The U.S. States Where You Can Legally Marry Without an Officiant

The post The U.S. States Where You Can Legally Marry Without an Officiant first appeared on Crafting Your Home.

For most couples, a wedding ceremony involves a third person: a judge, minister, clergy member, or another person legally authorized to solemnize marriages.

A small number of states allow couples to solemnize their own marriages, meaning they can legally marry without a traditional officiant. The rules vary considerably, however. In some places, virtually any couple can do it, while other states limit the option to particular religious traditions or circumstances.

This distinction matters because simply exchanging vows without an authorized process does not automatically create a legal marriage.

Colorado

State law specifically lists the parties to the marriage among the people who may solemnize a marriage. That means a couple can conduct its own ceremony without a judge, minister, or other third-party officiant presiding.

Colorado law also provides that when no individual acting alone solemnizes the marriage, a party to the marriage can complete the marriage certificate and return it to the county clerk and recorder within 63 days.

Pennsylvania

State law provides a process for couples who intend to solemnize their marriage through a religious ceremony without an officiating clergy member. The state’s marriage statutes include a specific section covering situations in which the parties perform the ceremony themselves.

Wisconsin

The provision applies when the marriage is conducted according to the customs, rules, and regulations of a religious society, denomination, or sect to which one party belongs.

Illinois

Illinois also recognizes marriages conducted according to the prescriptions of religious denominations, Indian Nations or Tribes, or Native Groups.

The state’s marriage statute specifically addresses situations in which no individual acting alone solemnized the marriage. In that situation, both parties complete the marriage certificate and send it to the county clerk within 10 days.

California

The option applies to religious denominations without clergy to solemnize marriages. It should therefore not be treated as blanket permission for every couple in the state to marry themselves.

Kansas

The state’s current statute says the two parties may marry themselves through mutual declarations under those circumstances.

Maine

The state’s statute specifically provides that these marriages are valid.

Nevada

Nevada is sometimes included on lists of places where couples can marry without an officiant, but the distinction is important.

Nevada law generally requires an authorized person to solemnize a marriage. However, it separately recognizes marriages among Friends or Quakers conducted in the forms traditionally practiced in their meetings.

What About Washington, D.C.?

Washington, D.C., is not a state, but it is another U.S. jurisdiction where couples can choose to officiate their own marriage.

That makes D.C. relevant to any broader list of U.S. jurisdictions permitting self-officiated marriages, even though it should not technically be counted as a state.

What Does “Marrying Without an Officiant” Actually Mean?

Self-solemnization does not mean that a couple can decide privately that they are married and ignore the legal paperwork.

The couple generally still has to obtain a valid marriage license and comply with the requirements of the jurisdiction where the marriage takes place. Depending on the location, requirements may also include witnesses, religious affiliation, specific forms, or filing deadlines.

The Rules Can Be Very Different From State to State

Colorado and Washington, D.C., provide broad self-officiation options. Pennsylvania has a specific self-uniting marriage process. Other states recognize self-solemnization primarily through particular religious or cultural practices.

That means couples should check the exact law and requirements of the county where they plan to obtain their marriage license before making ceremony arrangements.