How to Become a Legally Ordained Minister in New York City:

With the American Fellowship Church the process of becoming an ordained minister / wedding officiant in New York City is a bit of a process, but it is possible, just read below and follow the instructions.

It may be helpful to print this page out so that you can follow the instructions step by step.

Marriage law in the State of New York:

Marriages may be solemnized by a clergyperson or minister of any religion...

*In New York City you MUST register with the City Clerk's Office in order to be able to perform (solemnize) marriages. In order to qualify you may submit an application online to the Clerk's Office. After you submit an online application, you may go to the office in person or have documents notarized and mail them to the Clerk's Office.

To help facilitate this process we suggest that you obtain the following:

Certificate of Ordination & ID Card

Membership Directory

Letter of Authorization / Letter of Good Standing

After you have ordered the items above, you can begin your application for authorization through the NYC Clerk's Office online. Click here to begin your application online. In the new window that will open after clicking on the preceding link, click the button at the bottom right side of the page "Next Page"

Then choose: "Marriage Officiant Registration", and read the Introduction.

Then (once you are ready) click "Start Application"

Fill in the required fields. Under "Personal Information; Position" Choose "Reverend" (unless we have granted you a different title.) By default when you become ordained by the American Fellowship Church, your title will be Reverend.

If you do not have a secondary address, under the section "Business Address" simply input your primary address.

At the bottom of the page under "DENOMINATION (IF APPLICABLE)" Choose "Non-Denominational"

After you have filled out all appropriate fields click "Next Page" 

At this point you should be on "Step 2 Eligibility"
On this page you need to select only one item. 

The selection that you should choose is located under the first heading "MY DENOMINATION PUBLISHES A DIRECTORY OF CLERGY AND"

Select: "I will submit a copy of the cover page of such directory as well as a copy of the page where my name appears; or"

Then click "Next".

At this point you should be on "Step 3 Mailing To"
Review the information to be certain that everything is correct. If you are satisfied that the information is accurate and true, then choose the address that you would like your Certificate of Marriage Officiant Registration sent to. Then choose "Next"

At this point you should be on "Step 4 Preview/Edit"

You need to again review all the information and check for errors. If everything looks correct enter the captcha letters in the box near the bottom of the page and your email address, then click on Next.

If you follow the instructions listed on this page, and obtain the items that we suggest, you should be able to obtain authorization from the New York City Clerk's Office to solemnize. 

In addition to the above, you MUST have a valid State issued Photo I.D.

If you plan to send in the application by mail, you must include a Money Order made payable to City Clerk, and (in addition to the acceptable forms of identification requested at the end of the online application) you will need to print the Marriage Officiant Registration Application form DO NOT SIGN IT YET, as you will need to do so before a Notary.

Click here to see which forms of identification the Clerk will accept.

The City Clerk's office is located in Manhattan at:

141 Worth Street, New York, NY 10013.
Hours: 8:30 am to 3:45 pm, Monday through Friday.

Directions:

Subway: Brooklyn Bridge Station on the 4, 5, & 6 lines; Park Place Station on the 2 & 3 lines; City Hall Station on the N & R lines; Chambers Street Station on the A & C lines

Buses: M1, M6, M15, M22, M103, B51, & express buses serving City Hall area
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1. By becoming an ordained minister with the American Fellowship Church you are a "licensed / ordained minister who is authorized by a religious denomination", in accord with our rules and customs we authorize you (once ordained & in good standing with our church) to solemnize marriages and/or officiate at marriage ceremonies.

2. In order to remain in good standing with the American Fellowship Church you must hold an unexpired minster license ID card, and be in "regular communion."
Our definition of regular communion; You must contact us at least 1 time per year, and if any of your contact information should change (your name, physical address, or email) you must notify us within two weeks of the change.

3. In order to become ordained you will need to order an ID Card (minister license). We offer ordination for three different terms:

1 Year	5 Year	Lifetime

4. Finally to qualify for ordaination with the American Fellowship Church in the state of New York City you must agree to the Certification, and our Code of Ethics.

While training is not required in order to become ordained with the American Fellowship Church, we do urge our members to learn more about being an ordained minister, therefore we offer a number of online courses that are self paced and written in plain English. If you are interested in training please see "Online Minister Training"

*The information provided on this page is for guidance only it is NOT legal advice.

We currently have many ordained ministers in the state of New York.

It is critically important that you verify all information with your local marriage license office / county clerk before conducting a wedding ceremony. It is your responsibility to operate within the bounds of the law.