Marriage Ceremony Formalities in Washington
At a glance
| Who may solemnize | Listed active or retired judges and judicial officers, including tribal judges, and licensed or ordained ministers or similar religious officials (§ 26.04.050). |
|---|---|
| Appointment or registration route | Authority follows the judicial office or regular religious role listed in the statute (§ 26.04.050). |
| License and ceremony timing | License usable three days after application; void unless ceremony occurs within 60 days after issuance (§ 26.04.180). |
| Required declaration or form | No particular form; each party assents or declares that they take the other as spouse before the solemnizer (§ 26.04.070). |
| Attending witnesses | At least two attending witnesses must be present for the parties' declaration (§ 26.04.070). |
| Religious or self-uniting route | Established ritual of a religious organization or congregation; presiding, officiating, or recording person files its certificate (§ 26.04.120). |
| Proxy or remote presence | Ordinary ceremony provision calls for the parties' declaration in the solemnizer's and witnesses' presence (§ 26.04.070). |
| Who signs the certificate | Statutory filing form bears signatures of parties, witnesses, and solemnizer (§ 26.04.090). |
| Return recipient and deadline | Solemnizer delivers county and state filing certificates to issuing county auditor within 30 days (§ 26.04.090). |
Requirements one by one
Who may solemnize
The authorized list includes active or retired state and federal judicial officers, judges of federally recognized tribal courts, and a "regularly licensed or ordained minister" or a priest, imam, rabbi, or similar religious official. Authority turns on the actual office or religious role described in RCW § 26.04.050, not on a label chosen for the ceremony.
License and ceremony timing
RCW § 26.04.180 uses two different starting points: the license cannot be used until three days after the application, and it becomes void if no ceremony occurs within sixty days after issuance. The proposed medical-necessity exception in SB 5116 has not been enacted.
Declaration and witnesses
RCW § 26.04.070 does not prescribe particular vows. It requires each party to "assent or declare" before the solemnizer and at least two attending witnesses that they take one another as spouses. The witnesses must attend the declaration; their later signatures on the filing form are a separate step.
Religious organization ceremony
A congregation may follow its established ritual or form. RCW § 26.04.120 assigns the certificate and filing duty to the person or persons presiding, officiating, or recording its proceedings. That provision addresses the organization's ceremony; it does not determine the validity of any particular ritual.
Certificate signatures and return
The form in RCW § 26.04.090 calls for the signatures of the parties, witnesses, and solemnizer. The solemnizer must make two filing certificates, one for the issuing county auditor's files and one for the state registrar's files, and deliver both to the issuing county auditor within thirty days after the ceremony. The registrar provides the forms.
What trips people up
RCW § 26.04.080 also provides a certificate for each party, if required, with their names and residence, two witnesses, ceremony time and place, and license details. That certificate for the parties and the filing certificates required by § 26.04.090 serve different recipients; providing one to the parties does not replace delivery to the auditor.
Common questions
Does the solemnizer send the state copy directly to the state registrar? The solemnizer delivers both filing certificates to the issuing county auditor. The auditor later transmits the state copies by the tenth day of each month for certificates filed during the preceding month. (RCW § 26.04.100.)
May a county require more details from the solemnizer after license issuance? The statute says the county may not require authorized solemnizers to obtain more information from the couple beyond their names and counties of residence. (RCW § 26.04.165.)
Statutes and sources
The quoted RCW sections were checked on the Washington Legislature's current code pages on October 4, 2026. SB 5116's official bill page and original text were checked the same day; the bill remained in committee.
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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