State Eases Marriage License Requirements

HARTFORD (AP) — Connecticut residents planning to walk down the aisle after October 1 will find it easier to get a marriage license.

That’s when several new laws take effect that will loosen the rules for acquiring a marriage license, including one that eliminates the requirement that couples have a blood test before they can wed.

Another law will allow a couple to obtain the license in several different locations – the town where the groom lives, the town where the bride lives, or the town where the couple is to be wed.

Under the current law, a couple can only obtain a marriage license in the city or town where they will have the marriage ceremony.

“It was silly to have to go from one place to the next,” said state Rep Antonietta “Toni” Boucher (R-Wilton). “The new law will provide more convenience for couples who wish to marry.”

The change was suggested by a lawmaker from Bridgeport who found he and his wife-to-be had to travel to Brooklyn, in the state’s northeast corner, to get the license for their June 2002 wedding.

“No matter how you do it, it takes you two hours to get there,” said Sen Bill Finch. “So we were trying to find a way to schedule it so we were both there during business hours. You can register to vote in any town hall, you can get a fishing license in any town hall, but you can’t get a marriage license in any town hall.”

The elimination of the blood test requirement was requested by the state Department of Public Health. The tests are considered outdated because the diseases they test for, rubella and syphilis, are no longer considered widespread problems. Only four states still require the tests for marriage licenses.

DPS spokesman William Gerrish said the test for rubella is primarily done because the disease can cause birth defects, and pregnant woman are already required by law to be tested for the disease.

Also, eliminating the test will save money.