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		NEWS RELEASE
		Thursday, October 30, 2003 Contact: Bob Johannessen; (225) 342-1532

Baton Rouge --- In addition to the shows, nightlife and gambling, tourists now can come for quickie weddings. The above is not a description of Las Vegas, but of New Orleans, where a new law allows visiting couples to shorten their race to the altar by waiving the mandated waiting period. 

According to Louisiana statute, couples are required to wait 72 hours between applying for and obtaining a marriage license.  However, this year the Legislature voted to allow officiates in Orleans Parish to waive the 72-hour rule for out-of-state couples so they can get married immediately in New Orleans after obtaining an Orleans Parish marriage license. This new law was backed by the Louisiana Department of Tourism to bring more visitors to New Orleans.    

To accommodate weekend weddings, the New Orleans Vital Records Marriage License Office has extended its hours. The office, located in the State of Louisiana Building at 325 Loyola Ave., New Orleans, will be open each Saturday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., beginning this Saturday, Nov. 1. This way, if couples from out of town wish to say “I do” in the Big Easy, they do not have to take a day off of work to get the license on Friday; they can arrive in town Saturday, get their license and get married. 

The Louisiana Vital Records Central Office has hired more workers to assist with the additional hours and an anticipated increase in paperwork from a higher volume of licenses being processed.  

To receive a Louisiana marriage license, a person must be at least 18 years old or have parental consent. Only one person must be present to apply for the license, but both the bride and groom must provide a copy of their birth certificates, Social Security numbers and parents’ full names, including mothers’ maiden names. If either party has been divorced, a certified copy of the final decree of divorce must be presented to the issuing officer.  A certified copy of the death certificate must be presented when a widow or widower is applying for a license to marry. There also is a $27.50 Marriage License Fee that must be paid to receive the license. 

The Vital Records Issuance office will not be open on Saturdays, so couples applying for marriage licenses on weekends must bring the necessary documents with them to New Orleans.  

For questions about obtaining an Orleans Parish marriage license on Saturday, please call the New Orleans Vital Records Marriage Office at (504) 599-1372.