Local gay couples can marry in San Bernardino starting Tuesday

Starting Tuesday, gay couples in San Bernardino County will be able to legally marry.

At 8 a.m. that morning, the county Auditor/Controller-Recorder’s office will put into effect the California Supreme Court ruling that gave the go-ahead to same-sex marriages on May 15.

County auditor/controller-recorder Larry Walker said his office is gearing up for a busier-than-average day Tuesday. As of Friday, Walker said 35 couples had made marriage license or civil ceremony appointments with his office for Tuesday, compared to six couples who had made appointments on Wednesday, six on Thursday and 16 on Friday. He did not have statistics on how many of those were same-sex couples.

Walker has received correspondence from some people opposed to same-sex marriage, arguing that the California Supreme Court did not have the right to make the decision on gay marriage decision, but he said the backlash has been fairly minimal.

“I think the controversy is in the courts, and our job is to implement the law,” he said.

The new rules mean that Barstow couples, gay and straight alike, will have to make a trip to San Bernardino to get a marriage license or have a civil ceremony performed, rather than going to the county recorder’s satellite office at the Apple Valley Branch Library. Because of security concerns and the need to upgrade technology and train staff in the new requirements at the satellite stations, all civil marriage ceremonies and marriage licenses will be handled at the Hall of Records in San Bernardino for the time being, Walker said.

He could not say how long it would be before the Apple Valley satellite office is able to resume marriage services. In the meantime, certified copies of birth, marriage, and death certificates will still be available at the Apple Valley satellite station.

The City of Barstow does not issue marriage licenses or perform civil ceremonies currently, so will be unaffected by the new rules. Likewise, the Barstow courthouse stopped issuing marriage licenses several years ago, although judges still perform occasional civil ceremonies on a case-by-case basis, courthouse clerk’s office supervisor Susan Hamblet said. None of the individual judges could be reached for comment.

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To make it official:

Starting Tuesday, all marriage licenses and county-performed civil ceremonies in San Bernardino County will be conducted at the Hall of Records, at 222 West Hospitality Lane in San Bernardino.

The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

For more information, see the county Auditor/Controller-Recorder’s office web site or call 909-386-8314.