In Michigan, only the people named in MCL 551.7 can legally officiate a wedding: certain judges, a short list of elected officials, county clerks, and ordained or authorized religious practitioners.1Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 551.7 A friend or family member cannot simply agree to perform the ceremony. They need to fit one of the statutory categories, and some of those categories carry geographic limits that catch couples by surprise.
Civil Officials Who Can Perform a Marriage
On the government side, MCL 551.7 authorizes the following people to solemnize a marriage:1Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 551.7
- District court judges, anywhere in Michigan.
- District court magistrates, anywhere in Michigan.
- Probate judges, anywhere in Michigan.
- Federal judges, anywhere in Michigan.
- Municipal judges, but only within the city they serve or a township under their court’s jurisdiction.
- Mayors, but only within the county where their city is located.
- County clerks, in their own county, or in another county if that county’s clerk provides written authorization.
- An employee designated by the county clerk, but only in counties with more than 1.5 million residents (currently Wayne County).
The geographic restrictions matter. A mayor of a city in Oakland County cannot officiate a wedding in Washtenaw County. A county clerk cannot cross a county line to perform a ceremony without written permission from the clerk in the other county. Judges (district, probate, and federal) and district court magistrates are the exceptions on the civil side: they can officiate anywhere in the state.
Religious Practitioners
Any minister, cleric, or religious practitioner who is ordained or authorized to perform marriages according to the practices of their denomination can officiate anywhere in Michigan.1Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 551.7 The statute uses broad language and is not limited to any particular faith tradition. A pastor, priest, rabbi, imam, Buddhist monk, or leader of any other religious body qualifies, as long as their denomination authorizes them to perform weddings.
There are no geographic limits on religious officiants within the state.
Online Ordination
Many people who want to officiate a friend’s or family member’s wedding get ordained through an online ministry. Michigan law does not distinguish between in-person seminary ordination and online ordination. The statute simply requires that a religious practitioner be “ordained or authorized to solemnize marriages according to the usages of the denomination.”1Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 551.7 If the ordaining organization treats its online process as a genuine ordination, it generally satisfies the statute.
A 2025 Senate Fiscal Agency analysis of pending legislation acknowledged the practice directly, noting that “many individuals fulfill this requirement by purchasing a certificate online that ordains that individual as a minister.”2Michigan Legislature. Civil Celebrant; Solemnize Marriage S.B. 285 – 287
If you take this route, hold onto your ordination certificate and any documentation from the ministry confirming that you are authorized to perform marriages. Michigan does not impose any education or training requirements on ordained officiants.
Out-of-State Officiants
A religious practitioner who lives outside Michigan can legally officiate a wedding anywhere in the state, provided they are authorized to perform marriages under the laws of their home state.1Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 551.7 They do not have to register or file paperwork in Michigan beforehand; they just need to be prepared to demonstrate their authority.
This provision applies only to religious practitioners. Out-of-state civil officials have no authority to officiate here. An Ohio judge cannot cross the border and perform a valid ceremony in Michigan.
No Registration Required, But Keep Your Paperwork
Michigan does not require officiants to register with any state or county agency before performing a ceremony. There is no officiant license, no filing of credentials, and no state-maintained database. That keeps the process simple, but it also puts the burden on the officiant to prove their authority if the county clerk or anyone else asks. Keeping a copy of your ordination documents or proof of judicial appointment on hand is a sensible precaution.
What Happens If an Unauthorized Person Officiates
The stakes for getting this wrong are real. Someone who performs a ceremony knowing they are not legally authorized to do so, or knowing that a legal impediment to the marriage exists, commits a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, a fine between $50 and $500, or both.3Michigan Legislature. MCL Section 551.15
A marriage performed by an unauthorized person may also not be recognized by the state. That can create cascading problems with tax filings, inheritance, insurance benefits, and anything else that depends on marital status. Verifying your officiant’s authority before the wedding day is worth far more than trying to fix an invalid marriage afterward. Ask to see ordination documents, confirm which statutory category they fall under, and check that any geographic restriction is satisfied for the venue you have chosen.
Michigan also does not recognize self-uniting marriages. Unlike Pennsylvania and a few other states, there is no Quaker-style option in which the couple marries without an officiant. Someone authorized under MCL 551.7 must solemnize the marriage for it to be legally valid.
A Possible Change: The Civil Celebrant Bills
Michigan lawmakers have considered creating a new “civil celebrant” category that would let non-religious individuals officiate weddings without going through ordination. As of mid-2025, Senate Bills 285 through 287 have passed the Senate and are pending in the House.2Michigan Legislature. Civil Celebrant; Solemnize Marriage S.B. 285 – 287 Until any new law takes effect, the categories in MCL 551.7 are the complete list. If a layperson wants to officiate before then, online ordination through a recognized ministry is the standard path.