Ministers
Officiating by state
Most states accept your Lumen ordination with no paperwork: you sign the couple's license and return it. These jurisdictions ask ministers to register or get an authorization first. Pick yours — we show what the office wants and generate your packet with the official form prefilled where the state publishes one.
Researched from official sources, November 2026. Laws change — each page links its authority. This is guidance, not legal advice.
Registration required · 16
| State | What | Fee | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | Record credentials with any county clerk (~$5) not addressed | About $5 (varies by county) | packet + data sheet | Guide → |
| Delaware | Register with the county Clerk of the Peace not addressed | None stated | packet + data sheet | Guide → |
| District of Columbia | Sworn application to the Marriage Bureau ($35) online ordination OK | $35 (temporary officiant $25) | packet + data sheet | Guide → |
| Hawaii | Online performer license ($100/yr or $25/60 days) online ordination OK | 1-year license $100 + $10 portal fee; 60-day license $25 + $10 | online portal + data sheet | Guide → |
| Louisiana | Notarized affidavit with the parish Clerk of Court not addressed | Varies by parish (e.g., Caddo $10) | packet + data sheet | Guide → |
| Massachusetts | Residents record once (free); nonresidents petition per wedding online ordination OK | None | ✓ prefilled official form | Guide → |
| Minnesota | Register with any county registrar ($40) online ordination OK | $40 (typical) | ✓ prefilled official form | Guide → |
| Nevada | Single-ceremony certificate from the county clerk online ordination at risk | $25–$30 per single ceremony (max 5/yr); permanent $30 + ~$55 background check | ✓ prefilled official form | Guide → |
| New Hampshire | Residents nothing; out-of-state $25 per wedding online ordination OK | $25 per marriage | online portal + data sheet | Guide → |
| New York (NYC only) | In-person registration with the City Clerk ($15) online ordination OK | $15 | online portal + data sheet | Guide → |
| Ohio | State minister's license ($10, no expiration) online ordination OK | $10 | ✓ prefilled official form | Guide → |
| Oklahoma | File credentials with a court clerk online ordination OK | None to a few dollars (county) | packet + data sheet | Guide → |
| Puerto Rico | Celebrant registry (board resolution; verify details) not addressed | $25 in internal revenue stamps (unofficial) | packet + data sheet | Guide → |
| Vermont | Residents nothing; nonresidents $50 petition or $100 online online ordination OK | $50 probate order or $100 temporary officiant | ✓ prefilled official form | Guide → |
| Virginia | Circuit court order; many courts refuse online ordination online ordination at risk | $26–$89 depending on the court | ✓ prefilled official form | Guide → |
| West Virginia | Online registry ($25) — needs notarized letter online ordination OK | $25 | online portal + data sheet | Guide → |
No registration, but read first
Tennessee law says persons receiving online ordinations may not solemnize marriages. The church's position: do not officiate in Tennessee on an online ordination. Options: a Tennessee officiant of record, a judge, or an in-person ordination ceremony with a Lumen chapter (contact the church office).
Details →No registration, but a 2007 York County ruling questioned online ordination and several Registers of Wills post disclaimers. Safe alternative: the couple obtains a self-uniting license (23 Pa.C.S. § 1502) and you lead the ceremony.
Details →No registration required · 34
Sign the license as the officiant and return it by the deadline. Click a state for its statute and the church's note.