Before officiating weddings in New Hampshire you will first need to get ordained online as a minister. This is as easy as Googling for a website that offers online ordinations.
Most of these organizations offer ordination for free though there are a few that charge exorbitant fees. We will be openly biased in recommending that you get ordained with American Marriage Ministries.
Why American Marriage Ministries? AMM ordination is free. They are set up specifically to help people officiate wedding ceremonies. And they are the only IRS Certified 501c3 Charitable Organization that offers online ordinations.
That being said, if you decide to seek ordination through another organization, that is your prerogative.
Once you are an ordained minister your next steps will depend on your residency status in New Hampshire.
New Hampshire Minister Registration Only Required for Non-Residents
New Hampshire is one of two States in the country that requires non-residents to register but requires nothing of New Hampshire Residents.
If you are a New Hampshire resident then your status as an ordained minister is all the authority you need to officiate weddings in the State.
If you are not a New Hampshire resident but plan on officiating a wedding in New Hampshire then you will have to register with the New Hampshire Secretary of State.
Non-Resident Minister Registration with the New Hampshire Secretary of State
The registration process for non-residents is pretty straightforward. You will need to complete a simple one page form provided by the office of the Secretary.
Below are step-by-step instructions on completing your non-resident application.
Completing Your Non-Resident Application To Perform a Marriage Ceremony in New Hampshire
The following instructions are written for ministers of American Marriage Ministries. If you got ordained online through a church other than AMM, simply substitute “American Marriage Ministries” where applicable.
- You will be asked to put in the full names of the couple and their respective city and state of residence.
- For the checkboxes, check the first box and enter “American Marriage Ministries”.
- Sign and print your name.
- Enter the current date, your mailing address, and phone number.
Submitting Your Application
Once your application is completed your next step is to mail it to the Secretary of State’s office. Make sure to include a $25 check or money order payable to the “State of New Hampshire“. The mailing address is:
New Hampshire Secretary of State
State House, Room 204
Concord, New Hampshire 03301
Approval of Your Application
After you have mailed in your application please allow a few days for its review and approval. Once approved, you will receive a Special License from the Secretary’s office. This “Special License” gives you permission to officiate a single wedding, the wedding of the couple named in your application.
Submitting Your Special License with the Marriage License
The Special License that you receive from the New Hampshire Secretary of State’s office must be included with the marriage license when returning the marriage license to the city or town clerk.
If you need further clarification on this process, you can contact the New Hampshire Secretary of State at:
Phone: 603-271-3242
Hours: 8:00am-4:30pm M-F
If you were ordained with American Marriage Ministries, their Minister Ordination Package contains your official Ministry Credentials which are a good idea to keep for your own records. The package is $48 and also includes a Minister’s Manual that covers useful minister registration and wedding training information.
They also offer a “Signature Wedding Officiant Package” that includes everything described above as well as a Clergy Stole and their comprehensive wedding training manual “Asked to Officiate“. It is $98 and the book, Asked to Officiate, is probably the best instruction manual for first time officiants.
Much of the information presented here was sourced from this page.
Learn More About How to Officiate Weddings
Successfully registration as a non-resident wedding officiant in New Hampshire is just one step. Resident or non-resident, most of your work will involve preparing for the wedding ceremony. Follow the link below for useful wedding training information.