriage, all accessible through your minister profile.
That’s only the beginning. After the wedding, you can share your wedding on the AMM Wedding Wall with our nationwide network of ministers.
