New York City sets Sunday Clerk office hours to allow marriages earlier

When the recently signed same-sex marriage law goes into effect on Sunday, July 24, same-sex couples in New York City won’t have to wait until Monday to get their licences. Officials in America’s largest city are opening clerk offices in all five boroughs on Sunday. Judges will be on hand to waive the usual 24 hour waiting period the state of New York requires after issuing marriage licences, and marry same sex couples as soon as they receive their licences on July 24, according to the New York Times.

Clerk offices are usually closed on Sundays, and other municipalities are deciding how to handle the date issue.

Meanwhile, according to NBC New York, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced he will officiate the same-sex nuptials of his chief policy adviser, John Feinblatt, and his soon-to-be-husband the city’s consumer affairs commissioner Jonathan Mintz, in a ceremony at Gracie Mansion, the Mayor’s official residence.

Upstate, Jerry Jennings, the mayor of Albany, N.Y. wants to officiate the state’s first same-sex marriage at 12:01am on July 24 at City Hall. Jennings is hoping to marry long-time friends whom he once promised to marry if the Empire state ever allowed same-sex nuptials.

The state has already begun allowing same-sex couples to apply online for their licences, but will be unable to issue the licences until July 24, 30 days after Governor Cuomo signed the marriage bill into law.