In 2015, the Supreme Court held in Obergefell v. Hodges that same-sex couples may exercise the fundamental right to marry in all states and that states must accordingly recognize marriages validly performed out-of-state. Many states still have unenforceable constitutional amendments or state statutes that ban marriage for same-sex couples. This Sidebar provides, in table form, a survey of current state constitutional amendments and state statutes that either prohibit or allow same-sex marriage. Other compilations may categorize the constitutional or statutory text differently; for example, two states do not explicitly define "marriage." The Sidebar does not discuss or address the effect of judicial opinions, like Obergefell or prior state supreme court or lower federal court rulings, on these state statutes.
The table also provides a list of various state provisions that concern religious protections relating to marriage. This includes laws that provide that a religious official or organization may not be required to solemnize a marriage if doing so would conflict with or violate a religious tenet.
Table 1. Survey of State Constitution Amendments and State Statutes Either Prohibiting or Allowing Same-Sex Marriage
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State |
State Constitutional Amendments Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage |
State Statutes Prohibiting Same-Sex Marriage |
State Constitutional Amendments Allowing Same-Sex Marriage |
State Statutes Allowing Same-Sex Marriage |
Religious Liberty Protections |
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Alabama |
Ala. Const. art. I, § 36.03 |
Ala. Code § 30-1-19 |
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Alaska |
Alaska Const. art. I, § 25 |
Alaska Stat. §§ 25.05.011, .013 |
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Arizona |
Ariz. Const. art. XXX, § 1 |
Ariz. Rev. Stat. §§ 25-101(C), |
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Arkansas |
Ark. Const. amend. LXXXIII, § 1 |
Ark. Code Ann. §§ 9-11-109, -208 |
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California |
Cal Const. art. I, § 7.5 |
Cal. Fam. Code § 300 |
Cal. Fam. Code § 400(a) |
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Colorado |
Colo. Const. art. II, § 31 |
Colo. Rev. Stat. § 14-2-104 |
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Connecticut |
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 46b-20(4) |
Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 46b-22b, -35a |
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Delaware |
Del. Code Ann. tit. 13, § 129 |
Del. Code Ann. tit. 13, § 106(f) |
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Florida |
Fla. Const. art. I, § 27 |
Fla. Stat. Ann. § 741.212 |
Fla. Stat. Ann. § 761.061 |
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Georgia |
Ga. Const. art. I, § IV, para. I |
Ga. Code Ann. § 19-3-3.1 |
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Hawaiia |
Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 572-1 |
Haw. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§ 572-12.1, .2 |
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Idaho |
Idaho Const. art. III, § 28 |
Idaho Code §§ 32-201, -209 |
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Illinois |
750 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. 5/201, 80/10 |
750 Ill. Comp. Stat. Ann. 5/209(a-5)-(a-10) |
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Indiana |
Ind. Code Ann. § 31-11-1-1 |
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Iowa |
Iowa Code § 595.2(1) |
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Kansas |
Kan. Const. art. XV, § 16 |
Kan. Stat. Ann. § 23-2501 |
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Kentucky |
Ky. Const. § 233a |
Ky. Rev. Stat. §§ 402.005, .020(1)(d) |
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Louisiana |
La. Const. art. XII, § 15 |
La. Civ. Code Ann. art. 86, 89 |
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Maine |
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 19-A, § 650-A |
Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 19-A, § 655(3) |
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Maryland |
Md. Code Ann., Fam. Law § 2-201 |
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Massachusettsb |
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Michigan |
Mich. Const. art. I, § 25 |
Mich. Comp. Laws Serv. §§ 551.1, .271(2), .272 |
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Minnesota |
Minn. Stat. Ann. §§ 517.01, .201(Subd. 2) |
Minn. Stat. Ann. § 517.09(Subd. 2)-(Subd. 3) |
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Mississippi |
Miss. Const. art. XIV, § 263A |
Miss. Code Ann. § 93-1-1(2) |
Miss. Code Ann. § 11-62-5(1)(a) |
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Missouri |
Mo. Const. art. I, § 33 |
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 451.022 |
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Montana |
Mont. Const. art. XIII, § 7 |
Mont. Code Ann. §§ 40-1-103, -401(1)(d) |
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Nebraska |
Neb. Const. art. I, § 29 |
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Nevada |
Nev. Const. art. 1, § 21(1) |
Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 122.020 |
Nev. Const. art. 1, § 21(2) |
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New Hampshire |
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 457:1-a |
N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 457:37 |
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New Jersey |
N.J. Stat. § 37:1-1(c) |
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New Mexicob |
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New York |
N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law § 10-a |
N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law §§ 10-b, 11(1)-(1-a) |
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North Carolina |
N.C. Const. art. XIV, § 6 |
N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 51-1, -1.2 |
N.C. Gen. Stat. § 51-5.5(a) |
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North Dakota |
N.D. Const. art. XI, § 28 |
N.D. Cent. Code § 14-03-01 |
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Ohio |
Ohio Const. art. XV, § 11 |
Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3101.01 |
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Oklahoma |
Okla. Const. art. II, § 35 |
Okla. Stat. tit. 43, § 3.1 |
Okla. Stat. tit. 43, § 7.1 |
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Oregon |
Or. Const. art. XV, § 5a |
Or. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 106.345 |
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Pennsylvania |
23 Pa. Cons. Stat. Ann. §§ 1102, 1704 |
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Rhode Island |
R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-1-1 |
R.I. Gen. Laws § 15-3-6.1 |
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South Carolina |
S.C. Const. art. XVII, § 15 |
S.C. Code Ann. §§ 20-1-10, -15 |
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South Dakota |
S.D. Const. art. XXI, § 9 |
S.D. Codified Laws §§ 25-1-1, |
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Tennessee |
Tenn. Const. art. XI, § 18 |
Tenn. Code Ann. § 36-3-113 |
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Texas |
Tex. Const. art. I, § 32 |
Tex. Fam. Code § 2.001 |
Tex. Fam. Code §§ 2.601, .602 |
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Utah |
Utah Const. art. I, § 29 |
Utah Code Ann. § 30-1-4.1 |
Utah Code Ann. §§ 63G-20-201, |
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Vermont |
Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 15, § 8 |
Vt. Stat. Ann. tit. 9, § 4502(l), tit. 18, § 5144(c) |
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Virginia |
Va. Const. art. I, § 15-A |
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Washington |
Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 26.04.010(1), (3) |
Wash. Rev. Code Ann. §§ 26.04.010(4)-(7), .020(5)-(6) |
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West Virginia |
W. Va. Code § 48-2-603 |
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Wisconsin |
Wis. Const. art. XIII, § 13 |
Wis. Stat. Ann. § 765.01 |
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Wyoming |
Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 20-1-101 |
Source: Based on a search, conducted on October 28, 2022, of state constitutions and state statutes in the Lexis+ subscription database for the terms marriage AND (man OR woman OR male OR female OR husband OR wife OR individual OR person OR gender OR sex) and (marriage AND relig*) AND (freedom OR liberty OR "free exercise" OR required).
a. The Hawaii constitution grants the state legislature "the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples" (Haw. Const. art. I, § 23).
b. Massachusetts and New Mexico do not define marriage in either their state constitution or state statutes.