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Law

King County prepares for midnight rush on same sex marriage licenses

Paula Wissel

Same sex marriage becomes legal in Washington at midnight tonight.  King County is pulling out all the stops to accommodate the hundreds of couples expected to show up at twelve to get marriage licenses.

The office will issue the first license at exactly 12:01 to 10 couples chosen for a special ceremony by "the LGTB community" according to Cameron Satterfield, spokesman for the King County Recorder's office.

The very first couple to get a license will be Jane Abbott Lighty and Pete-e Petersen of West Seattle. The couple was featured in this R-71 ad during the recent campaign for a same sex marriage law.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=va7-nEAkxx0

Couples who wish to obtain a marriage license must bring three things, according to Satterfield.

  • Marriage license form (you can download it from theKing County website)
  • Photo I.D.
  • $64 check or cash (King County doesn't accept debit or credit cards)
Paula is a former host, reporter and producer who retired from KNKX in 2021. She joined the station in 1989 as All Things Considered host and covered the Law and Justice beat for 15 years. Paula grew up in Idaho and, prior to KNKX, worked in public radio and television in Boise, San Francisco and upstate New York.