The state’s marriage license deadline for same-sex couples has passed, but some couples are still trying to get married despite it not being official yet.
The state issued its first official marriage licenses in February.
Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller told The Associated Press on Thursday that marriage licenses are still available through the state’s Office of Vital Records and are required for same sex couples.
Miller said he expects same-gender couples to apply in January.
He said Iowa is waiting for a final court decision on whether to extend its marriage license application deadline to March 1.
A decision is expected later this month.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that states could not deny marriage licenses to same- and opposite-sex marriages.
Miller also said his office has received more than 4,000 applications for licenses from couples wanting to wed in Iowa.
“It’s a slow process,” he said.
“If you’re married to someone else, it’s really hard to get a license.”
In Iowa, the number of people married to people of the same gender has fallen from 3,000 in 2000 to 1,600 in 2016.
Some couples are waiting in line to get the marriage license from Miller’s office before the official deadline.
“I think people are really excited about this and excited to get it done,” Miller said.
The Iowa Supreme Court has issued its final ruling on the case.
In August, the state allowed same- sex marriages to resume in Iowa, though same- gender couples who had already been married before the ruling could not get a marriage certificate.
The court said Iowa’s marriage code, which requires a “compelling governmental interest” and that marriage is the “sole legal union” between a man and a woman, “was properly drafted to protect the dignity of the institution and the sanctity of life.”
