Age of marriage in the United States

Age of marriage without parental consent.
  18
  19
  21
Age of marriage with parental consent.
  15
  16
  16 for females
  16 for females; 17 for males
  17
  18 (same as without parental consent)
  other
Some states have exceptions for pregnancy or judicial approval.

The age of marriage in the United States is 18, with two exceptions—Nebraska (19) and Mississippi (21). Most states allow minors who are 16 or 17 to marry with parental and/or judicial consent and in a few states, the marriageable age for minors with parental consent is younger. Some states allow minors below 18 who are pregnant to marry without parental or judicial consent.[1]

State Minimum age Notes
With parental consent Without parental consent
 Alabama[2] 16 18
 Alaska[1] 16 18
 Arizona[3] 16 18 No minimum age with approval of a superior court judge and parental consent.
 Arkansas[1] 16 for females, 17 for males 18
 California[4] N/A 18 No minimum age with approval of a superior court judge and parental consent.
 Colorado[1][5][6] 16 18 No minimum age with judicial approval and parental consent.
 Connecticut 16 18 Minors under 16 may be allowed to marry with parental consent and consent of probate judge.[7]
 District of Columbia[1] 16 18
 Delaware[1] 16 for females, 17 for males 18
 Florida[1] 16 18
 Georgia (U.S. state)[1] 15 18 16 without parental consent if pregnant.
 Hawaii[1] 15 18 15 with parental and/or judicial consent.
 Idaho[1] 15 18
 Illinois[1] 16 18
 Indiana[8] 17 18 15 in the case of pregnancy with both parental and judicial consent.
 Iowa[1] 16 18
 Kansas[1] 16 18
 Kentucky[1] 16 18
 Louisiana[1] 16 18
 Maine[1] 16 18
 Massachusetts[1] N/A[9] 18 Consent can be just judicial, but is normally both parental and judicial. In the absence of any statutory minimum age, one opinion is that the traditional minimum common law marriageable age of 12 for girls and 14 for boys may still be in effect.[10][11]
 Maryland[1] 16 18
 Michigan 16 18 15 and under with parental consent and probate judge approval.
 Minnesota[1] 16 18
 Mississippi 15 for females, 17 for males (De jure)[12] 21
 Missouri[1] 15 18
 Montana[1] 16 18
 Nebraska[1] 17 19
 Nevada[1] 16 18
 New Hampshire[13] 13 for females, 14 for males 18 In cases of "special cause" with parental consent and court permission.
 New Jersey 16 (see notes) 18 16 with parental consent and in case of pregnancy.
 New Mexico[1] 16 18
 New York[14] 16 18 14 with parental and judicial consent.
 North Carolina 16 18 No minimum in case of pregnancy or birth of child with parental consent.
  North Dakota[1] 16 18
 Ohio[15] 16 for females 18
 Oklahoma[1] 16 18
 Oregon 16 18 Consenting parent or guardian must accompany the applicant when applying for the marriage license.
 Pennsylvania 16 18 Under 16 years of age if a Judge of the Orphans Court "decides that it is to the best interest of the applicant and authorizes the issuance of the license."[16]
 Rhode Island[1] 16 for females 18
 South Carolina[1] 16 18
 South Dakota[1] 16 18
 Tennessee[1] 16 18
 Texas[17] 16 18 Parental or judicial consent is required for ages 16-17. Judicial consent is required for age 15 and under; there is no minimum age to get married with judicial consent. See Tex. Fam. Code Secs. 2.101 to 2.103.
 Utah[18] 16 18 15 with court approval and parental consent.
 Vermont[1] 16 18
 Virginia 16 18 In 2016, Va. made 18 the minimum age; and 16 with court approval in special cases.[19][20]
 Washington[1] 17 18 May be waived by superior court judge.[21]
 West Virginia[1] 16 18 No minimum with both parental and judicial consent
 Wisconsin[1] 16 18
 Wyoming[1] 16 18

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 "Marriage Laws of the Fifty States, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico". Cornell University Law School. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
  2. ↑ "Section 30-1-4". Code of Alabama. Alabama Legislature. 1975. Retrieved 24 August 2011. A person under the age of 16 years is incapable of contracting marriage.
  3. ↑ "25-102. Consent required for marriage of minors". Arizona Revised Statutes. Arizona State Legislature. Retrieved 24 August 2011. Persons under eighteen years of age shall not marry without the consent of the parent or guardian having custody of such person. Persons under sixteen years of age shall not marry without the consent of the parent or guardian having custody of that person and the approval of any superior court judge in the state.
  4. ↑ "California Marriage Age Requirements Laws". Retrieved 2014-10-10.
  5. ↑ "Marriage Requirements and Applications". Denver, CO. Archived from the original on 2010-03-28. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
  6. ↑ C.R.S. Colorado Revised Statutes 14-2-106
  7. ↑ https://www.cga.ct.gov/current/pub/chap_815e.htm#sec_46b-30
  8. ↑ "IC 31-11-1: ARTICLE 11. FAMILY LAW: MARRIAGE". Indiana State Legislature. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
  9. ↑ "Nonage minors; authorization of marriage", General Laws: Chapter 207, Section 25, The General Court of the Common Wealth of Massachusetts, retrieved 5 July 2016
  10. ↑ http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/child-marriage-chart-reveals-girls-can-still-get-married-at-12-in-some-parts-of-the-us-as-lawmakers-a6921246.html
  11. ↑ https://blog.mass.gov/masslawlib/legal-topics/child-brides/
  12. ↑ "SEC. 93-1-5. Conditions precedent to issuance of license; penalty for noncompliance". Mississippi Code of 1972. LawNetCom. 1972. Retrieved 24 August 2011. The clerk shall not issue a marriage license under the provisions of this section unless the male applicant is at least seventeen (17) years of age, and the female is at least fifteen (15) years of age…if satisfactory proof is furnished to the judge of any circuit, chancery or county court that sufficient reasons exist and that said parties desire to be married to each other and that the parents or other person in loco parentis of the person or persons so under age consent thereto, then the judge of any such court…may waive the minimum age requirement…
  13. ↑ http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/XLIII/457/457-4.htm[]
  14. ↑ Getting Married in New York State Last accessed January 3, 2009
  15. ↑ http://www.pibweddings.com/ohiolaw.html
  16. ↑ http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/LI/consCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&ttl=23&div=0&chpt=13
  17. ↑ http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/FA/htm/FA.2.htm
  18. ↑ "Marriage", Utah Courts, utcourts.gov, 4 April 2016, retrieved 5 July 2016
  19. ↑
  20. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jul/08/child-marriage-forced-minors-virginia-law
  21. ↑ "RCW 26.04.010 Marriage contract — Void marriages.". Revised Code of Washington. Washington State Legislature. Retrieved 24 August 2011. Every marriage entered into in which either the husband or the wife has not attained the age of seventeen years is void except where this section has been waived by a superior court judge…
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