Couples must marry in the county in which they live.
Milwaukee and Dane were the only counties to extend hours into the weekend to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, but others around Wisconsin are now following suit.
Rock, Waukesha, Kenosha and Outagamie are among the counties that started issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples Monday morning. Dane County Clerk Scott McDonell also reports that Rusk County Clerk Denise Wetzel would issue licenses.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel is keeping a running tally of which counties are accepting licenses and which are not. Ozaukee, Washington, Racine, La Crosse and other counties are not currently accepting licenses, according to the publication.
U.S. District Barbara Crabb on Friday ruled Wisconsin's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. The county clerks in Milwaukee and Dane kept their offices open that night and reopened Saturday to process marriage licenses to same-sex couples. They also offered to waive the five-day waiting period so couples could immediately get married. The waiver costs $25, on top of the $125 license fee.
In all, Dane County issued 137 marriage licenses and Milwaukee 146 from Friday through Saturday.
Fair Wisconsin, the state's largest gay rights organization, advised couples wishing to get married to first check with their county clerk. Couples must marry in the county in which they live.
"Couples should call first and find out what the clerk is planning and go ahead and try to apply for a license if they want to," says spokesperson Megin McDonell, who is married to Scott. "Couples can let us know if they encounter problems via email -- info@fairwisconsin.com -- or by posting on social media."
Also on Monday, Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen filed an emergency motion for a temporary stay of Crabb's ruling in the U.S. Court of Appeals Seventh Circuit in Chicago. He had also filed a motion for a stay in Crabb's court Friday night. She is holding a hearing this afternoon on the request.
Scott McDonell reports that Dane County Register of Deeds Kristi Chlebowski delivered the first batch of marriage certificates issued to same-sex couples in Dane County to the state Vital Records Office.
