Dakota County Marriage Licenses, Forms Amended to Include Same-Sex Couples

Dakota County officials are ready for Aug. 1, when the law legalizing same-sex marriage goes into effect.

Marriage applications in the county have been amended to reflect the new law. The online application now allows each applicant to select either gender, rather than having a single entry for the male applicant and another for the female applicant.

The law was sponsored by Sen. Scott Dibble, a former south metro resident who went to high school in Apple Valley. He now represents Minneapolis. For his part, Dibble is already married to husband Richard Leyva. According to Minnesota Public Radio, the two were hitched in California, but plan to have an affirmation ceremony to celebrate passage of the new law.

For anyone who wants to get married, a marriage license in Dakota costs $115. If you'd rather not file online, paper forms can be obtained at one of the three county government buildings—the main Administration Center in Hastings, the Northern Service Center in West St. Paul and the Western Service Center in Apple Valley. There is a five-day waiting period between the time of application and the issue of a marriage license.