OC Register Of Deeds Prepares To Sign Same-Sex Marriage Licenses

Orange County Register of Deeds Deborah Brooks says she’s ready to sign same-sex marriage licenses.

“We’re waiting on the order that’s issued from the judge, and when the order is issued then we’ll be prepared and ready to start.”

A federal judge on Wednesday lifted the stays in two cases challenging North Carolina’s ban on same-sex marriage, a signal that he may be ready to strike down Amendment 1. State Attorney General Roy Cooper made it clear his office would no longer seek to defend the 2012 ban.

In some parts of the state, couples have been lining up to apply for marriage certificates in anticipation of the ban being lifted, but on Thursday morning, the Orange County Register of Deeds office was empty.

Nonetheless, Brooks says they expect a rush to marry when the news breaks.

“I think it’s going to be an overflow the first couple of days, maybe weeks, and we’ll just have to try to accommodate as many citizens as possible.”

The office has already begun to update some of the paperwork. The worksheet to apply for a marriage license used to list bride and groom. It now asks for information from Applicant 1 and Applicant 2.

For couples who plan to head to Hillsborough once the ban has lifted, Brooks says it’s best to come prepared.

“The best thing for them to do is to go to our website and look at what the requirements are,” says Brooks. “We ask that you look at that and bring everything that we ask and that will help it run smoothly.”

Brooks has served as Register for the past four years and worked in the office for nearly forty, but her bid for re-election failed in May, when she was defeated in the Democratic Primary by Mark Chilton, who pledged to sign same-sex marriage licenses as soon as he took office.

When asked how she might feel about being the first Register to sign same-sex marriage licenses, Brooks reiterated what she said during her campaign.

“I’m just going to follow the law. I took my oath and said that I would follow the law of the State of North Carolina and the Constitution of the United States and that’s what I plan to do.”

While most agree same-sex marriage is headed to North Carolina in the near future, the timing of the change is still uncertain, as state GOP leaders announced they will seek to intervene in the two lawsuits challenging the ban.

Senate President Phil Berger and House Speaker Thom Tillis have reportedly hired the chairman of the board of the National Organization for Marriage to lead that effort, though they must first get the approval of the judge before any intervention can move forward.