New Hawaii Marriage Law lets Couples Declared Middle and Last Names

With more couples choosing new middle and last names, Hawaii has updated it’s marriage laws to give couples more freedom to choose. Effective April 17, 2019, Hawaii law is changed to allow parties to a marriage or civil union to choose any middle or last name to use upon the marriage or civil union.

The updated law, “Chapter 574-1 Married Persons; Civil Union Partners,” states that upon marriage or civil union, each of the parties to a marriage or partners in a civil union shall declare the middle and last names each will use as a married person or civil union partner.

The updated law states that “No person shall be required to change that person’s middle or last name upon entering into a marriage or civil union. Parties to a marriage and partners in a civil union shall not be required to have the same middle or last name. Every person may adopt any middle or last name upon entering into a marriage or civil union.”

Hawaii's Department of Health is responsible for overseeing marriage licenses and officiant registration.

For people considering officiating weddings, Hawaii has strict regulations regarding who can and can’t officiate. AMM provides detailed instructions for wedding officiants, and AMM ordinations are recognized by the state of Hawaii.

Officiants should also be aware that all prospective new marriage and civil union performers are required to register online, and the state keeps a record of approved wedding officiants.

According to Hawaii Law 572-13 Record of Solemnization, Marriages, Reported by Whom, every person authorized to solemnize marriage is required to make and preserve a record of every marriage that they have solemnized solemnized, comprising the names of the applicants, their place of residence, and the date of their marriage.

The state also requires officiants to report every marriage ceremony to the department of health in the district in which the marriage takes place within three business days. AMM provides ministers ordained through its website with tools to help them track and keep a record of weddings that they officiate.