Final answer:
The Full Faith and Credit Clause in Article IV, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution requires states to honor each other's laws and judicial decisions. This principle has been key in ensuring consistent legal rights, such as in the recognition of same-sex marriages across state lines.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Full Faith and Credit Clause is a principle found in Article IV, Section 1 of the United States Constitution, requiring all states to recognize the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state.
Congress has the authority to determine how these statutes and decisions should be proven and the legal effect they should have in other states. This clause ensures that when a person moves from one state to another, their rights and responsibilities under the law are consistent and upheld.
For instance, a driver's license or adoption certificate from one state must be acknowledged in another. Furthermore, the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges clarified that the same recognition applies to same-sex marriage across all states, in line with the Full Faith and Credit Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.