Fees OK’d for civil unions in DuPage

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Updated: June 26, 2011 12:41AM

Couples in DuPage County who join under the new state law giving legal rights to those in civil unions will pay the same fees as their committed counterparts who tie the traditional matrimonial knot.

The County Board approved a new fee structure to accommodate the unions Tuesday evening.

Paul Hinds, chief deputy county clerk, said the existing code had no provisions for the newly sanctioned domestic arrangements for heterosexual and same-sex couples. The fees are consistent with requirements recently implemented at the state level, Hinds said.

The $30 license fee will take effect when the unions become legal statewide on June 1. Couples also will pay a $5 surcharge that is passed along to the Illinois attorney general for domestic violence prevention efforts.

The county requires couples to wait at least 24 hours after obtaining their license before their union is finalized in the chambers of 18th Circuit Chief Justice Stephen Culliton. The ceremonies will take place on Fridays, as marriages are done now.

Hinds anticipates substantial interest in the newly codified union option.

“It’s hard to say, but I’m expecting quite a few people to be in line next Wednesday,” he said.

In a related action Monday, the board increased the cost for certified copies of birth and death certificates and marriage licenses. Now $10, the reproduced documents will now require a $14 fee, which includes a $4 charge for storage.