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What's the youngest you can get married in America?

Author

Noah Mitchell

Published Jan 25, 2026

In the United States, the marriage age is set by each state and territory, either by the common law or by individual statutes. Minimum marriage ages are set to prevent child marriages. An individual in the U.S. can marry without parental consent at the age of 18 in all states except for Nebraska, where the age is 19.

Can a 12 year old get married in the US?

This is a fact! While 18 is the minimum marriage age in most states, there are exceptions in every state that allow children younger than 18 to marry, typically with parental consent or judicial approval.

Can you get married at 14 in the US?

The age of consent is 18. However, an emancipation of minors exception exists (14 years old and older). With parental consent and judicial approval, a person can marry under the age of eighteen but the adolescent partners and the minor's parents have to meet with court officials who must rule out abuse or coercion.

Can an 11 year old get married in the US?

In most U.S. states, the minimum marriage age for minors that have parental consent ranges from 12 to 17 years old. California and Mississippi do not have set minimum ages for minors to marry with parental consent. Some states have separate minimum ages for males and females, with or without parental consent.

Can 10 year olds get married in California?

In California, a person under 18 can marry with the consent of one parent and a judge, following a review of the case that includes interviews with the parties involved. The state is one of only nine in the nation that do not set a minimum age for marriage. There is no federal law banning child marriage.

22 related questions found

What is a ghost bride?

In ghost marriages between two dead people, the "bride's" family demands a bride price and there is even a dowry, which includes jewellery, servants and a mansion - but all in the form of paper tributes.

Can you marry yourself legally?

Sologamy, where people marry themselves, is not legally recognised anywhere in the world, but has become an increasingly popular trend internationally.

How old is the youngest bride?

Nujood Ali was just an eight-year-old child when her father arranged for her get married. She was one of 16 children.

Can you marry at 18?

If you are 18 years or older, you can marry without your parents' permission. If you are 16 or 17 years old, you can marry if you have your parent or guardian's permission or a court order allowing you to get married. You cannot marry in Alberta if you are under 16 years of age.

What country can you marry at 12?

In Tanzania, Muslim and Hindu girls can marry at 12 as long as the marriage is not consummated until the girl reaches the age of 15.

Can you marry at 20?

There is no best age to get married that applies to everyone. You're never too old for it, and while it's very possible to get married before you're ready, it's often not necessarily because you're too young to marry.

At what age should a girl marry?

The marriage age as a right is usually the same with the age of majority which is 18 years old in most countries. However, in some countries, the age of majority is under 18, while in others it is 19, 20 or 21.

Which country has lowest marriage age?

Mozambique had the lowest marriage age of the countries analysed, with women getting married at 18.7 years and men at 23.4 years. Some of the biggest gaps in marriage ages could be found in Senegal (7.8 years), Mali (7.1 years), Morocco (6.9 years) and Albania (6.2 years).

What states have no age limit on marriage?

Among the states that have no lower age limit for marriage are California, Maine, Washington, Idaho, Long Island, West Virginia and New Mexico. Other states allow children to get married at age 14 or 16 with parental consent, but these 13 have no lower age limit at all.

Is child marriage legal in California?

Child marriage is still legal in California. It requires the consent of just one parent through a court order. Many of these marriages are between young girls to men significantly older than them, making way for gender-based violence within the marriage.

Can you marry your cousin in Canada?

Cousin marriage — and marriage between a niece or nephew and their uncle or aunt — is legal in Canada, according to the federal Marriage (Prohibited Degrees) Act of 1990.

Can you marry yourself in Canada?

Here in Canada, you can connect with Alexandra Gill, founder of Marry Yourself Vancouver, which provides services ranging from accommodations to personal styling, all set in place to assist with a self-marriage ceremony.

What is the divorce rate for 18 year olds?

48 percent of those who marry before the age of 18 are likely to divorce within 10 years, compared to 25 percent of those who marry after the age of 25. 44. 60 percent of couples married between the age of 20 -25 will end in divorce.

Can I marry a 12 year old?

Most states have a minimum marriage age for minors with parental consent, ranging from 12-17 years old. However, California and Mississippi do not have minimum ages for minors to be allowed to marry with parental consent.

What is the youngest anyone has gotten married?

The youngest wedded were three 10-year-old girls in Tennessee who married men aged 24, 25 and 31 in 2001. The youngest groom was an 11-year-old who married a 27-year-old woman in the same state in 2006.

Who is the youngest person to get married?

Joan of France, Duchess of Berry (age 12), was betrothed in a wedding contract at age 8-days-old, she was officially married at the age of twelve in 1476, to her cousin Louis, Duke of Orléans (aged 14).

Can you marry a dog?

Is it legal to marry an animal? Human-animal marriage is not specifically mentioned in national laws – meaning technically that there's nothing to stop you entering a state of holy matrimony with your dog, cat, hamster.

What is a quick wedding called?

Today the term "elopement" is colloquially used for any marriage performed in haste, with a limited public engagement period or without a public engagement period. Some couples elope because they wish to avoid parental or religious objections.

Is it normal to date your cousin in Japan?

Consanguinity, or marriage between cousins, is still permitted in Japan. It is no longer as common today as in yesteryear when it frequently occurred in arranged marriages, possibly to keep their wealth in the family, prevent cultural values from dying out, or keep family ties strong.