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The Marriage Celebrant Program
Background
The Marriage Celebrants Program (the Program) was
established in 1973. It enables the appointment of suitably
qualified people to perform marriages and provides couples
with a meaningful alternative to Registry Office and
religious weddings.
The completion of a training course has been a
requirement for registration under the Australian Marriage
Celebrants Program since 2003. The completion of the
required training course is not sufficient on its own for
registration. An applicant must also satisfy the Registrar
of Marriage Celebrants that he or she is a fit and proper
person to be registered as a marriage celebrant.
If you are interested in becoming registered as a
marriage celebrant under the Program you should ensure you
have read the information about the Program provided on this
website before you undertake training.
In particular, you should be aware that marriage celebrants
have a complex set of responsibilities under the law and
failure to meet these is a criminal offence in some cases.
You should consider your willingness to accept these
responsibilities before proceeding further. You need
to understand that registration is not automatic.
Information to consider
before becoming a marriage celebrant
Before you embark on the training to become a marriage
celebrant, please consider the following information:
- In 2008, there were 118,756 registered marriages in
Australia, representing an increase of 2,434 (2.1%)
from 2007. More information on the current statistics
and trends on marriages performed each year can be
found at the Australian Bureau of Statistics website,
at Marriages
and Divorces, Australia.
- The number of Commonwealth registered marriage
celebrants has increased from just under 3,500 in 2003
to over 8,400 in September 2009.
- In addition, there are also approximately 20,000
ministers of religion, registered by State and
Territory registering authorities to solemnize
marriages.
- To find out how many registered marriage celebrants
there are in your area, you can search the Register of
Marriage Celebrants / List of All Authorised Marriage
Celebrants by clicking on the relevant link on the
right hand side of this page.
- Approximately 35% of the marriages registered in
2008 were performed by ministers of religion and 65%
of the marriages registered in 2008 were performed by
celebrants registered under this Program and by State
and Territory Registries of Births, Deaths and
Marriages.
- Most marriage celebrants do a very limited number of
weddings each year.
- There are ongoing costs involved in meeting the
requirements to maintain registration as a marriage
celebrant. These need to be considered. Such costs
include annual professional development obligations,
business development expenses, maintaining suitable
storage and office facilities and a suitable wardrobe.
- It may take some time to recoup the costs outlaid
for the initial training, annual professional
development and start-up costs involved in setting up
your business as a marriage celebrant.
- Marriage celebrants have a complex set of
responsibilities under the law and failure to meet
these is a criminal offence in some cases. You should
consider your willingness to accept these
responsibilities.
Qualifications necessary to
be registered as a marriage celebrant
**NOTE - THE REQUIREMENTS ARE CHANGING
Since September 2003, people wishing to register as a
marriage celebrant have been required to have successfully
completed an approved, competency-based training course,
delivered by a registered organisation accredited to deliver
the training. The minimum level of training required has
been a single unit of training called ‘Plan, conduct and
review a marriage ceremony', from a Certificate IV level
qualification, ‘Certificate IV in Marriage Celebrancy’. However
the training requirement to be registered as a marriage
celebrant will soon change (see below).
People who are fluent in an Australian indigenous
language(s) may apply under a special provision. You should
contact the Marriage Celebrants Section for more information
if you wish to apply under this provision.
In February 2009, a new qualification was released as
part of the Community Services Training Package 2008. It is
called a ‘Certificate IV in Celebrancy’, national code:
CHC42608. Within this qualification there are four
mandatory marriage celebrant units that must be undertaken
as part of the 'elective' package. The new qualification
replaces the single unit of training and the Certificate IV
in Marriage Celebrancy.
From 3 February 2010, a person who applies to
be registered as a marriage celebrant will need to hold
the Certificate IV in Celebrancy or an equivalent
university qualification in order to meet the
qualification requirement to be registered.
Applying for registration before 3 February 2010
If you are currently undertaking training in either the
single unit of training (‘Plan, conduct and review a
marriage ceremony’) or a Certificate IV in Marriage
Celebrancy please note the following transitional
arrangements that will apply.
If:
- you complete your training and receive your
qualification by 31 December 2009, AND
- you lodge your completed application with the
Registrar of Marriage Celebrants before 3 February
2010
Your qualification will satisfy the qualification
requirement for registration as a marriage celebrant. Please
note that in addition to meeting the
training requirements you will also need to be assessed as
meeting the ‘fit and proper person’ requirements for
registration.
Completion of the training does not
automatically entitle you to registration as a marriage
celebrant.
Questions and answers about the
period from now until 3 February 2010
Q. What happens if I apply for
registration as a marriage celebrant before 3 February 2010
with a qualification other than the Certificate IV in
Celebrancy qualification or an equivalent university
qualification?
A. If you complete your training and
receive your qualification (which meets the current minimum
requirements) by 31 December 2009, and you lodge your
completed application with the Registrar of Marriage
Celebrants before 3 February 2010 your qualification will
satisfy the qualification requirement for registration as a
marriage celebrant.
You will still need to satisfy the Registrar that you are
a fit and proper person (according to the Marriage Act) to
be registered as a marriage celebrant. Also note that it can
take three months from when a completed application is
received to when a person is notified of the result of their
application. If the documentation you lodge with your
application is incomplete the process can take longer.
Q. I have, or shortly hope to obtain
before 31 December 2009, a qualification other than the
Certificate IV in Celebrancy or an equivalent university
qualification. What should I do?
A. You should submit your completed
application as soon as possible after you receive
your qualification and before 3 February 2010.
Applicants should take great care to ensure their
application is fully complete. In order for you to be
assessed for registration the Marriage Act requires you to
lodge a ‘completed’ application.
Q. What if I submit my application on 31
January 2010 with a qualification other than the Certificate
IV in Celebrancy or an equivalent university qualification.
Will I be registered?
A. Provided you have completed your
training and received your qualification (which meets the
current minimum requirement) before 31 December 2009 and
lodged your completed application by 3 February 2010, your
qualification will satisfy the legislative requirements for
registration as a marriage celebrant. You will not be able
to be registered unless you also meet the ‘fit and proper
person’ requirements set out in the Marriage Act.
Q. What is the process for assessing my
application for registration?
A. The Registrar must deal with
completed applications in the order in which they are
received.
- Many applications received by the Registrar are
incomplete and returned to the applicant. The assessment
process begins when the Registrar has received a
completed application.
- completed applications can take up to three (3) months
to finalise, and
- even if an applicant holds the required qualification
they cannot be registered as a marriage celebrant unless
they satisfy the Registrar that they are a fit and
proper person (according to the criteria set out in the
Marriage Act) to be registered.
New qualification and applying for
registration on and after 3 February 2010
From 3 February 2010 anyone lodging an
application for registration as a marriage celebrant will
have to have completed a Certificate IV in Celebrancy or an
equivalent university qualification to meet the qualification
requirements for registration.
Please note: A Certificate IV in
Marriage Celebrancy is not the same qualification. It is not
equivalent in any way to the Certificate IV in Celebrancy
and will not meet the requirements for registration for
those persons applying from 3 February 2010.
About the Certificate IV in Celebrancy and what you will
need to be complete in order to meet statutory requirements
for registration
The new Certificate IV in Celebrancy is a broader
qualification than its predecessors. It comprises 13 units
of training: five compulsory units and eight electives. The
list of electives includes four compulsory units especially
written for marriage celebrancy.
The following five compulsory units in Celebrancy must
all be undertaken:
- CHCADMIN305D Work with the administration
protocols of the organisation
- CHCCEL401A Work effectively in a celebrancy role
- CHCCEL406A Identify and address client needs in
a celebrancy role
- CHCCOM403A Use targeted communication skills to build
relationships
- CHCCS400A Work within a relevant legal and ethical
framework
In order to meet the statutory requirements for
registration as a marriage celebrant you
will also need to complete the following additional
compulsory units from the list of elective units:
- CHCCEL402A Establish and maintain knowledge of legal
responsibilities of a marriage celebrant
- CHCCEL403A Develop an effective relationship with a
marrying couple
- CHCCEL404A Plan a marriage ceremony in line with legal
requirements
- CHCCEL405A Conduct and review a marriage ceremony in
line with legal requirements
These four units are referred to as the four mandatory
marriage celebrancy units.
Your training provider will advise you about any other
requirements you will need to meet in order to be awarded
the Certificate IV in Celebrancy or equivalent university
qualification.
Finding a training provider
Training organisations accredited to offer the
Certificate IV in Celebrancy can be found on the National
Training Information Service (NTIS) website. To search
for training providers, first search for the qualification
code, 'CHC42608' , then search in 'RTOs by scope'.
Universities may also offer courses in celebrancy but are
not listed on the NTIS website. Currently, the only
university offering equivalent training to the Certificate
IV in Celebrancy is Monash University in Victoria, which
offers a Graduate Diploma Civil Ceremonies (Monash). Further
information may be obtained from Monash
University directly.
Your training provider (whether a registered training
organisation or a university) must also meet additional
requirements, which have been specified by the
Registrar of Marriage Celebrants in a written determination.
If you are considering enrolling in the Certificate IV in
Celebrancy you should ensure that the training organisation
complies with the following requirements:
Additional requirements for training providers
concerning the four mandatory marriage celebrancy units.
The Registrar of Marriage Celebrants has made a determination in
accordance with the amendments to the Marriage
Regulations 1963, which commenced on 15 December
2009. In accordance with those regulations the
Registrar has determined the following requirements for
the delivery of the four mandatory marriage celebrancy
units:
a) The person delivering the four mandatory marriage
celebrancy units must have the following attributes:
- have been registered for at least three (3) years as a
marriage celebrant under subdivision C, Division 1 of
Part IV of the Marriage Act (the Marriage Celebrants
Program),
- not be subject to any disciplinary measures imposed by
the Registrar under subsection 39I(2) of the Act for any
period beginning on the day the unit is delivered and
ending on the day the unit is completed,
- have complied with ongoing professional development
obligations under section 39G of the Marriage Act,
- have been found satisfactory at their most recent
performance review conducted under section 39H of the
Marriage Act, and
- have conducted at least three (3) marriage ceremonies
during the two (2) years prior to the date of
commencement of the delivery of any of the mandatory
marriage celebrancy units.
b) The following materials must be included – as a
minimum - in the delivery of the four mandatory marriage
celebrancy units:
- the Marriage Act 1961
- the Marriage Regulations 1963,
- the 'Explanatory Material on the Marriage Act 1961 for
Marriage Celebrants' 2008,
- the DVD titled ‘When Words are not Enough:
Some Legal Obligations of a Marriage Celebrant' 2008
produced by The Production Hub Canberra for the
Attorney-General’s Department,
- information on the Marriage Celebrants Program at www.ag.gov.au/celebrants,
and
- sample copies of the following forms and certificates
(Forms 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 12A, 12D, 13, 14, 14A, 15, 16, 24
and Schedules 1A and 1B and Schedule 2) as prescribed in
the Marriage Regulations 1963 for use in the
conduct of marriages and fulfilment of obligations under
the Marriage Celebrants Program, and
- information on the Marriage
Celebrants Program
These will be matters for your training provider to
attend to.
When you complete your training you should ensure that
your training provider provides you with a certificate of
qualification that states that you have completed the four
mandatory marriage celebrancy units and also states the name
of your trainer in those units. You will need to submit a
certified copy of your certificate of qualification with
your application for registration as a marriage celebrant.
The training organisations listed on the NTIS website are
accredited by State and Territory government authorities.
The NTIS website has contact details for all State and
Territory training and accrediting bodies.
The Application process
The completion of the required training qualification is
necessary to meet the legislative requirements for
registration as a marriage celebrant. However, it is not
sufficient on its own. In addition, a person seeking
registration must satisfy the Registrar of Marriage
Celebrants that they are a fit and proper person to be
registered as a marriage celebrant.
Section 39C of the Marriage Act lists the matters the
Registrar must take into account in making that decision.
These matters are:
- do you have sufficient knowledge of the law relating
to the solemnisation of marriages by marriage celebrants
- are you committed to advising couples of the
availability of relationship support services and do you
have sufficient knowledge of relationship support
services to be able to do this
- are you of good standing in the community
- have you been convicted of an offence, punishable by
imprisonment for one year or longer, against a law of
the Commonwealth, States or Territories
- do you have an actual or potential conflict of
interest between your practice, or proposed practice, as
a marriage celebrant and your business interests or
other interests such as employment, voluntary work or
hobbies
- would your registration as a marriage celebrant be
likely to result in you gaining a benefit in respect of
another business you own, control or carry out
- will you fulfil your obligations as a marriage
celebrant, and
- any other matter the Registrar considers relevant to
whether you are a fit and proper person to be a marriage
celebrant.
How to apply
You can contact the Marriage Celebrants Section by email
at marriagecelebrantssection@ag.gov.au
for an application package.
You should carefully read all the information before
filling in the form. You must comply with all
instructions. If you do not, your application may be
regarded as incomplete and returned to you. Until you submit
a completed application you will not have made an
application for registration and you will not be assessed.
A completed application is one that thoroughly addresses
all the matters required to be addressed in the form.
Applications are processed strictly in order of receipt
(as required under section 39D of the Marriage Act 1961).
It can take three months from the date a completed
application is received for it to be assessed and the
applicant notified of the result.
Changes to the application process after 3 February 2010
A new application form will take effect from 3 February
2010 to coincide with the Certificate IV in Celebrancy or
equivalent university qualification becoming the mandatory
qualification prescribed by the Marriage Regulations
1963.
In order to assure the Registrar of Marriage Celebrants
that you have sufficient knowledge of the law relating to
the solemnisation of marriages, the application process
will, from 3 February 2010, include a set of questions on
legal matters relating to the solemnising of marriages.
These questions will be provided to applicants by the
Registrar.
The application pack will provide you with full details
on how to obtain and complete these questions.
These questions form part of the new application process
not part of the training process. However, training
providers will be given information about what matters may
be covered in the questions.
Please note: Your application will not
be complete, and therefore not lodged, until you have
completed and returned the questions.
Your conduct while you
undertake training and your application is assessed
Completing your training and lodging your application for
registration as a marriage celebrant does not
make you a registered marriage celebrant. There are certain
obligations under the Marriage Act 1961 that can only
be undertaken by a registered marriage celebrant.
Unless and until you are registered as a marriage
celebrant, you are not entitled to engage in advertising or
promotion that suggests that you are able to conduct
marriage ceremonies.
Participants in a ceremony
Persons, such as friends or relatives, who are not
authorised as marriage celebrants may participate in aspects
of a marriage ceremony as long as the couple and authorised
marriage celebrant are in agreement about that
participation. However it is the authorised celebrant who
must conduct the legal component of the ceremony and who
must fulfill all the legal requirements for
solemnising a marriage.
An authorised marriage celebrant must:
- consent to be present as the responsible authorised
marriage celebrant
- take a public role in the ceremony
- identify themselves to the assembled parties,
witnesses and guests as the celebrant authorised to
solemnise the marriage
- be responsible for ensuring the validity of the
marriage according to law
- say the words required by section 46 in the presence
of the parties, the formal witnesses and the guests
before whom the marriage is solemnised
- be in close proximity (i.e. nearby) when the vows
required by subsection 45(2) are exchanged. It is the
exchange of vows that constitutes the marriage and the
authorised celebrant should ensure that they see and
hear them exchanged
- be available to intervene (and exercise the
responsibility to intervene) if events demonstrate the
need for intervention elsewhere in the ceremony
- be part of the ceremonial group, or in close proximity
to it, and
- sign the papers required by the Act.
Registration
Registration is for life, subject to satisfying ongoing
professional development and performance requirements.
Marriages may be solemnised anywhere in Australia. Once
registered a marriage celebrant will need to satisfy a range
of obligations. These include:
- compliance with all the requirements of the Marriage
Act 1961 in conducting marriages
- compliance with a Code of Practice covering such
matters as maintaining a high standard of service and
professional conduct, compliance with the Marriage
Act 1961 and other laws, and a range of
requirements for the conduct of marriage ceremonies
- undertaking professional development each year, and
- undergoing regular performance reviews to ensure
continuing compliance with obligations.
Downloads
List
of Recognised Denominations - 88KB 
List
of Recognised Denominations - 15KB 
Notice
of Intended Marriage form - 64KB
Sample
Marriage Certificate - Civil Ceremonies - 708KB
Sample
Marriage Certificate - Religious Ceremonies - 708KB
Related
links
http://www.ag.gov.au/celebrants
• Code of Practice
• Training providers
• Marriage Celebrants Associations
• Register of Marriage Celebrants
• List of authorised marriage celebrants
• Prescribed Authorities
• How to make a complaint
• Notice of Intended Marriage Form
Key Legislation
• Marriage
Act 1961
• Marriage
Regulations 1963
• Disclaimer
• Privacy
Statement
• Copyright
Information
about the links above to the Attorney-General's Department
website
http://www.ag.gov.au/
Date Created: Monday, 17 July 2006
Last Modified: Thursday 24th December 2009
Authorised By: Branch Head, Family Law Branch
Maintainer: Marriage Celebrants Section
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