Same-sex marriage in Illinois

Same-sex marriage has been legally recognized in Illinois since a law signed by Governor Pat Quinn on November 20, 2013 took effect on June 1, 2014.

Illinois established civil unions as of June 1, 2011, when Governor Quinn signed legislation on January 31, 2011. The law allows both same-sex and opposite-sex couples to form civil unions and provides state recognition of substantially similar legal relationships, including same-sex marriages and civil unions, entered into in other jurisdictions.

Same-sex marriage legislation was introduced in successive sessions of the General Assembly from 2007 to 2013. It passed the Senate in February 2013, but legislators delayed a vote in the House while lobbying for votes until November 5, 2013, when the House passed an amended version of the bill by a narrow margin. The Senate quickly approved the amended bill and Governor Quinn signed it into law on November 20. The law went into effect (statewide) on June 1, 2014, with same-sex couples able to apply for marriage licenses and then marry after the mandatory one-day waiting period.

On February 21, 2014, a U. S. District Court judge ruled that same-sex couples in Cook County could marry immediately and need not wait for the law to take effect on June 1. On February 26, 2014, Champaign County clerk officials, citing the Cook County ruling, began issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. An opinion by the state Attorney General on March 4 announced that the ruling could apply to any county clerk who chose to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Eight counties were issuing licenses by March 12: Cass, Champaign, Cook, Grundy, Jackson, Macon, McLean, and St. Clair. By April 15, that number had grown to 16 counties.

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