| LAROSE LAUNCHES NEW ONLINE RECORDS PORTAL |
Now Processing Minister Licenses Online and in One Business Day
COLUMBUS – Today, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced a significant upgrade to the Secretary of State’s website to allow for quicker and more convenient processing of records filed with his office. Secretary LaRose is committed to modernizing and simplifying how Ohioans interface with state government, and his office continues to improve customer service for Ohioans in need of licenses or record authentication. The goal is for Ohioans to have the ability to file all records online, avoid delays in mail processing and delivery, and complete applications from the convenience of their own computer.
Last week, the office of the Ohio Secretary of State launched its new Online Records Portal, beginning with the minister license application process – a license required to perform wedding ceremonies in Ohio. Unbeknownst to many, to officiate a wedding in Ohio, one must be both ordained as a minister and obtain a license from the Secretary of State. Because the state licensing requirement catches many by surprise, Ohio’s new one business day license processing time will help keep wedding plans on track.
“The days of snail mail application processes and in-person office submissions are numbered in Ohio, as Ohioans will soon be able to submit applications and records to our office from the comfort of their own homes,” said Secretary LaRose. “The new Online Records Portal will make it quicker and easier for Ohioans to do business with their government and help ensure wedding plans will go as planned, and couples can get hitched without a hitch.”
In addition to overseeing Ohio elections and recording new businesses, the Secretary of State’s office also issues licenses for certain activities in Ohio and authenticates public documents for their use overseas. Currently, most of these processes are done either by mail or in-person at the Secretary of State’s office in Columbus. The Online Records Portal will allow for secure and convenient application submission, reduce wait times, and create a better customer service experience for Ohioans in need of such services.
