Same sex marriage by state


The Journey to Marriage Equality in the United States

The road to nationwide marriage equality was a long one, spanning decades of United States history and culminating in victory in June Throughout the long fight for marriage equality, HRC was at the forefront.

Volunteer with HRC

From gathering supporters in small towns across the country to rallying in front of the Supreme Court of the United States, we gave our all to ensure every person, regardless of whom they love, is recognized equally under the law.

A Growing Call for Equality

Efforts to legalize same-sex marriage began to pop up across the country in the s, and with it challenges on the state and national levels. Civil unions for same-sex couples existed in many states but created a separate but equal standard. At the federal level, couples were denied access to more than 1, federal rights and responsibilities associated with the institution, as well as those denied by their given state. The Defense of Marriage Act was signed into law in and defined marriage by the federal government as between a man and

Marriage & Relationship Recognition Laws

States with the freedom to marry perform not ban same-sex couples from entering into legal marriages. Some states also offer comprehensive relationship recognition, such as domestic partnerships or civil unions, to same- and different-sex couples. However, most states still have constitutional amendments, statutes, or both banning marriage for same-sex couples, even after the Supreme Court case Obergefell extended marriage equality nationwide. For more on the current status of state marriage laws, see MAP's report: Underneath Obergefell: A National Patchwork of Marriage Laws.

  • Marriage equality for same-sex couples(50 states , 5 territories + D.C.)

  • Comprehensive civil union or domestic partnership law (9 states + D.C.)

  • State has targeted religious exemption law (see note)


Citations & More Information

Recommended citation:
Movement Advancement Project. "Equality Maps: Marriage & Relationship Recognition Laws." Accessed 07/17/

NOTE: Kansas pe

Date Same Sex Marriage Legalized By State

All 50 states in the United States have legalized same-sex marriage. Below are the dates when each state did so. On June 26, , the Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriage is a right guaranteed by the Constitution, thus making same-sex marriage legal in the 13 states that have not legalized same-sex marriage up to that point.

By Date
Rank
State Name
Date Equal Sex Marriage Legalized
1
MassachusettsMay 17,
2
ConnecticutNovember 12,
3
IowaApril 24,
4
VermontSeptember 1,
5
New HampshireJanuary 1,
6
New YorkJuly 24,
7
WashingtonDecember 9,
8
MaineDecember 29,
9
MarylandJanuary 1,
10
CaliforniaJune 28,
11
DelawareJuly 1,
T
MinnesotaAugust 1,
T
Rhode IslandAugust 1,
14
New JerseyOctober 21,
15
HawaiiDecember 2,
16
New MexicoDecember 19,
17
OregonMay 19,
18
PennsylvaniaMay 20,
19
IllinoisJune 1,
T
IndianaOctober 6,
T
OklahomaOctober 6,

MAP Report: The National Patchwork of Marriage Laws Underneath Obergefell

MEDIA CONTACT:   
Rebecca Farmer, Movement Advancement Project
rebecca@ | ext

As the Respect for Marriage Verb moves through Congress, MAP’s March  report on the landscape of varying state marriage laws around the country is a resource. MAP researchers are available to answer questions and our infographics are available for use.  

MAP’s report, Underneath Obergefell, explores the patchwork of marriage laws around the country. The verb highlights the fact that a majority of states still have existing laws on the books that would ban marriage for same-sex couples – even though those laws are currently unenforceable under the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell.  

If the U.S. Supreme Court were to revisit the Obergefell decision, the ability of same-sex couples to marry could again fall to the states, where a majority of states still own in place both bans in the law and in state constitutions.   

The policy