Can a Friend Officiate a Wedding in Georgia?

Legal & Ordination

Yes — Georgia allows friends and family to officiate weddings after online ordination, with a straightforward process.

What Georgia requires

1. Get ordained through an online organization such as Universal Life Church or American Marriage Ministries.
2. No statewide registration required for online-ordained officiants.
3. Perform the ceremony, including the declaration of intent.
4. Return the marriage license to the probate court (Georgia issues marriage licenses through county probate courts, not clerk’s offices) within the required window — usually within a set number of days after the ceremony.

A detail specific to Georgia

Georgia marriage licenses are issued by the probate court, not a county clerk — a small but important distinction when you’re figuring out where to return the signed license after the ceremony.

Bottom line

Georgia is generally simple for friend officiants — just remember it’s the probate court, not the clerk’s office, that handles the license paperwork.

For a full legal checklist and week-by-week timeline, see our Checklist & Timeline Kit.

This guide is informational, not legal advice. Always confirm current requirements with the specific county probate court.