What if I am a resident of another country?
The law that Governor Romney is relying upon to bar same-sex couples from outside Massachusetts from marrying (e.g., M.G.L. c. 207, §11) should not apply to bar persons from other countries. Although the applicable law does not define the term “jurisdiction” and the clerks received no instructions in this regard, the term jurisdiction is expressly limited to other states in other sections of the 1913 law (M.G.L. c. 207, §§12 and 13). If you encounter a problem with a clerk who seeks to bar you from marrying because you reside in another country, point the clerk to the reverse side of the Notice of Intention form where Section 12 of the law is cited: “Before issuing a license to marry [to] a person who resides and intends to continue to reside in another state ….” If the clerk still will not process your license, GLAD recommends moving on to another clerk’s office. After you have had your marriage processed and solemnized elsewhere, please let GLAD know so that we can respond accordingly.