In the nation’s capital, couples ready to tie the knot are facing an unexpected roadblock: The government shutdown has halted the issuance of marriage licenses.
Because Washington, D.C.’s courts are federally funded, the government shutdown has forced the Marriage Bureau, part of the D.C. Superior Court, to stop issuing marriage licenses and performing ceremonies, according to the District of Columbia Courts’ Shutdown Plan.
Amid the shutdown, the D.C. Superior Court is limited to performing “functions necessary to continue the resolution of cases without interruption,” the plan reads.
Although unable to issue new marriage licenses or perform ceremonies, the Marriage Bureau will continue to provide certified copies of previously issued licenses. Additionally, couples will still be able to file for divorce during the shutdown, as reported by local outlet WAMU.
LOVE Act was passed during 2019 shutdown
During the last government shutdown, which lasted 35 days from December 2018 to January 2019, Washington’s Mayor Muriel Bowser passed the “Let Our Vows Endure Emergency Act of 2019.”
The act granted the mayor the authority to issue marriage licenses and authorize officiants. It was temporary, however, and the D.C. Council would need to pass another bill to bring it back.
