Special Marriage Officiant Licenses

If you are one of the following, you DO NOT need a license from the Secretary of State to officiate a marriage ceremony in New Hampshire:

• A Justice of the Peace commissioned in the State of New Hampshire;
• Any minister of the gospel in New Hampshire who:
  • Has been ordained according to the usage of his or her denomination; and
  • Resides in New Hampshire; and
  • Is in regular standing with the denomination.
• Any minister who resides outside of New Hampshire but has a pastoral charge wholly or partly in New Hampshire, if the marriage is performed within his/her parish.

Each of the licenses mentioned below must be submitted with the couple’s regular marriage license at the town/city clerk’s office of issuance after the ceremony. 

If you are one of the following, you need a license from the Secretary of State to officiate a marriage ceremony in New Hampshire:

•    Unordained Clergy - any member of the clergy who is not ordained but resides in New Hampshire and is engaged in the services of their religious body which is chartered by the state. 

To apply: Fill out the RSA 457:31-a (Unordained Clergy) application and mail it to the Secretary of State’s Office along with proof of certification with the religious body you are engaged with and the statutory fee of $5 by check or money order made payable to the “State of New Hampshire”. You can also apply online and pay with credit card using our Quickstart system.

The license issued by the Secretary of State will authorize you to solemnize marriages in New Hampshire for as long you are in good standing with your religious body. 

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•    Out-of-State Minister - any ordained or non-ordained minister (or equivalent title in person’s faith/religion) who resides outside of New Hampshire can apply to perform a single marriage in New Hampshire.

To apply: Fill out the RSA 457:32 (Out-of-State Qualified Individual) application and choose either “ordained” or “non-ordained”. Mail the completed application and documentation affirming you are either an ordained or non-ordained minister to the Secretary of State with the statutory fee of $25.00 by check or money order made payable to the “State of New Hampshire”. You can also apply online and pay with credit card using our Quickstart system.

A special license will be issued by the Secretary of State to perform one marriage only. 

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•    Out-of-state Individual Licensed by Law - an individual who resides outside of New Hampshire, who is authorized or licensed by law in their state of residence to perform marriages. Ex: A notary public in Maine. 

To apply: Fill out the  RSA 457:32 (Out-of-State Qualified Individual) application and choose “an individual who does not reside in the State of New Hampshire”. Mail the completed application and either a copy of your notary/justice commission or proof of authority to perform marriages in your state of residence to the Secretary of State’s Office along with the statutory fee of $25 by check or money order made payable to the “State of New Hampshire”. You can also apply online and pay with credit card using our Quickstart system.

A special license will be issued by the Secretary of State to perform one marriage only. 

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•    Judge – the following judges can apply for a license to perform a marriage ceremony in New Hampshire:

• New Hampshire supreme court justice, superior court judge, or circuit court judge; or
• Judge of the United States residing in New Hampshire appointed pursuant to Article III of the United States Constitution; or
• Bankruptcy Judges residing in New Hampshire appointed pursuant to Article I of the United States Constitution; or
• United States Magistrate Judges residing in New Hampshire appointed pursuant to federal law.

To apply: Mail the completed RSA 457:32-a (Judges) application and a copy of the marriage license of the couple proposed to be married to the Secretary of State’s Office along with the statutory fee of $25 by check or money order made payable to the “State of New Hampshire”. You can also apply online and pay with credit card using our Quickstart system.

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•    Any other individual – any individual who is not qualified under any of the reasons stated above can apply for a special marriage license to solemnize a marriage in New Hampshire. 

To apply: Fill out the RSA 457:32-b (Any Individual) application and mail it to the Secretary of State’s Office along with the statutory fee of $85 by check or money order made payable to the “State of New Hampshire”. You can also apply online and pay with credit card using our QuickStart system.

A special license will be issued by the Secretary of State to perform one marriage only. The license is valid for 90 days from issuance. 
 

• The Secretary of State’s Office does not accept applications by email. Please send your application, proof (if required) and payment either by mail or file it online using our QuickStart application. If you file online using QuickStart, the license will be emailed to you. If you mail in the application, you can request that the license be emailed to you on the form.
• Our office does not take credit card information over the phone.
• When filling out applications that ask for the couple’s city and state, use their current city and state of residence.
• Our QuickStart application does not accept American Express cards. It also is not compatible with Apple computers or any mobile device.