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A4226 • 2026

Provides for immediate issuance of marriage and civil union licenses; provides for 72 hour waiting period prior to ceremony.

Provides for immediate issuance of marriage and civil union licenses; provides for 72 hour waiting period prior to ceremony.

Labor
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Murphy, Carol A.
Last action
2026-02-19
Official status
Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Provides for immediate issuance of marriage and civil union licenses; provides for 72 hour waiting period prior to ceremony.

Provides for immediate issuance of marriage and civil union licenses; provides for 72 hour waiting period prior to ceremony.

What This Bill Does

  • Provides for immediate issuance of marriage and civil union licenses; provides for 72 hour waiting period prior to ceremony.
  • Topic: Judiciary Fiscal note: This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-02-19 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly Judiciary Committee

Official Summary Text

Provides for immediate issuance of marriage and civil union licenses; provides for 72 hour waiting period prior to ceremony.
Topic:
Judiciary
Fiscal note:
This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A4226

ASSEMBLY, No. 4226

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

���� Provides for immediate issuance of marriage and civil
union licenses; provides for 72 hour waiting period prior to ceremony.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning marriage and civil union licenses and
amending R.S.37:1-4.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� R.S.37:1-4 is amended to
read as follows:

���� 37:1-4.���� Issuance of
marriage or civil union license, emergencies,

validity.

���� The marriage or civil union
license shall
[
not
]
be issued by
a licensing officer
[
sooner
than 72 hours after
]

immediately upon the filing of
the application
[
therefor has
been made; provided, however, that the Superior Court may, by order, waive all
or any part of said 72-hour period in cases of emergency, upon satisfactory
proof being shown to it. �Said order shall be filed with the licensing officer
and attached to the application for the license
]
.

����
The marriage or civil union
ceremony may not take place during the 72-hour period immediately following the
issuance of the marriage or civil union license; provided, however, that:

����
a.� the Superior Court may,
by order, waive all or any part of the 72-hour period in cases of emergency,
upon satisfactory proof being shown to it. �The order shall be filed with the
licensing officer and attached to the application for the license; and

����
b.� the 72-hour period shall
not apply to an applicant who is an active duty member of the Armed Forces of
the United States or the National Guard.

���� A marriage or civil union
license, when properly issued as provided in this article, shall be good and
valid only for 30 days after the date of the issuance thereof.�

(cf: P.L.2018, c.42, s.1)

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires a marriage
or civil union license be issued immediately upon application, but continues to
require a 72-hour waiting period.

���� Under current law, after a
couple applies for a marriage or civil union license there is a 72-hour waiting
period before the license can be issued by the licensing officer.� The Superior
Court may, by order, waive all or any part of the 72-hour period in cases of
emergency, upon satisfactory proof being shown.

���� This bill would provide that a
marriage or civil union license would be issued by the licensing officer
immediately upon filing the application. However, individuals would still be
required to wait 72 hours before the marriage or civil union ceremony could be
performed. The intent of the bill is not to change the current 72-hour waiting
period before the ceremony can occur, but to save couples the additional trip
to the licensing officer to pick up the license.

���� The bill provides that all or
part of the 72-hour waiting period between issuance of the license and the
marriage or civil union ceremony could be waived by order of the Superior Court
in cases of emergency, upon satisfactory proof being shown.� The bill also
provides that the 72-hour waiting period between issuance of the license and
the ceremony would not apply to an applicant who is an active duty member of
the Armed Forces of the United States or the National Guard.