Four Same-Sex Couples Apply for Marriage Licenses in County
Couples seek marriage licenses in the county within 36 hours of first day same-sex couples can pick up licenses.
Four same-sex couples have applied for marriage licenses within the first 36 hours of being able to do so in Howard County, according to the Marriage License Department of the Circuit Court for Howard County.
"We were kind of expecting more, but maybe they know they have time," said Drew Furletti, manager of the county's land records office.
Thursday marked the first day same-sex couples could apply for marriage licenses in the state. Gov. Martin O'Malley signed the election results around 10 a.m. Thursday morning, which made the Question 6 referendum results official.
Marriage licenses obtained in December won't become effective until Jan. 1 when the law legalizing gay marriage goes into effect. But by opening up license applications in December, same-sex couples in the county and the state can now have the option of marrying on New Year's Day, with all the added significance of it being the first day that gay marriage is legal in Maryland.
A marriage license in Howard County isn't issued until 48 hours after the day in which a license is applied for, thus a same-sex couple has until Dec. 29 to apply for a license if interested in getting married on New Year's Day.
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Joe
3:33 pm on Friday, December 7, 2012
"A marriage license in Howard County isn't issued until 48 hours after the day in which a license is applied for"
A waiting period and/or a 2 day right of rescission?
Andrew Metcalf
4:50 pm on Friday, December 7, 2012
Correct, it's a waiting period.