MINISTERIAL CREDENTIAL REGISTRATION

To be authorized to perform marriages within the State of Minnesota and the County of Anoka, the following criteria must be met:

MS 517.05 CREDENTIALS OF MINISTER

Minnesota Statute 517.05 requires that persons who are ordained to perform marriage ceremonies, must be 21 years of age, meet the requirements of Minnesota Statute 517.04, and register their certificate of ordination or license of ministry before performing a marriage ceremony in Minnesota.

• If their religious denomination does not issue credentials, authority from the minister's spiritual assembly must be filed with the local registrar of a county in this state, who shall record the same and give a certificate thereof.
• The place where the credentials are recorded shall be endorsed upon and recorded with each certificate of marriage granted by a minister.

MS 517.04 PERSONS AUTHORIZED TO PERFORM CIVIL MARRIAGES

Marriages may be solemnized throughout the state by an individual who has attained the age of 21 years and is:

• A Judge of a court of record,
• A retired Judge of a court of record,
• A Court Administrator,
• A retired Court Administrator with the approval of the Chief Judge of the Judicial District,
• A former Court Commissioner who is employed by the court system or is acting pursuant to an order of the Chief Judge of the Commissioner's Judicial District,
• The Residential School Administrators of the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf and the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind,
• A licensed or ordained Minister of any religious denomination,
• Or, by any mode recognized in Section 517.18.
• An individual who registers as a civil marriage officiant with a local registrar in a county of Minnesota

 Required Fee:  $20.00