DC Gay Marriage Law on Pace for Early March

Gay couples will likely be able to marry in DC starting in early March

Gay couples will likely be able to apply March 2 for marriage licenses in D.C.

That's the day the city now projects a bill it passed legalizing same-sex marriage will go into effect. The date was listed on the bill on the city's Web site.

The D.C. City Council passed a bill last month authorizing same-sex marriage. But the bill, which has been signed by Mayor Adrian Fenty, didn't go into effect immediately. Congress oversees the District's laws, and the bill must pass a 30-day period of review by Congress.

The City Council determined the bill's projected effective date by looking at Congress' calendar, but the date could still change if Congress adjusts its schedule.

Couples should be able to apply for licenses on the day the law takes effect, said Mafara Hobson, a spokeswoman for the mayor.

But couples won't be able to marry on that day. The district has a waiting period, so three full business days must pass between when a couple files an application for a license to when a license is issued.

If the bill becomes law on March 2, a Tuesday, a couple that applies that day would be issued their license on Monday, March 8, because the marriage bureau is not open on weekends.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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