How to Find Out If Your Minister is Licensed

Knowing if your minister is licensed is important. For example, when getting married, the preacher needs to be licensed for it to be official. There are three basic ways to find out if a preacher in your area or your church is licensed with the state.

Step 1

Ask the preacher for a copy of his license. Some states do not require a license. Some states merely accept ordination by the denomination. However, some denominations don't ordain. This would also be the case with some small community churches. The important fact is to make sure your preacher is licensed before getting married, or the marriage may not be official. Remember to write down his license number if you need to verify its authenticity.

Step 2

Contact the preacher's denomination. You will need his full name in case other preachers have a similar name. The denomination will tell you who handles ordination in their faith. They will be able to verify if the preacher is licensed or ordained. A preacher can be ordained and not licensed and vice versa. Remember that some churches don't ordain their pastors. This is where licensing is very important. If the preacher is not ordained, you will need to verify if he is licensed by the state.

Step 3

Call your state's secretary of state. Some states require a preacher to be licensed while others only require the preacher to be ordained. For example, the state of Ohio requires a license and provides an on line site. According to the Florida secretary of state office, a preacher in Florida a preacher only may be ordained. The state does not require a license. Florida does not keep licensing information on ministers. Keeping license information varies from state to state. If your state does keep license information on a preacher, you will need the minister's full name. Having the license number will help, if there are duplicate names or different spellings.

Step 4

Locate another preacher if the one you choose was not licensed. Do not confuse ordination and licensing. Ordination is merely a church approving a minister, usually under a religious ceremony. Ordination does not make the preacher official to conduct business or marriage in the state. The license is what makes him able to marry and legally sign certificates.

http://www.learnthebible.org/licensed-or-ordained.html
http://www.sos.state.oh.us/SOS/MinisterLicense.aspx
http://www.ministerialseminary.com/Officiant_Laws_by_State.html