Marriage wait limit elimination passes House

Couples looking to wed could no longer have to wait as long.

Rep. Dennis Smith

HF2294, sponsored by Rep. Dennis Smith (R-Maple Grove), would remove the five-day waiting period currently required between the application for a marriage license and its issuance by a local registrar. Instead, the license could be issued immediately after the application has been received, under most circumstances.

Passed 115-15 by the House Friday, the bill now goes to the Senate where Sen. Kari Dziedzic (DFL-Mpls) is the sponsor.

“[The bill] eliminates an unnecessary step of government bureaucracy, and gives more freedom back to the people of Minnesota; it’s a perfect example of making our state government more efficient and responsive to the needs of residents,” Smith said.

Couples can apply for a judicial waiver to the current five-day waiting period. The process of approval through a judge is often burdensome on those applying, and is almost always approved anyways. It is also argued that it creates unnecessary work for government staff.

The bill would instead allow a local registrar to approve the license immediately upon application, pending other legal requirements such as age. All other legal requirements of marriage would remain the same.

Minnesota is currently one of two states that require couples to adhere to a five-day waiting period — unless a waiver is applied for and granted. The other, Wisconsin, ties Minnesota for the longest waiting period for a marriage license.