Do I need an officiant to get married in Idaho?

Created and reviewed for accuracy by researchers at the Universal Life Church Ministries

Do I need an officiant to get married in Idaho?

Congratulations! If you've found yourself at this page it is likely that you are either planning to be married or have been asked to perform a wedding ceremony in Idaho. Ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church have successfully performed thousands of legal marriages in Idaho. The information provided below will walk you through the steps one must follow to become a minister and perform a valid wedding ceremony in the state of Idaho.

Quick Facts

  • ULC Ordination Accepted: Yes
  • Minister Registration Required: Sometimes
  • Minister's Residency: Irrelevant
  • Minister's Minimum Age: 18
  •  
  • Marriage License Waiting Period: 0 Days
  • Marriage License Valid For: 1 Year
  • Marriage License Return Within: 30 Days

Regional Information

For more specific information about performing a wedding in certain parts of Idaho, choose a location below. If your area isn't listed, don't worry - just continue scrolling to review the helpful general information on this page.

1 How to Become an Ordained Minister in Idaho

If you haven't already, you should get ordained online with the Universal Life Church. Ordination is free and can be completed in just a matter of minutes. Thousands of legally valid marriages are performed by ULC ministers around the world every year. Begin the process by clicking the big blue button below!

2 Officiating a Wedding in Idaho

Next, you should contact the office of your local marriage authority (typically your county clerk). Let them know that you are a minister of the Universal Life Church in Seattle, and ask what they will require of you to officiate a legal marriage.

Select your County Clerk Recorder to quickly generate the contact information for your local marriage authority.

Select a county contact

3 License to Marry in Idaho

After you've contacted your marriage authority, you should visit our online store to purchase whatever documentation will be required. We typically advise ministers in Idaho to get an Ordination Package and to add a Letter of Good Standing to their order. While Minister registration is not technically required in Idaho you it has been reported to us by ULC Ministers in the state that they are often required to present proof of their ordination to the county clerk before the marriages they perform will be accepted as having been legally solemnized. Having this proof of your ordination will also provide peace-of-mind to any couple that you intend to marry. Additionally, please attempt to leave at least 3 weeks between the date of the wedding ceremony and your order, to ensure that you receive all of your materials in advance.

4 How to get Married in Idaho

Do I need an officiant to get married in Idaho?

Idaho's Top Wedding Spot

Inside the log-hewn Sawtooth Valley Meditation Chapel, in Stanley

Now that you've done all of the above, you are ready to perform the wedding! Be sure that the couple has picked up their Idaho marriage license from the appropriate office. This license is valid for 1 year, and there is no mandatory waiting period between when the couple receives the marriage license in Idaho and when the ceremony may be legally performed. Please be aware that the signed license must be returned to the issuing office within 30 days of the wedding ceremony.

At the Universal Life Church we receive several calls from wedding officiants in Idaho, after they've received their license to marry by getting ordained online, asking for guidance on how to perform a wedding ceremony. Once the legal matters have been taken care of, officiating a wedding (while a sometimes-daunting task) can be a great deal of fun. We would suggest that new Idaho wedding ministers concerned about the ceremony peruse one of our helpful wedding guides. The minister training section of our website should offer a helpful refresher for more experienced ministers.

5 Guide to Planning an Idaho Wedding

Idaho might be perfect for your wedding if you are hoping to have a stunning outdoor display of summertime freedom, or the solitude of a snowy winterscape. Between the dozens of barn venues, the forests, and the incredible weather, outdoor lovers will want for nothing in this beautiful state. However, this collection adoration for the outdoors can result in lots of traffic in major corridors on popular summer weekends, so you will need to make sure you are checking for traffic updates before traveling. With summer temps that can reach into the triple digits, and winter storms known to drop heavy snowfall, it is also a good idea to make sure you are reviewing the weather patterns of the area so you don't get caught in an outfit that's unsuitable for the conditions.


Idaho Marriage Code

Do I need an officiant to get married in Idaho?

Idaho Marriage Code

Marriage in Idaho is governed by Title 32 of the Idaho statutes. Ministers who got ordained online with the Universal Life Church have successfully solemnized thousands of weddings in the state. Below, you will find that we have reproduced a relevant excerpt of this code.

32-303. BY WHOM SOLEMNIZED. Marriage may be solemnized by any of the following Idaho officials: a current or retired justice of the supreme court, a current or retired court of appeals judge, a current or retired district judge, the current or a former governor, the current lieutenant governor, a current or retired magistrate of the district court, a current mayor or by any of the following: a current federal judge, a current tribal judge of an Idaho Indian tribe or other tribal official approved by an official act of an Idaho Indian tribe or priest or minister of the gospel of any denomination. View the Idaho Statutes on the official state site.

To view the in-depth wedding laws for Idaho state:

Idaho Marriage Laws

⇓ Show the rest

Adams County

201 Industrial Ave.
Council, Idaho
83612

Phone: (208) 253-4561
Fax: (208) 253-4880
Adams County website »

Benewah County

701 W College Ave.
St. Maries, Idaho
83861

Phone: (208) 245-3212
Fax: (208) 245-9152
Benewah County website »

Bingham County

501 N. Maple, Room 107
Blackfoot, Idaho
83221

Phone: (208) 782-3157
Fax: (208) 785-4131
Bingham County website »

Boise County

420 Main Street
Idaho City, Idaho
83631

Phone: (208) 392-4431
Fax: (208) 392-4473
Boise County website »

Bonneville County

605 N. Capital, Room 204
Idaho Falls, Idaho
83402

Phone: (208) 529-1350 ext 1350
Fax: (208) 529-1311
Bonneville County website »

Boundary County

6452 Kootenai St
Bonners Ferry, Idaho
83805

Phone: (208) 267-2242
Fax: (208) 267-7814
Boundary County website »

Camas County

501 Soldier Road
Fairfield, Idaho
83327

Phone: (208) 764-2242
Fax: (208) 764-2349
Camas County website »

Canyon County

111 N. 11th Ave, Suite 330
Caldwell, Idaho
83605

Phone: (208) 454-7337
Fax: (208) 454-6689
Canyon County website »

Caribou County

Caribou County Courthouse<br>159 South Main, Room 202
Soda Springs, Idaho
83276

Phone: (208) 547-4324
Fax: (208) 547-4759
Caribou County website »

Cassia County

1459 Overland Ave, Suite 101
Burley, Idaho
83318

Phone: (208) 878-5240 ext 226
Fax: (208) 878-5231
Cassia County website »

Gem County

Gem County Courthouse, Room 202
Emmett, Idaho

Phone: (208) 365-4561
Fax: (208) 365-7795
Gem County website »

Idaho County

320 West Main Street, Rm 5
Grangeville, Idaho
83530

Phone: (208) 983-2751
Fax: (208) 983-1428
Idaho County website »

Jerome County

300 N Lincoln Ave
Jerome, Idaho
83338

Phone: (208) 324-8811
Fax: (208) 324-2719
Jerome County website »

Lemhi County

206 Courthouse Drive
Salmon, Idaho
83467

Phone: (208) 756-2815
Fax: (208) 756-8424
Lemhi County website »

Oneida County

10 Court Street
Malad, Idaho
83252

Phone: (208) 766-4116 ext 100
Fax: (208) 766-2448
Oneida County website »

Owyhee County

20381 Marsing - Murphy Rd.
Murphy, Idaho
83650

Phone: (208) 495-2421
Fax: (208) 495-1173
Owyhee County website »

Payette County

1130 3rd. Ave. N.
Payette, Idaho
83661

Phone: (208) 642-6000
Fax: (208) 642-6011
Payette County website »

Power County

543 Bannock Ave.
American Falls, Idaho
83211

Phone: (208) 226-7610
Fax: (208) 226-7612
Power County website »

Shoshone County

700 Bank Street, Suite 120
Wallace, Idaho
83873

Phone: (208) 752-1264
Fax: (208) 752-1896
Shoshone County website »

Teton County

150 Courthouse Drive - Room 208
Driggs, Idaho

Phone: (208) 354-8780
Fax: (208) 354-8410
Teton County website »

Valley County

219 N. Main St
Cascade, Idaho
83611

Phone: (208) 382-7102
Fax: (208) 382-7107
Valley County website »

Who can legally perform a marriage in Idaho?

In Idaho, a wedding officiant must be authorized under Idaho Code Section 32-303. Authorized individuals include: Justice of the Supreme Court (current and retired) Appeals Judge (current and retired)

What is required to get married in Idaho?

To apply for a marriage license in Idaho, the couple needs to appear together at a County Recorder's Office. The couple must pay a filing fee of approximately $30, and fill out a marriage license application.

How do you get certified to marry someone in Idaho?

Getting a Marriage License.
To appear together at a County Recorder's Office..
Approximately $30 in cash. Many County Recorders do not take checks or cards. ... .
A social security number for each applicant. ... .
One of the following as proof of identity and age:.

Do you have to be ordained in Idaho?

Idaho Officiant Government Registration We said it before but it bears repeating – In Idaho, wedding officiants are not required to register with any government office. The government in Idaho does not impose any officiant registration process whatsoever.