The New Minnesota Marriage Law - "When Can I Get My License?"

******UPDATE****** May 31, 2013******

It appears that the Registrars of Hennepin, Ramsey and Washington counties have exercised their discretion interpreting the marriage law to allow applications for a marriage license between couples of the same sex be made starting June 6, 2013.  This is one of the options available to the local registrars that is discussed in the original post below.  As stated, I believe the statutes provide enough discretion with the local registrar to make this decision.  According to the StarTribune, the Hennepin County Attorney issued an opinion for the local registrar that came to this conclusion.  The process, as of today, is that an application for a license can be made on June 6, 2013 (in specific counties) and, if approved, the license can be obtained on August 1, 2013.  This approach makes sense to prevent the counties from being overwhelmed with applications on August 1.  Also, remember, as discussed below in my earlier post, a license obtained in one county is good throughout the whole State.  One issue is fulfilling the promises of mayors to hold ceremonies on August 1 at 12:01 a.m.  The service centers do not open until 7:30 or 8:00 in the morning, according the StarTribune:

Asked about how the delay in issuance might affect Coleman’s plans for midnight Aug. 1 ceremonies, Burns said the county is “exploring other options for making the licenses available before 8 a.m. August 1st.”

The decision of these county registrars means those that have planned wedding events on August 1, 2013 and that weekend can move ahead with their plans.

**********UPDATE****************

As you may know, amendments to the Minnesota Statutes to allow same sex marriage were made into law when signed by Governor Dayton on May 14, 2013.  The law will not take effect until August 1, 2013.  Unless a new law states a different effective date, August 1 is the default for new laws taking effect.  I have received several questions about the timing of applying for a marriage license and when the ceremony can take place.  Can the license be obtained before August 1?  The question is possibly, depending on the local registrar.

I am presenting at a CLE on May 9, 2013

I am presenting at the Continuing Legal Education seminar in St. Cloud, tomorrow, Thursday, May 9, 2013, entitled Issues Unique to Recreational and Lake Shore Property.  This is a Minnesota CLE seminar.  Minnesota CLE was established by the Minnesota State Bar Association to provide the highest quality educational experience to Minnesota lawyers and judges in an accessible fashion and at a reasonable cost.  My topic, presented between 1:15 and 2:15, is on land use and shore regulation, specifically looking at the DNR regulations and local government control.  I presented this topic 3 years ago.  A lot has happened since then and a lot has stayed the same.  I believe seats are still available.  Register if you would like to find out more about the issues that are unique to shoreland property.