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

West Virginia 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 West Virginia. Ordained ministers of the Universal Life Church have successfully performed thousands of legal marriages in West Virginia. 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 West Virginia.

WV Wedding Officiant Quick Facts
  • ULC Ordination Accepted: Yes
  • Minister Registration Required: Yes
  • Minister's Residency: Irrelevant
  • Minister's Minimum Age: 18
  •  
  • Marriage License Waiting Period: 3 Days
  • Marriage License Valid For: 60 Days
  • Marriage License Return Within: By Expiration
Regional Information

Local WV Wedding Guides

For more specific information about performing a wedding in certain parts of West Virginia, 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 West Virginia

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 West Virginia

Next, you should contact the office of the West Virginia Secretary of State, through which all ministers are required to register prior to performing any marriage ceremonies. 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.


Office of the Secretary of State State Capitol Building Charleston, WV 25305
Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM
Phone: Main: (304) 558-6000 Fax: (304) 558-0900
https://sos.wv.gov/Pages/default.aspx



Select a county clerk

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

3 West Virginia Officiant Requirements

After you've contacted your marriage authority, you should visit our online store to purchase whatever documentation will be required. West Virginia county clerks have more specific policies in place than many other states in the country for wedding officiants. Additionally, you will want to add a Letter of Good Standing to your order. We've heard from other ULC ministers in the area that county clerks will typically ask for both documents before accepting any marriages that you perform as having been legally solemnized. 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.

You would be wise to add a Letter of Good Standing and might explore our entire catalog to see if there aren't any other neat ministerial items you'd like to add to your arsenal.

4 How to get Married in West Virginia

West Virginia's Top Wedding Spot

West Virginia's Top Wedding Spot

Opossum Creek Retreat, in Lansing with easy access to hiking, river rafting and state parks

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 West Virginia marriage license from the appropriate office. This license is valid for 30 days, and there is a 3-day waiting period between when the couple applies for the marriage license in West Virginia and when they may pick it up and legally solemnize the marriage. Please be aware that the signed license must be returned to the issuing office before its expiry.

At the Universal Life Church we receive several calls from wedding officiants in West Virginia, 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 West Virginia 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 West Virginia Wedding Need-To-Knows

The mountainous state of West Virginia has an ideal wedding venue for every couple, no matter what they're looking for. West Virginia is particularly perfect for couples envisioning a stylistically rustic wedding. More and more couples are opting for the favorable climate of a West Virginia spring for their wedding but summer and early fall are popular too. However, it is important to be cautious and aware of the summer thunderstorms as the weather can be temperamental during the warmer months. As the largest cities in West Virginia, Charleston and Huntington offer a variety of venue options with some very affordable options starting at $2,000 to more extravagant venues that'll cost around $13,000. The most popular time to get married is early fall, so be sure to book your venue well in advance if you are considering a wedding at that time. There are many factors to consider when deciding how much to charge as an officiant, such as how experienced the officiant is, how much preparation will be involved and if travel will be required. However, the typical cost for an experienced officiant is between $200-$500.


West Virginia Marriage Code

West Virginia Flag

West Virginia Marriage Code

Marriage in West Virginia is governed by West Virginia Code 48-2-201. Ministers who got ordained online with the Universal Life Church have successfully solemnized thousands of weddings in the state. Below, you will find that we have reproduced a relevant excerpt of this code.

§48-2-401. Persons authorized to perform marriages. A religious representative who has complied with the provisions of section 2-402, a family court judge, a circuit judge or a justice of the supreme court of appeals, is authorized to celebrate the rites of marriage in any county of this state. Celebration or solemnization of a marriage means the performance of the formal act or ceremony by which a man and woman contract marriage and assume the status of husband and wife. View the West Virginia Statutes on the official state site.

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Learn All About Marriage Law in West Virginia

See the Full Statutes

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Barbour County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Barbour County website »

Berkeley County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Berkeley County Marriage Laws »

Boone County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Boone County website »

Braxton County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Braxton County website »

Brooke County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Brooke County website »

Cabell County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Cabell County Marriage Laws »

Calhoun County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Calhoun County website »

Clay County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Clay County website »

Doddridge County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Doddridge County website »

Fayette County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Fayette County website »

Gilmer County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Gilmer County website »

Grant County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Grant County website »

Greenbrier County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Greenbrier County website »

Hampshire County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Hampshire County website »

Hancock County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Hancock County website »

Hardy County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Hardy County website »

Harrison County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Harrison County website »

Jackson County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Jackson County website »

Jefferson County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Jefferson County website »

Kanawha County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Kanawha County Marriage Laws »

Lewis County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Lewis County website »

Lincoln County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Lincoln County website »

Logan County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Logan County website »

Marion County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Marion County website »

Marshall County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Marshall County website »

Mason County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Mason County website »

McDowell County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
McDowell County website »

Mercer County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Mercer County website »

Mineral County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Mineral County website »

Mingo County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Mingo County website »

Monongalia County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Monongalia County Marriage Laws »

Monroe County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Monroe County website »

Morgan County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Morgan County website »

Nicholas County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Nicholas County website »

Ohio County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Ohio County website »

Pendleton County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Pendleton County website »

Pleasants County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Pleasants County website »

Pocahontas County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Pocahontas County website »

Preston County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Preston County website »

Putnam County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Putnam County website »

Raleigh County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Raleigh County website »

Randolph County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Randolph County website »

Ritchie County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Ritchie County website »

Roane County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Roane County website »

Summers County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Summers County website »

Taylor County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Taylor County website »

Tucker County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Tucker County website »

Tyler County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Tyler County website »

Upshur County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Upshur County website »

Wayne County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Wayne County website »

Webster County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Webster County website »

Wetzel County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Wetzel County website »

Wirt County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Wirt County website »

Wood County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Wood County Marriage Laws »

Wyoming County

State Capitol Building
Charleston, West Virginia
25305

Phone: (304) 558-6000
Fax: (304) 558-0900
Wyoming County website »