Same-Sex Marriage in Connecticut

As of June 26, 2015 the Supreme Court issued a decision that same-sex couples can marry in all 50 states

The following is an excerpted history from GLAD’s Answers for the LGBTQ Community: How to Get Married in Connecticut (https://www.glad.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/how-to-get-married-ct.pdf)

Requirements for Marriage in Connecticut

Any couple regardless of gender can marry in Connecticut, provided they meet the state’s marriage requirements. Those requirements include:

must be 18 or older;
not be married or in a civil union with a different person (you can marry the same person with whom you already have a civil union);
not be closely related by blood or marriage; and
have approval if under conservatorship.

For more on “Connecticut Laws About Marriage”, visit the Connecticut Judicial Branch Law Libraries webpage, http://www.jud.ct.gov/lawlib/law/marriage.htm

Where to get a Marriage License

Each person wishing to get married must go to a town hall and fill out a marriage application (an application can also be downloaded from the internet and filled out at the town hall). If a person is a Connecticut resident, that person must go to the town hall where he/she resides or where the ceremony will take place. For non-resident couples, the couple must apply for the marriage license in the town where the ceremony takes place. After submission of the application, the town clerk provides a marriage license. After the ceremony, the person who officiates at the wedding must return the marriage license to the town where the ceremony took place. The town clerk will then register the marriage and the couple can receive an official certificate of marriage.

Required Documents and Fees

Couples need to bring the following documents to the Town Clerk’s office:

valid form of identification, age (driver’s license, resident ID, passport or birth certificate);
completed marriage license application; and
pay marriage license fee.

The Wedding Ceremony

A couple has 65 days from the day they apply for a marriage license to have a wedding ceremony. Persons authorized to marry couples in Connecticut include:

all Connecticut judges and retired judges;
all federal judges and judges from any state who are authorized to marry;
all Connecticut justices of the peace, family support magistrates and state referees; and
ordained clergy from any state provided they are currently in the ministry.

Connecticut does not require that there be any witnesses (although religious entities may require witnesses).

Same-Sex Marriage and Civil Unions

As of October 1, 2010, all Connecticut civil unions were converted into marriages by operation of law.

Protections Gained from a Marriage in Connecticut

A marriage gives a person automatic inclusion within and under many Connecticut state laws that apply to spouses, family and next of kin. Categories of Connecticut laws that relate to marriage and civil unions include:

family law, including marriage, dissolution, and support;
title, tenure, descent and distribution, intestate succession, wills, survivorships, or other incidents of the acquisition, ownership or transfer (during life or at death) of real or personal property;
state and municipal taxation;
probate courts and procedure;
group insurance for government employees;
family leave benefits;
financial disclosure and conflict-of-interest rules;
protection against discrimination based on marital status;
emergency and non-emergency medical care and treatment, hospital visitation and notification, and authority to act in matters affecting family members;
state public assistance benefits;
workers’ compensation;
crime victims’ rights;
marital privileges in court proceedings; and
vital records and absentee voting procedures.

Many private parties – e.g., employers, landlords, public accommodations, etc. – are subject to the state law prohibiting discrimination based on marital status, civil union status and sexual orientation.

Recognition of Same-Sex Marriages

The United States Supreme Court decision in Obergefell vs Hodges on June 26, 2015 guarantees that the marriages of same-sex couples will be recognized anywhere in the United States.

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SOURCE: Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders: A Brief Q&A About Marriage For Same-Sex Couples in Connecticut; GLAD Equal Justice Under Law: How to Get Married in Connecticut; Connecticut Judicial Law Libraries Website
PREPARED BY: 211/jm
CONTENT LAST REVIEWED: July2023