Created and reviewed for accuracy by researchers at the Universal Life Church

New Mexico Outline

Congratulations! If you've found yourself at this page it is likely that you are either planning to be married or have been asked to perform a wedding ceremony in New Mexico. Ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church have successfully performed thousands of legal marriages in New Mexico. The information provided below will walk you through the steps one must follow to become a minister and perform a valid wedding ceremony in the state of New Mexico.

NM Wedding Officiant Quick Facts
  • ULC Ordination Accepted: Yes
  • Minister Registration Required: No
  • Minister's Residency: Irrelevant
  • Minister's Minimum Age: 18
  •  
  • Marriage License Waiting Period: 0 Days
  • Marriage License Valid For: Never Expires
  • Marriage License Return Within: 90 Days
Regional Information

Local NM Wedding Guides

For more specific information about performing a wedding in certain parts of New Mexico, choose a location above. If your area isn't listed, don't worry - just continue scrolling to review the helpful general information on this page.

1 How to Become an Ordained Minister in New Mexico

If you haven't already, you should get ordained online with the Universal Life Church. Ordination is free and can be completed in just a matter of minutes. Thousands of legally valid marriages are performed by ULC ministers around the world every year. Begin the process by clicking the big blue button below!

2 Officiating a Wedding in New Mexico

Next, you should contact the office of your local marriage authority (typically your county clerk). Let them know that you are a minister of the Universal Life Church in Seattle, and ask what they will require of you to officiate a legal marriage.



Select a county clerk

Choose the county you'd like to contact from the dropdown menu above to see their office’s information.

3 New Mexico Officiant Requirements

After you've contacted your marriage authority, you should visit our online store to purchase whatever documentation will be required. We typically advise ministers in New Mexico to get an Ordination Package, although minister registration is not required in New Mexico you may be asked by the county clerk to display proof of your ordination before the marriage will be accepted as legally valid. Additionally, please attempt to leave at least 3 weeks between the date of the wedding ceremony and your order, to ensure that you receive all of your materials in advance.

4 How to get Married in New Mexico

New Mexico's Top Wedding Spot

New Mexico's Top Wedding Spot

Ancient spanish mission ruins, 25 miles east of Santa Fe

Now that you've done all of the above, you are ready to perform the wedding! Be sure that the couple has picked up their New Mexico marriage license from the appropriate office. This license never expires, and there is no waiting period between when the couple picks up the marriage license in New Mexico and when the ceremony may legally be conducted. The signed license must be returned to the issuing office within 90 days of the wedding ceremony.

At the Universal Life Church we receive several calls from wedding officiants in New Mexico, after they've received their license to marry by getting ordained online, asking for guidance on how to perform a wedding ceremony. Once the legal matters have been taken care of, officiating a wedding (while a sometimes-daunting task) can be a great deal of fun. We would suggest that new New Mexico wedding ministers concerned about the ceremony peruse one of our helpful wedding guides. The minister training section of our website should offer a helpful refresher for more experienced ministers.

5 Important New Mexico Wedding Tips

Wedding officiants planning on performing a ceremony in New Mexico should consider a couple of things before the big day. First, you'll want to make sure you have the proper attire for the weather while still meeting the couple’s dress code. While the weather changes from season to season tend to be minor and fairly predictable, fall is the most popular season to get married as it provides a nice balance between comfortable, sunny days and cool nights that won't have you needing a winter jacket. New Mexico’s unique topography and art culture makes for a variety of wedding venues for couples to choose from. Outdoor weddings can provide you a beautiful desert backdrop for the ceremony while the numerous venues in cities like Albuquerque and Las Cruces offer options for ceremonies big and small. Fees for wedding officiants in New Mexico are dependent on a number of factors, such as how much previous experience the officiant has, whether they’ll be required to travel to the ceremony destination, and how much preparation is involved on their part. The cost of a New Mexico wedding averages around $16,500 -- you might want to consider the couple’s financial commitments when negotiating your price.


New Mexico Marriage Code

New Mexico Flag

New Mexico Marriage Code

Marriage in New Mexico is governed by Article 1 of Chapter 40 of the statutes of the State of New Mexico. Ministers ordained online with the Universal Life Church are permitted to solemnize marriages in New Mexico and have successfully done so thousands of times. Below, you will find that we have reproduced the relevant excerpts of this code.

40-1-2. Marriages solemnized; ordained clergy or civil magistrates may solemnize. A. The civil contract of marriage is entered into when solemnized as provided in Chapter 40, Article 1 NMSA 1978. As used in Chapter 40, Article 1 NMSA 1978, "solemnize" means to join in marriage before witnesses by means of a ceremony. B. A person who is an ordained member of the clergy or who is an authorized representative of a federally recognized Indian nation, tribe or pueblo may solemnize the contract of marriage without regard to sect or rites and customs the person may practice. C. Active or retired judges, justices and magistrates of any of the courts established by the constitution of New Mexico, United States constitution, laws of the state or laws of the United States are civil magistrates having authority to solemnize contracts of marriage . Civil magistrates solemnizing contracts of marriage shall charge no fee therefor. View the New Mexico Statutes on the official state site.

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Learn All About Marriage Law in New Mexico

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Bernalillo County

One Civic Plaza N.W, 6th Floor, Room 6029
Albuquerque, New Mexico
87102

Phone: (505) 468-1243
Fax: (505) 468-1294
Bernalillo County website »

Catron County

100 Main Street
Reserve, New Mexico

Phone: (575) 533-6400
Fax: (575) 533-6453
Catron County website »

Chaves County

#1 St. Mary’s Place Suite #110
Roswell, New Mexico

Phone: (575) 624-6614
Fax: (575) 624-6523
Chaves County website »

Cibola County

700 Roosevelt Ave Suite 50
Grants, New Mexico
87020

Phone: (505) 285-2537
Fax: (505) 285-2562
Cibola County website »

Colfax County

230 North 3rd Street
Raton, New Mexico

Phone: (575) 445-5551
Fax: (575) 445-4031
Colfax County website »

Curry County

417 Gidding St., Suite 130
Clovis, New Mexico
88101

Phone: (575) 763-5591
Fax: (575) 763-4232
Curry County website »

De Baca County

248 E. Ave C
Fort Sumner, New Mexico
88119

Phone: (575) 355-2601
Fax: (575) 355-2441
De Baca County website »

Doña Ana County

201 W Picacho Ave
Las Cruces, New Mexico
88005

Phone: (575) 523-8200
Fax: (575) 527-9857
Doña Ana County website »

Eddy County

325 S Main Street
Carlsbad, New Mexico

Phone: (575) 885-3383
Fax: (575) 234-1793
Eddy County website »

Grant County

1400 Highway 180 East
Silver City, New Mexico
88061

Phone: (575) 574-0043
Fax: (575) 574-0073
Grant County website »

Guadalupe County

1448 Historic Route 66, Suite 1
Santa Rosa, New Mexico
88435

Phone: (575) 472-3791
Guadalupe County website »

Harding County

35 Pine Street
Mosquero, New Mexico
87733

Phone: (575) 673-2301
Fax: (575) 673-2922
Harding County website »

Hidalgo County

300 Shakespeare
Lordsburg, New Mexico
88045

Phone: (575) 542-9213
Fax: (575) 542-3193
Hidalgo County website »

Lea County

100 N. Main Avenue, Suite 1C
Lovington, New Mexico
88260

Phone: (575) 396-8619
Fax: (575) 396-3293
Lea County website »

Lincoln County

300 Central Avenue
Carrizozo, New Mexico
88301

Phone: (575) 648-2394 ext 6
Lincoln County website »

Los Alamos

1000 Central Avenue, Suite 240
Los Alamos, New Mexico
87544

Phone: (505) 662-8010
Fax: (505) 662-8008
Los Alamos website »

Luna County

700 S. Silver Ave
Deming, New Mexico

Phone: (575) 546-0491
Fax: (575) 543-6617
Luna County website »

McKinley County

207 West Hill Ave
Gallup, New Mexico
87301

Phone: (505) 863-6866
Fax: (505) 863-1419
McKinley County website »

Mora County

1 Courthouse Rd.
Mora, New Mexico
87732

Phone: (575) 387-2448
Fax: (575) 387-9023
Mora County website »

Otero County

1104 N White Sands Blvd, Suite C.
Alamogordo, New Mexico
88310

Phone: (575) 437-4942
Fax: (575) 443-2922
Otero County website »

Quay County

300 South Third Street
Tucumcari, New Mexico
88401

Phone: (575) 461-0510
Fax: (575) 461-0513
Quay County website »

Rio Arriba County

10 State Road 531
Tierra Amarilla, New Mexico
87575

Phone: (575) 588-7724
Fax: (575) 588-7418
Rio Arriba County website »

Roosevelt County

109 W 1st Street
Portales, New Mexico
88130

Phone: (575) 356-8562
Fax: (575) 356-3560
Roosevelt County website »

San Juan County

100 S Oliver Dr. Suite 200
Aztec, New Mexico

Phone: (505) 334-9471
Fax: (505) 334-3635
San Juan County Marriage Laws »

San Miguel County

500 West National Ave., Suite 113
Las Vegas, New Mexico

Phone: (505) 425-9331
Fax: (505) 454-1799
San Miguel County website »

Sandoval County

1500 Idalia Road, Building D
Bernalillo, New Mexico

Phone: (505) 867-7572
Fax: (505) 771-8610
Sandoval County website »

Santa Fe County

100 Catron St.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
87501

Phone: (505) 986-6280
Santa Fe County Marriage Laws »

Sierra County

100 N. Date Street
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico
87901

Phone: (575) 894-2840
Sierra County website »

Socorro County

200 Church St
Socorro, New Mexico
87801

Phone: (575) 835-0423 x2505
Socorro County website »

Taos County

105 Albright Street, Suite D
Taos, New Mexico
87571

Phone: (575) 737-6380
Fax: (575) 737-6390
Taos County website »

Torrance County

205 9th Street #1
Estancia, New Mexico
87016

Phone: (505) 544-4350
Fax: (505) 384-4080
Torrance County website »

Union County

100 Court Street, Suite 2
Clayton, New Mexico
88415

Phone: (575) 374-9491
Fax: (575) 374-9591
Union County website »

Valencia County

444 Luna Avenue
Los Lunas, New Mexico
87031

Phone: (505) 866-2073
Fax: (505) 866-2015
Valencia County website »