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January 31, 2017

Can a Notary be an officiate at a Wedding or marriage?

Can a Notary perform a marriage or be a wedding officiant? There are four states that currently allow Notaries to perform weddings. A Notary can solemnize a marriage if they are commissioned in:

Florida
South Carolina
Nevada
Maine

However, there are some additional qualifications, requirements and authorizations needed from your state. Please contact your state notary division to see how you can qualify to officiate at weddings. It is common for states to accept you as a wedding officiant if you are a Priest, Rabbi, Ordained Minister, Imam, etc.

Many Notaries add being a Wedding Officiant to their list of services. It is easy to make $100 to $250 for each wedding. Just don’t show up late, your you’ll create a bad memory that the married couple will keep with them for life! Many Notaries market their wedding services on websites, web directories such as 123notary.com, or by networking. We even met one Notary who specialized in gay marriages (who ran into trouble when he tried to get a wedding cake made in Indiana.)

The Notary needs to check wedding licenses, official name changes which often accompany the marriage, and then fill out a bunch of forms, get them notarized, and then send them in the mail, or preferably by Fedex. Loan signings typically end at the Fedex box, but that is where Marriages begin!

You can Google the term, “How to become ordained” to learn more about becoming a Minister in your state. Becoming ordained is normally non-denominational, but check with your church just to see if that will affect your relationship with them.

Joke:
A Priest, a Rabbi, and Imam, and a non-denominational Ordained Minister walk into a bar. The bar tender says, “So, what will you be having?” The Imam says, “A ginger ale on the rocks. Drinking alcohol is against my religion.” The Rabbi says, “I’ll have half a glass of Manichevitz Concord Grape if you’ve got it. I can do a blessing on your stock of it at no cost either — this week only.” The Priest says, “Yes brother, I’ll have white wine and a piece of bread.” The bar tender was confused and thought it should be red wine to symbolize the blood on the cross. The Priest explained, “It needs to be white wine to symbolize the color of drapes my wife forced me to buy that I can’t stand.”

So, the Bar Tender asked what they were all doing there.
The Ordained Minister said, “We’re here to perform a marriage — I guess they double booked.”
The Imam said, “Double booked? Quadruple booked! This couple is crazy. But, this ginger ale is excellent, must be one of those boutique brands!”

Q&A
Can a Florida Notary perform a wedding?
Yes, if they have the proper license.

Can a South Carolina Notary perform a wedding?
Yes, if they have the proper license.

Can a Maine Notary perform a wedding?
Yes, if they have the proper license.

Can a Nevada Notary perform a wedding?
Yes, if they have the proper license.

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1 Comment »

  1. Also consider litigation – I doubt E&O coverage exists for this.

    Comment by Kenneth Edelstein — January 31, 2017 @ 12:38 am

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