There are a variety of legal requirements a couple must meet before they can get married. These requirements include getting a marriage license, being of sound mind, and meeting the age of consent as provided by state laws. While each state will have its own particular requirements and procedures for getting married, this article provides a brief overview of state-by-state marriage age of consent laws.
Overview of State-by-State Marriage Age of Consent Laws
The following chart provides a brief overview of the age of consent for marriage in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico as well as links to relevant statutes. For more details on a state's marriage age of consent laws, please read the statutes of that state.
| Alabama | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen; however, parental consent is not required if the minor was previously married. |
| Alaska | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. EXCEPTION: parties under the age of eighteen who are members of the U.S. armed forces are not required to provide parental consent (while on active duty). Also, marriage under the age of sixteen is possible if there's a court order. |
| Arizona | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen, as long as one party isn't more than three years older than the minor. |
| Arkansas | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a male can marry at seventeen, and a female can marry at sixteen. |
| California | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, there are no age limits regarding the minimum age for a couple to marry. |
| Colorado | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. If under sixteen, a person can marry with parental consent and judicial approval. |
| Connecticut | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. |
| Delaware | The age of consent is eighteen. |
| Florida | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at seventeen as long as one party isn't more than two years older than the minor. |
| Georgia | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. |
| Hawaii | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. A person who is fifteen can marry with parental consent and judicial approval. |
| Idaho | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. If under sixteen, a person can marry with parental consent and judicial approval. |
| Illinois | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. |
| Indiana | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at seventeen. A person who is fifteen or sixteen can marry with parental consent and judicial approval, which is given if the couple is expecting a child or the parents of a child. |
| Iowa | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. |
| Kansas | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. With judicial approval, a person can marry at age fifteen. |
| Kentucky | The age of consent is eighteen. With judicial approval, a person can marry at seventeen. |
| Louisiana | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. A person who is under sixteen can marry with parental consent and judicial approval. |
| Maine | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. A person who is under sixteen can marry with parental consent and judicial approval. |
| Maryland | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent or proof of pregnancy/birth of a child, parties can marry at sixteen. A person can marry at fifteen with parental consent and there's proof the female is pregnant or has given birth to a child. |
| Massachusetts | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent and judicial approval, a person can marry under the age of eighteen. |
| Michigan | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. |
| Minnesota | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. |
| Mississippi | The age of consent is twenty-one. With parental consent, males can marry at seventeen and females can marry at fifteen. |
| Missouri | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at fifteen. A person under fifteen may get married if good cause is shown and such unusual circumstances conditions that make the marriage advisable. |
| Montana | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent and after at least two separate counseling sessions, a person can marry at sixteen. |
| Nebraska | The age of consent is nineteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at seventeen. |
| Nevada | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. A person under sixteen can marry with parental consent and judicial approval. |
| New Hampshire | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent and the consent of the judge, a person can marry at sixteen. |
| New Jersey | The age of consent is eighteen. |
| New Mexico | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. A person under sixteen can marry by order of a children's or family division of district court. |
| New York | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental and judicial consent, a person can marry at seventeen. |
| North Carolina | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. A person can marry at fourteen with judicial consent, which is given if the person is pregnant or has given birth to a child. |
| North Dakota | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. |
| Ohio | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, females can marry at sixteen. |
| Oklahoma | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. A person under sixteen may marry if authorized by the court. |
| Oregon | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at seventeen. |
| Pennsylvania | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. A person under sixteen can marry with court approval, which is given if it's in the best interest of the person. |
| Rhode Island | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. A person can marry under the age of sixteen if approved by the family court. |
| South Carolina | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. NOTE: If the couple is expecting a baby or have had a child together, they can marry under eighteen with the approval of one of the female's parents. |
| South Dakota | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. |
| Tennessee | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at seventeen; however, one party cannot be more than four years older than the minor. |
| Texas | The age of consent is eighteen. With a court order, a person can marry under the age of eighteen. |
| Utah | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. A person can marry at age fifteen with parental consent and judicial approval or court commissioner. |
| Vermont | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. |
| Virginia | The age of consent is eighteen. |
| Washington | The age of consent is eighteen. With judicial approval, a person can marry at seventeen. |
| West Virginia | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. A person under sixteen can marry with parental consent and judicial approval. |
| Wisconsin | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at age sixteen. |
| Wyoming | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen. A person under the age of sixteen can marry with judicial approval. |
| District of Columbia | The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, a person can marry at sixteen; however, parental consent is not required if the minor has previously been married. |
| Puerto Rico | The age of consent is twenty-one. With parental approval (and under specific circumstances), females can marry at fourteen and males can marry at sixteen. NOTE: a person who is eighteen does not need parental or judicial authorization if the female has proven that she has been raped, seduced, or is pregnant. |
Learn More About Marriage Age of Consent Laws in Your State by Speaking to an Attorney
Planning the big day should be a joyous and stress-free endeavor, but some couples may have questions about the validity of their union - specifically, the required age of consent. In order to ensure that you're complying with the requirements for a valid marriage in your state, you may want to contact a local family law attorney.
