Sussex County Marriage Bureau to begin accepting same-gender applications July 1

June 25, 2013: The Sussex County Marriage Bureau will begin accepting applications for same-gender marriages at 7 a.m. Monday, July 1, as Delaware’s newest law is set to take effect, allowing any couple, regardless of gender, to legally wed in the First State.

Applications will be available online later this week, with the first licenses to be issued Monday morning, according to Sussex County Clerk of the Peace John F. Brady. Because there is a 24-hour waiting period, no ceremonies for new, same-gender marriages will be performed until Tuesday, July 2. The Marriage Bureau, however, will accept reservations for ceremonies in advance.

Forms and applications will be available online at sussexcountyde.gov/marriage-licenses.

Also, beginning July 1, no new civil union licenses will be issued by the Sussex County Marriage Bureau, and any existing civil unions performed in the state since Jan. 1, 2012, will automatically convert to civil marriages after June 30, 2014, Clerk of the Peace Brady said.

Until that date, couples with existing civil union licenses who want a new marriage license, or who desire a new ceremony, can request those documents and services for a minimum $50 fee. New ceremonies will be performed upon request and as schedules permit; they are not subject to the 24-hour waiting period.

For more information or questions, please contact the Marriage Bureau at (302) 853-1717.

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CONTACT:
John F. Brady
(302) 853-1717
jbrady@sussexcountyde.gov