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How old do you have to be to get married in the US?
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Let’s dig in.
Let’s look at some key statistics for how old you have to be to get married.
You have to be 18 years old to get married in the US without parental consent.
The only state where you cannot legally get married at 18 is Nebraska.
You have to be 19 years old to get married in Nebraska.
And you can get married at 15 years old in Mississippi without parental consent.
This chart shows the legal marriage ages by state.
These minimum ages are the ages you can get married WITHOUT parental consent.
Per marriage laws, parental consent has to be from a parent or legal guardian.
Unless you meet these legal marriage ages in your state of residence.
This chart shows the minimum age for marriage by state.
These minimum ages are the ages you can get married WITH parental consent.
Per marriage laws, parental consent has to be from a parent or legal guardian.
That’s because the courts are issuing a marriage license for child marriages.
| State | Minimum Age For Marriage By State | Legal Marriage Age By State |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 16 | 18 |
| Alaska | 16 | 18 |
| Arizona | 16 | 18 |
| Arkansas | 17 | 18 |
| California | 0 | 18 |
| Colorado | 16 | 18 |
| Connecticut | 16 | 18 |
| Delaware | 18 | 18 |
| Florida | 17 | 18 |
| Georgia | 16 | 18 |
| Hawaii | 15 | 18 |
| Idaho | 16 | 18 |
| Illinois | 16 | 18 |
| Indiana | 17 | 18 |
| Iowa | 16 | 18 |
| Kansas | 15 | 18 |
| Kentucky | 18 | 18 |
| Louisiana | 16 | 18 |
| Maine | 16 | 18 |
| Maryland | 18 | 18 |
| Massachusetts | 18 | 18 |
| Michigan | 16 | 18 |
| Minnesota | 18 | 18 |
| Mississippi | 0 | 15 |
| Missouri | 15 | 18 |
| Montana | 16 | 18 |
| Nebraska | 17 | 19 |
| Nevada | 17 | 18 |
| New Hampshire | 13 | 18 |
| New Jersey | 18 | 18 |
| New Mexico | 15 | 18 |
| New York | 18 | 18 |
| North Carolina | 16 | 18 |
| North Dakota | 16 | 18 |
| Ohio | 16 | 18 |
| Oklahoma | 16 | 18 |
| Oregon | 17 | 18 |
| Pennsylvania | 18 | 18 |
| Rhode Island | 16 | 18 |
| South Carolina | 16 | 18 |
| South Dakota | 16 | 18 |
| Tennessee | 17 | 18 |
| Texas | 16 | 18 |
| Utah | 16 | 18 |
| Vermont | 16 | 18 |
| Virginia | 16 | 18 |
| Washington | 17 | 18 |
| West Virginia | 16 | 18 |
| Wisconsin | 16 | 18 |
| Wyoming | 16 | 18 |
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Alabama.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Alabama.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Alaska.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Alaska.
There is an exception for US military service members under the age of 18 years old.
These individuals can get married under the age of 18 without parental consent.
With judicial approval, children starting at 14 years old can get married.
Judicial consent is required to make sure the marriage is in the best interest of the child.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Arizona.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Arizona.
To get married at 16 and 17 years old in Arizona, the minor must:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Arkansas.
With parental consent, you can get married at 17 years old in Arkansas.
To prove consent, the children need to have an affidavit:
Judicial approval in Arkansas is based on:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in California.
With parental consent, you can get married at 0 years old in California.
There are no age limits to marriage as long as a minor has consent from their parents.
To prove consent in California, the children need to have an affidavit:
The partners and the minor’s parents have to meet with court officials.
These court officials must rule out abuse or coercion.
There is a 30-day waiting period for minors.
This waiting period can get bypassed if they are seventeen and have graduated high school.
Or one of the partners is pregnant.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Colorado.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Colorado.
A child can get married at 16 and 17 years old in Colorado if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Connecticut.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Connecticut.
In Connecticut, the judicial courts will issue a marriage license to a child if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Delaware.
With parental consent, you cannot get married under the age of 18 in Delaware.
Minors cannot get married.
Governor Carney updated Section 123 to eliminate the marriage of minors.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Florida.
With parental consent, you can get married at 17 years old in Florida.
A child can get married at 17 years old in Florida if:
The legal age of consent in Georgia for marriage is 18 years old.
Can you get married at 16 and 17 years old in Georgia? Yes, you can, but you need to:
To get married at 16 and 17 in Georgia, the spouse cannot be more than 4 years older.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Hawaii.
With parental consent, you can get married at 15 years old in Hawaii.
A child can get married at 15 years old in Hawaii if there:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Idaho.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Idaho.
A child can get married at 16 and 17 years old in Idaho if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Illinois.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Illinois.
A child can get married at 16 and 17 years old in Illinois if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Indiana.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Indiana.
A child can get married at 16 and 17 years old in Indiana if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Iowa.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Iowa.
A child can get married at 16 and 17 years old in Iowa if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Kansas.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Kansas.
A child can get married at 15 years old in Kansas if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Kentucky.
With parental consent, a 17-year-old can get married in Kentucky.
A child can get married at 17 years old in Kentucky if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Louisiana.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Louisiana.
A child can get married at 16 and 17 years old in Louisiana if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Maine.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Maine.
A child can get married at 16 and 17 years old in Maine if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Maryland.
Maryland banned the marriage of minors in 2022.
Previously, with parental consent, you can get married at 15 years old in Maryland.
Maryland used to be a haven for minors to get married.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts’ Gov Charlie Baker banned the marriage of minors in 2022.
Previously, with parental consent, you can get married at 14 years old in Massachusetts.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Michigan.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Michigan.
A child can get married at 16 and 17 years of age in Michigan if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts’ Gov Walz banned the marriage of minors in 2020.
Previously, with parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Massachusetts.
Without parental consent for marriage in Mississippi:
If the person is under the age of 21, the courts will:
With parental consent, the juvenile courts can waive the minimum age requirements.
This means, with consent from parents, a child of any age can get married in Mississippi.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Missouri.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Missouri.
A child can get married at 16 years old in Missouri if:
Previously, minors could get married at 15 years old.
But Gov Mike Parson banned children under 16 years old from getting married in 2018.
Missouri’s legal age for marriage without parental consent is 18 years of age.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Montana.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Montana.
A child can get married at 16 and 17 years old in Montana if:
No one under the age of 15 can get legally married.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 19 years old in Nebraska.
With parental consent, you can get married at 17 years old in Nebraska.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Nevada.
With parental consent, you can get married at 17 years old in Nevada.
A child can get married at 17 years old in Nevada if:
Pregnancy alone does not establish marriage as being in “the best interest of the child.”
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in New Hampshire.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in New Hampshire.
Previously, with parental consent for marriage in New Hampshire:
Gov Chris Sununu signed a bill into law that raised that age to 16 starting in 2019.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in New Jersey.
Anyone under the age of 18 cannot get married in New Jersey, even with parental consent.
Previously, with parental consent, you could get married at 16 years old in New Jersey.
In 2018, Gov Phil Murphy signed Senate Bill No. 427 which banned child marriages.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in New Mexico.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in New Mexico.
A child can get married at 15 years old in New Mexico if:
Marriages of minors under 15 years old are automatically voided.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in New York.
Anyone under the age of 18 cannot get married in New York, even with parental consent.
Previously, with parental consent, you could get married at 17 years old in New York.
In 2021, Gov Cuomo signed a bill that banned child marriages.
Previously, minors could get married at 17 with:
Now, no one under the age of 18 can get married in New York.
In 2017, Gov Cuomo signed a bill that banned marriages under the age of 17.
Previously, minors could get married at 14 with:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in North Carolina.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in North Carolina.
A child can get married at 14 years old in North Carolina if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in North Dakota.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in North Dakota if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Ohio.
With parental consent, you can get married at 17 years old in Ohio if:
A girl can get married at 16 in Ohio if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Oklahoma.
With parental consent, you can get married at 17 years old in Oklahoma if:
there is written parental consent
there is a court order from a juvenile court judge
A girl can get married under the age of 16 in Oklahoma if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Oregon.
With parental consent, you can get married at 17 years old in Oregon if:
there is written parental consent
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Pennsylvania.
Anyone under the age of 18 cannot get married in Pennsylvania, even with parental consent.
Previously, with parental consent, you could get married at 16 years old in Pennsylvania.
In 2020, Gov Wolf signed HB 360 which banned child marriages.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Rhode Island.
Anyone under the age of 18 cannot get married in Rhode Island, even with parental consent.
Previously, with parental consent, you could get married at 16 years old in Rhode Island.
In 2021, Gov McKee signed HB 5387 which banned child marriages.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in South Carolina.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in South Carolina if:
there is written parental consent
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in South Dakota.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in South Dakota if:
there is written parental consent
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Tennessee.
With parental consent, you can get married at 17 years old in Tennessee.
A child can get married at 17 years old in Tennessee if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Texas.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Texas.
A child can get married at 17 years old in Texas if:
Previously, with parental consent, you could get married at 14 years old in Texas.
In 2020, Gov Abbott signed SB 1705 which banned marriage under 16 years of age.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Utah.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Utah.
A child can get married at 16 and 17 years old in Utah if:
No one under the age of 16 can get legally married in Utah.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Vermont.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Vermont if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Virginia.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Virginia if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Washington.
With parental consent, you can get married at 17 years old in Washington if:
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in West Virginia.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in West Virginia.
A minor can get married under the age of 16 in West Virginia if:
There is no minimum age limit for how young a child can get married in West Virginia.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Wisconsin.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Wisconsin.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in Wyoming.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Wyoming.
A minor can get married under the age of 16 in Wyoming if:
The banning of child marriages failed in the Wyoming House in 2019.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 18 years old in the District of Columbia.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in the District of Columbia.
Without parental consent, you can get married at 21 years old in Puerto Rico.
With parental consent, you can get married at 16 years old in Puerto Rico.
Here are some frequently asked questions we get around how old you to be to get married.
The average age to get married in the US is 28 years old.
The best age to get married is between 28 and 32 years old.
These ages have the lowest divorce rates.
The states where you can get married at 12 are California and Mississippi.
There are no age limits for getting married in these states if you have:
You can get married at 13 years old in New Hampshire with parental consent.
The legal age you can get married without consent in the US is 18 years old.
Most states follow this law.
The states where you can get married at 12 are:
Yes, you can get married at 15 in states that allow minors to marry at 15.
The states where you can get married at 15 are:
Yes, you can get married at 16 in states that allow minors to marry at 16.
There are currently 34 states that allow minors to get married at 16.
You can get married at 16 without parental consent in:
These states allow you to get married without parental consent if you’re a:
With parental consent, a 16-year-old can marry a 20-year-old.
The states that enforce a minimum 3-year age gap are:
A 16-year-old cannot marry a 20-year-old in these states.
And there are 16 states that don’t allow anyone under the age of 17 to get married.
Yes, you can get married at 17, but you have to have parental consent.
Only 8 states don’t allow you to get married at 17, even with parental consent.
No, you cannot get married at 17 without parental consent.
You have to be an adult to sign a legally binding document.
This means you have to have parental consent to get married if you’re 17.
Because a marriage license is a legally binding document.
Yes, you can get married at 18 without parental consent.
Yes, an 18-year-old can marry a 15-year-old.
But only if your state allows 15-year-olds to get married with parental consent.
Yes, you can get married at 18 without parental consent.
The only state you cannot get married at 18 without consent is Nebraska.
The lowest age of consent states for marriage are California and Mississippi.
There are no minimum age limits for these states.
A minor could get married at 0, making them the lowest age of consent states.
Yes, you can get married in a different state.
Most states do not require you to be a resident of the state to get married.
All you have to do is meet the marriage requirements for the different states.
You can search “Marriage Laws in [State]” to find the requirements.
You can get engaged at any age.
Getting engaged is not a legal arrangement.
The only reason you have to wait to get married is that minors can sign contracts.
And marriage is a legally binding contract.
But, there are no contracts with engagement, so you can get engaged at any age.
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