Michigan Marriage Laws
Written and edited for accuracy by the Michigan marriage law researchers at the Universal Life Church on
If the thought of tying the knot in Michigan thrills you to no end, it might also excite you to know the state offers very little in the way of curveballs as far as its marriage laws go. We here at the Universal Life Church should know, having already taken the time to scroll through its legal codes and compiled all relevant requirements and exceptions for both couples and ministers into a simple easy-to-follow guide. So read up and start daydreaming. That perfect ceremony by Niagara Falls will be both breathtaking and legally binding.
Requirements for the Minister
- Min. Age of Minister:
- Age 18
- Residency:
- Not Required
- Document(s) Required:
- Ordination Credential and Letter of Good Standing
- Online Ordination Recognized:
- Yes
- Relevant Office of Registration:
- County Clerk
- Latest Document(s) Submission Date Allowed:
- Before the Ceremony
- Minister I.D. # Issued:
- No
Most judges, magistrates, mayors, clerks, ministers of the gospel or religious practitioners authorized to solemnize marriages can officiate weddings in Michigan, provided they are 18 years old. Ministers must present their ordination credentials and a letter of good standing to the county clerk prior to the ceremony. This includes those ordained online by the Universal Life Church, who are sanctioned ‘religious actors’ authorized to perform weddings regardless of their residence, stated gender or personal beliefs.
ULC ministers in Michigan frequently choose to order the Classic Wedding Package, which includes all the necessary documentation to register, should they be asked to present it.
Revised Statutes of 1846 (EXCERPT)
Chapter 83. Of marriage and the solemnization thereof.
551.7 Persons authorized to solemnize marriage; records; return of licenses and certificates; disposition of fees charged by mayor or county clerk.
Sec. 7.
(1) Marriages may be solemnized by any of the following:
(a) A judge of the district court, anywhere in this state.
(b) A district court magistrate, anywhere in this state.
(c) A municipal judge, in the city in which the judge is serving or in a township over which a municipal court has jurisdiction under section 9928 of the revised judicature act of 1961, 1961 PA 236, MCL 600.9928.
(d) A judge of probate, anywhere in this state.
(e) A judge of a federal court.
(f) A mayor of a city, anywhere in a county in which that city is located.
(g) A county clerk in the county in which the clerk serves, or in another county with the written authorization of the clerk of the other county.
(h) For a county having more than 1,500,000 inhabitants, an employee of the county clerk's office designated by the county clerk, in the county in which the clerk serves.
(i) A minister of the gospel or cleric or religious practitioner, anywhere in this state, if the minister or cleric or religious practitioner is ordained or authorized to solemnize marriages according to the usages of the denomination.
(j) A minister of the gospel or cleric or religious practitioner, anywhere in this state, if the minister or cleric or religious practitioner is not a resident of this state but is authorized to solemnize marriages under the laws of the state in which the minister or cleric or religious practitioner resides.
(2) A person authorized by this act to solemnize a marriage shall keep proper records and return licenses and certificates as required by section 4 of 1887 PA 128, MCL 551.104.
(3) If a mayor of a city solemnizes a marriage, the mayor shall charge and collect a fee to be determined by the council of that city, which shall be paid to the city treasurer and deposited in the general fund of the city at the end of the month.
(4) If the county clerk or, in a county having more than 1,500,000 inhabitants, an employee of the clerk's office designated by the county clerk solemnizes a marriage, the county clerk shall charge and collect a fee to be determined by the commissioners of the county in which the clerk serves. The fee shall be paid to the treasurer for the county in which the clerk serves and deposited in the general fund of that county at the end of the month.
Wedding Ceremony Requirements
- Marriage By Proxy Allowed:
- No
- Minister Required to be Present:
- Yes
Michigan has little to no desire to interfere with the specific customs, rituals or flow of any formal ceremony, whether religious or civil, leaving it to couples and ministers to plan these according to their own needs. However, the state mandates that each person in the couple solemnly declare to take the other as their spouse, before both the presiding minister or magistrate and at least two attending witnesses aged 18 or older, and that the minister then pronounce the couple married.
551.9 Solemnization of marriage; form; declaration by parties; witnesses.
Sec. 9.
In the solemnization of marriage, no particular form shall be required, except that the parties shall solemnly declare, in the presence of the person solemnizing the marriage and the attending witnesses, that they take each other as husband and wife; and in every case, there shall be at least 2 witnesses, besides the person solemnizing the marriage, present at the ceremony.
Marriage License Requirements
All prospective couples looking to wed in the state of Michigan must obtain a marriage license, in person, from a clerk in the county in which either of the two reside. If both are non-residents of Michigan, they must visit the clerk in the county where the wedding will take place. Some virtual or mail services continue to be made available through the COVID-19 pandemic, although this will continue to vary by county.
Couples must present a written application and swear an oath on all the information provided therein, proving their age with either a driver’s license or another state-issued ID and birth certificate. Parental consent for minors will either have to be delivered by them in person or by way of a notarized affidavit. Some counties may also demand proof of prior divorce, although no state can ask for blood tests in order to disprove kinship. There will be a $20 fee for the license. Additional fees may vary by county.
551.103 Persons capable of contracting marriage; age requirement; proof of age; filling out license; written consent; compliance; filing consent; signing, certification, and copy of license; fee; allocation for family counseling services; return and disposition of unexpended funds; waiver of fee; additional fee for nonresidents; delivery of license and certificate to officiating individual; recording information; forwarding licenses and certificates to state registrar; imposition of fee by certain charter counties.
Sec. 3.
(1) A person who is 18 years of age or older may contract marriage. A person who is 16 years of age but is less than 18 years of age may contract marriage with the written consent of 1 of the parents of the person or the person's legal guardian, as provided in this section. As proof of age, the person who intends to be married, in addition to the statement of age in the application, when requested by the county clerk, shall submit a birth certificate or other proof of age. The county clerk on the application submitted shall fill out the blank spaces of the license according to the sworn answers of the applicant, taken before the county clerk, or some person duly authorized by law to administer oaths. If it appears from the affidavit that either the applicant for a marriage license or the person whom he or she intends to marry is less than 18 years of age, the county clerk shall require that there first be produced the written consent of 1 of the parents of each of the persons who is less than 18 years of age or of the person's legal guardian, unless the person does not have a living parent or guardian. The consent shall be to the marriage and to the issuing of the license for which the application is submitted. The consent shall be given personally in the presence of the county clerk or be acknowledged before a notary public or other officer authorized to administer oaths. A license shall not be issued by the county clerk until the requirements of this section are complied with. The written consent shall be preserved on file in the office of the county clerk. If the parties are legally entitled to be married, the county clerk shall sign the license and certify the fact that it is properly issued, and the clerk shall make a correct copy of the license in the books of registration.
(2) A fee of $20.00 shall be paid by the person applying for the license and shall be paid by the county clerk into the general fund of the county.
Marriage License Facts
- ULC-Officiated Ceremony Type:
- Religious
- Mandatory Waiting Period:
- 3 Days
- License Valid For:
- 33 Days
- License Must Be Submitted:
- Within 10 Days of Ceremony
No marriage license shall be issued until three days after the application date. The county clerk reserves the right to ignore that waiting period for good and sufficient cause, in which case extra fees will be determined by the board of commissioners. Once issued, the marriage license will be valid for a period of 33 days in the county where it was issued. Michigan residents can use their licenses state-wide.
It’s the couple’s responsibility to deliver the license to the minister or magistrate tasked with solemnizing the wedding, and that person’s job to ensure the certificate is properly filled out and returned to the same county clerk within 10 days of the ceremony.
551.103a Marriage license; time of delivery; solemnization of marriage required.
Sec. 3a.
A marriage license shall not be delivered within a period of 3 days including the date of application. However, the county clerk of each county, for good and sufficient cause shown, may deliver the license immediately following the application. If the county clerk delivers the license immediately following the application, the person applying for the license shall pay a fee to be determined by the county board of commissioners, which the county clerk shall deposit into the general fund of the county. A marriage license issued is void unless a marriage is solemnized under the license within 33 days after the application.
551.104 Certificate completion; officiating person duty; original license return; record.
Sec. 4.
It shall be the duty of the clergyman or magistrate, officiating at a marriage, to fill in the spaces of the certificate left blank for the entry of the time and place of the marriage, the names and residences of 2 witnesses, and his own signature in certification that the marriage has been performed by him and any and all information required to be filled in in the spaces left blank in the certificate shall be typewritten or legibly printed. He shall separate the duplicate license and certificate, and deliver the half part designated duplicate to 1 of the parties, so joined in marriage, and within 10 days return the original to the county clerk issuing the same. It shall be the duty of such clergyman or magistrate to keep an accurate record of all marriages solemnized in a book used expressly for that purpose.
Requirements for the Couple
- Min. Age of Couple:
- Age 18 or Age 16 with Guardian Consent
- Residency:
- Not Required
- Min. Distance of Kin Allowed:
- Second Cousins
- Marriage Equality:
- Yes
In line with most states, Michigan has set the age of consent to marry at 18 years old. No marriage shall be contracted to any minor under 16 year of age, while 16 and 17 year olds can only marry with the written consent of either one parent or legal guardian.
Women in the state are prohibited from marrying their fathers, brothers, sons, grandsons or stepfathers; either their grandmother's, daughter's or granddaughter's husband; their husband's father, grandfather, son or grandson; their brother's or sister's son, their father's or mother's brother, or any of their first cousins.
Although Michigan extends that forbidden list to include ‘any other woman’, changes in federal marriage equality laws means same sex couples can now legally wed.
Mich. Comp. Laws § 551.51 Age of consent; effect of act on powers of probate judge.
Sec. 1.
A marriage in this state shall not be contracted by a person who is under 16 years of age, and the marriage, if entered into, shall be void. This act shall not prohibit probate judges from exercising their powers to perform marriages as provided by Act No. 180 of the Public Acts of 1897, being sections 551.201 to 551.204 of the Michigan Compiled Laws.
Mich. Comp. Laws § 551.101 Marriage license; requirements; place to obtain, delivery to person officiating.
Sec. 1.
It shall be necessary for all parties intending to be married to obtain a marriage license from the county clerk of the county in which either the man or woman resides, and to deliver the said license to the clergyman or magistrate who is to officiate, before the marriage can be performed. If both parties to be married are non-residents of the state it shall be necessary to obtain such license from the county clerk of the county in which the marriage is to be performed.
Mich. Comp. Laws § 551.4 Incapacity; persons woman prohibited from marrying.
Sec. 4.
A woman shall not marry her father, brother, grandfather, son, grandson, stepfather, grandmother's husband, daughter's husband, granddaughter's husband, husband's father, husband's grandfather, husband's son, husband's grandson, brother's son, sister's son, father's brother, mother's brother, or cousin of the first degree, or another woman.
Final Steps
- Officiant's Title on Marriage License:
- Minister
- Church/Ordaining Body:
- Universal Life Church Ministries
- Address of Church:
- Minister's Home Address
Once the ceremony is complete, it’s the clergyman or magistrate’s duty to fill in the marriage certificate, marking the official time and place of the marriage, the names and residences of the two witnesses present, as well as their own name, title and signature, all either typewritten or legibly printed.
The duplicate license and certificate must then be separated and delivered to the newlyweds, the original returned to the issuing county clerk within 10 days. Michigan law also requires that the minister keep an accurate record of all the marriages they’ve solemnized in a book solely for that purpose.
551.104 Certificate completion; officiating person duty; original license return; record.
Sec. 4.
It shall be the duty of the clergyman or magistrate, officiating at a marriage, to fill in the spaces of the certificate left blank for the entry of the time and place of the marriage, the names and residences of 2 witnesses, and his own signature in certification that the marriage has been performed by him and any and all information required to be filled in in the spaces left blank in the certificate shall be typewritten or legibly printed. He shall separate the duplicate license and certificate, and deliver the half part designated duplicate to 1 of the parties, so joined in marriage, and within 10 days return the original to the county clerk issuing the same. It shall be the duty of such clergyman or magistrate to keep an accurate record of all marriages solemnized in a book used expressly for that purpose.
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