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 varies by state, but is generally 18. There are, however, two exceptions—Nebraska (19) and Mississippi (21). Most states, however, allow minors below 18 to marry (generally they have to be at least 16 but sometimes lower) with parental and/or judicial consent. Some states allow female minors below 18 to marry without parental or judicial consent, if she is pregnant.

State	Minimum age		Notes
	With parental consent	Without parental consent
Alabama[1]	16	18
Alaska[2]	16	18
Arizona[3]	16	18	No minimum age with approval of a superior court judge and parental consent.
Arkansas[2]	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[2][5][6]	16	18	No minimum age with judicial approval and parental consent.
Connecticut	16	18	Parental and judicial consent required.
District of Columbia[2]	16	18
Delaware[2]	16 for females, 17 for males	18
Florida[2]	16	18
Georgia (U.S. state)[2]	15	18	16 without parental consent if pregnant.
Hawaii[2]	15	18
Idaho[2]	15	18
Illinois[2]	16	18
Indiana[7]	17	18	15 in the case of pregnancy with both parental and judicial consent.
Iowa[2]	16	18
Kansas[2]	16	18
Kentucky[2]	16	18
Louisiana[2]	16	18
Maine[2]	16	18
Massachusetts[2]	None (reference 16)	18	Consent can be just judicial, but is normally both parental and judicial.
Maryland[2]	16	18
Michigan	16	18	15 and under with parental consent and probate judge approval.
Minnesota[2]	16	18
Mississippi	15 for females, 17 for males (De jure)[8]	21
Missouri[2]	15	18
Montana[2]	16	18
Nebraska[2]	17	19
Nevada[2]	16	18
New Hampshire[9]	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[2]	16	18
New York[10]	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[2]	16	18
Ohio[11]	16 for females	18
Oklahoma[2]	16	18
Oregon	16	18	Consenting parent or guardian must accompany the applicant when applying for the marriage license.
Pennsylvania	16	18	14 in case of pregnancy and with the approval of a Judge of the Orphans Court.
Rhode Island[2]	16 for females	18
South Carolina[2]	16	18
South Dakota[2]	16	18
Tennessee[2]	16	18
Texas[12]	16	18	Parental or judicial consent required. See Tex. Fam. Code Secs. 2.101 to 2.103.
Utah[13]	16	18	15 with court approval and parental consent.
Vermont[2]	16	18
Virginia[14]	16 (or younger in case of pregnancy)	18	In 2016, it has been suggested to change the law to prevent kids younger than 16 to get married.[15]
Washington[2]	17	18	May be waived by superior court judge.[16]
West Virginia[2]	16	18	No minimum with both parental and judicial consent
Wisconsin[2]	16	18
Wyoming[2]	16	18

References

1. "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.
2. "Marriage Laws of the Fifty States, District of Columbia and Puerto Rico". Cornell University Law School. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
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. "IC 31-11-1: ARTICLE 11. FAMILY LAW: MARRIAGE". Indiana State Legislature. Retrieved 2009-11-10.
8. "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…
9. http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/XLIII/457/457-4.htm
10. Getting Married in New York State Last accessed January 3, 2009
11. http://www.pibweddings.com/ohiolaw.html
12. http://www.statutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/FA/htm/FA.2.htm
14. Virginia marriage requirements
15. Virginia project to prevent kids between 12 and 16 to get married
16. "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…

16. https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartII/TitleIII/Chapter207/Section25