Will County To Issue Gay Marriage Licenses Starting June 2

The Religious Freedom and Marriage Fairness Act allowing gay couples to marry in Illinois officially takes effect on Sunday, June 1, and the Will County Clerk's office will open at 8:30 a.m. the next day to begin issuing licenses to same-sex couples.

In a notice issued Thursday, County Clerk Nancy Schultz Voots said the new law will does not repeal the state's existing civil union laws, and couples can continue to enter into civil unions if they wish.

Civil unions will not automatically convert into marriages, but couples who wish to make the change can do so at the county where their civil union license was originally issued.

If a couple’s civil union was issued in Will County, they must apply at either the Will County Clerk’s Office, 302 N. Chicago St., Joliet, or at one of the following satellite locations:

• Crete Township Office, 1367 Wood Street, Crete, 708-672-8279 
• DuPage Township Office, 241 Canterbury Lane, Bolingbrook, 630-759-1317
• Plainfield Township Office, 22525 W. Lockport Road, Plainfield, 815-436-8308

Those who wish to convert their civil unions to marriages will have two options:

1. Apply for a marriage license and have a marriage ceremony. There is no time frame for this free-of-charge conversion. The license is valid for 60 days with a one-day waiting period.
2. Apply for a marriage license and have it reflect the date the couple entered into the civil union. This free-of-charge conversion is effective for a period of 12 months effective June 1, 2014.

The Will County Clerk’s Office will open Monday, June 2 at 8:30 a.m. to issue marriage licenses.

For more information, contact the Will County Clerk’s office at 815-740-4626 or visit our website at www.thewillcountyclerk.com.