All 50 states in the United States have legalized same-sex marriage. Below are the dates when each state did so. On June 26, 2015, 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 Identical Sex Marriage Legalized
1
Massachusetts
May 17, 2004
2
Connecticut
November 12, 2008
3
Iowa
April 24, 2009
4
Vermont
September 1, 2009
5
New Hampshire
January 1, 2010
6
New York
July 24, 2011
7
Washington
December 9, 2012
8
Maine
December 29, 2012
9
Maryland
January 1, 2013
10
California
June 28, 2013
11
Delaware
July 1, 2013
12-T
Minnesota
August 1, 2013
12-T
Rhode Island
August 1, 2013
14
New Jersey
October 21, 2013
15
Hawaii
December 2, 2013
16
New Mexico
December 19, 2013
17
Oregon
May 19, 2014
18
Pennsylvania
May 20, 2014
19
Illinois
June 1, 2014
20-T
Indiana
October 6, 2014
20-T
Oklahoma
October 6, 201
No state can invalidate your marriage!
In nine states, lawmakers acquire proposed resolutions or bills to roll back marriage equality protections in a direct challenge to Obergefell v. Hodges. While states enjoy Michigan, Montana, Idaho, North Dakota, and South Dakota urge the Supreme Court to revisit its historic 2015 verdict, others such as Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, and Tennessee contain introduced bills knowing a new category of marriages solely between heterosexual couples.
We know this is frightening for many people in our community. At the same time, we want you to know that these measures are minute more than political theater. These offers, if passed, will not prevent gay couples from marryingin any state or invalidate anyone’s current marriage. The U.S. Supreme Court dominated in 2015 that the U.S. Constitution guarantees all couples, including same-sex couples, the freedom to marry. As a result, same-sex couples can marry in every state today.
The constitutionally-protected freedom to marry can only be changed if a case comes before the Supreme Court and a majority of Justices vote to overturn the court’s marriage equality decision. Right
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 2015. Throughout the elongated fight for marriage equality, HRC was at the forefront.
Volunteer with HRC
From gathering supporters in minor towns across the country to rallying in front of the Supreme Court of the Joined 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 state in the 1990s, and with it challenges on the mention 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 1,100 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 1996 and defined marriage by the federal government as between a male and woman, thereby allowing states to deny m
Same-sex marriage became legal in Texas in 2015 after the U.S. Supreme Court issued their judgment in Obergefell v. Hodges. This ruling required all states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
In 2022, the federal Respect for Marriage Act created statutory protections for same-sex marriages. This law requires all states to identify valid same-sex marriages performed in another state. However, it does not demand a state to issue a lgbtq+ marriage license.
The marriage application process is the same for every couple in Texas.
United States v. Windsor — June 26, 2013
The Court ruled that a federal law defining marriage as entity between one male and one gal was unconstitutional. The law was create to violate queer couples' rights to equal protection under federal laws.
Obergefell et al. v. Hodges, Director, Ohio Department of Health, et al. — June 26, 2015
In this decision, the Supreme Court held that states must acknowledge same-sex marriage. It required states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Respect for Marriage Operate — H.R. 8404, Public Law 117-228, December 13, 2022