Who can conduct a wedding in Texas? Do I need to register as an officiant?

Who Can Officiate a Wedding?

Persons authorized to officiate a wedding are listed in Section 2.202 of the Texas Family Code. The list includes:

• Licensed or ordained Christian minister or priest;
• Jewish rabbis;
• Officers of religious organizations authorized to conduct marriage ceremonies;
• Current or retired justices, judges, and magistrates of select courts in Texas.

Do I Need to Register as an Officiant?

There are no requirements to register with the state as a wedding officiant, and no state agency requires officiants to register before they can conduct a marriage ceremony. If they review the law and believe they can perform the marriage ceremony, then they can perform the ceremony.

What if an Unauthorized Person Conducts the Ceremony? Is the Marriage Invalid?

Knowingly officiating a wedding without proper authorization is a Class A misdemeanor. However, ceremonies conducted by an unauthorized person may still be valid if certain conditions were met:

• The person conducting the ceremony had a "reasonable appearance of authority";
• At least one party in the married couple participated in good faith and that party treats the marriage as valid;
• Neither party is a minor who is prohibited from marrying by law or a person prohibited from marrying under Texas Penal Code Section 25.01.

 See Texas Family Code Section 2.302 for more details.

For more information, please see our page on Conducting the Marriage Ceremony on the Marriage in Texas guide. See more Legal FAQs about marriage in Texas, including the Legal FAQ Can a marriage ceremony in Texas be conducted over Zoom or Skype?