Are Child Brides Legal In The United States?

Child marriage is a form of forced marriage where at least one party is under 18 years old. In the United States, each state and territory sets its own requirements for marriage age. As of March 2024, there is no federal law regarding child marriage, and every state sets its own requirements. According to data collected from 41 states, more than 200,000 minors were married in the U.S. between 2000 and 2015, bringing the present-day total number of child brides and grooms to about 755 million.

Unchained At Last found nearly 300,000 children under the age of 18 were legally married in the U.S. between 2000 and 2018, with the majority of them being girls. Child marriage undermines rape laws and makes it difficult for minors to escape coercive marriages, making it difficult for them to obtain a divorce.

The United Nations and the U.S. State Department oppose child marriage bans, but Unchained has led a growing national movement to end child marriage in the U.S. Child marriage was legal in all 50 U.S. states as of 2017, but is now legal in 46 states. The majority of states have an age floor of 16, and six states have no age floor.

As of April 2024, 12 states have banned underage marriages, with no exceptions. The U.S. government frequently advocates for an end to child marriage around the globe, but because marriage is regulated at the state level, the United States has no national law. More than half of U.S. states still allow for 16- and 17-year-olds to get married with parental consent, however.

Which country has the youngest marriage age?

Sudan had a different policy about marriage age. Muslim children could get married at puberty. Non-Muslim children could only marry after they were 13 or 15. In late 2020, Sudan changed the legal age for marriage to 18, outlawing child marriage.

Can a 13 year old get married in the US?

What is child marriage? Is it happening in the United States? Child marriage is when one or both people getting married are under 18. Child marriage is legal in 38 states. Only Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont set the minimum age at 18. Twenty U.S. states do not require a minimum age for marriage. Nearly 300,000 children were married in the U.S. between 2000 and 2018. Most girls were married to older men. What is the “statutory rape exception”? Statutory rape is when one person is too young to consent to sex. It doesn’t have to be forced because a minor can’t consent. Most states allow child marriage as a defense to statutory rape. The marital defense to statutory rape was also allowed under federal law in 18 U.S.C. Section 2243(c). The Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2022 changed 18 U.S.C. 2243 to get rid of this defense. But the United States Military Code still has a similar defense under 10 U.S.C. Section 920b.

Can I marry my girlfriend at 15?

Most states require parental consent for anyone under 18 to get married. There is no minimum age.

Are there still child brides in the US?

Many children and teenagers are legally married in the United States each year. A 2021 study by Unchained at Last found that almost 300,000 minors got married between 2000 and 2018.

Can 10 year olds get married in California?

The minimum age to marry varies by state. Seven states have no minimum age. UNICEF USA is working with Unchained at Last to end child marriage in the United States. Eleven U.S. states have banned marriage before 18 with no exceptions. California could be next.

Ask your elected officials to end child marriage with no exceptions. Child marriage violates children’s rights. Janette was 14 and in ninth grade in Southern California when she met her future husband, who was 21. Her mom let him sleep on the couch. I wondered why he was there. Next thing I know, I’m at his place, said Janette, now an activist working to end child marriage. I know now. She got me.

Can a 5 year old get married in California?

In California, anyone under 18 needs permission from at least one parent or guardian and a court order to get married. The court decides if a minor can marry or form a domestic partnership.

1. Parents must give their consent. The mother, father, or legal guardian can file a form at the Juvenile Court to allow a minor to marry or establish a domestic partnership.

2. If the minor is under 18 and doesn’t have a high school diploma or GED, each party must take part in an interview with Family Court Services and the judge. When the parties file the application with the juvenile court, each party must complete and submit a Family Court Services questionnaire and provide copies of the minor’s birth certificate and high school diploma or GED certificate. When the questionnaires are submitted, an appointment for an interview with Family Court Services will be scheduled. The parties must meet separately with a Family Court Services counselor. After the interviews, Family Court Services will give the juvenile court a report.

Is it illegal to get married at 14 in the US?

Five states set an age floor below 16: Alaska, Hawaii, Kansas, Maryland, and North Carolina. Some states suggest an age floor through case law.

How many 12 year olds get married in the US?

Most children were 17. Some were 16, 15, or 14. Only a few were 13 or 12. Every state except New York, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Minnesota, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Michigan, Washington, and Virginia allows underage marriage in certain cases.

A court clerk or judge must give consent. The parents or legal guardians of the minor must also give consent. If one of the parties is pregnant or has given birth, or if the minor is emancipated, then consent is not needed.

Is it legal to marry a minor in the US?

USAID says child marriage is a human rights violation. Last year, the agency set out a plan to end child marriage worldwide by 2030. Only 10 U.S. states ban marriage under age 18. Five states allow marriage at any age with parental or judicial consent. The rest of the states allow child marriage with age limits and parental and/or judicial consent. Congress has set some limits on child marriage, but the United States has no national law banning child marriage or a national minimum age to marry. Some states are talking about child marriage again. Michigan banned it earlier this year. But many more states need to act. David French: How to fix America’s child pornography crisis.

Can a 20 year old marry a 16 year old in Texas?

In Texas, you can marry at 18. From age 16 to 18, you need your parents’ or another adult’s permission to get a marriage license.

Can a 14 year old get married in Texas?

You must be at least 18 to marry. You must be 18 to marry. If you’re between 16 and 18, you need parental consent or a court order to marry. If you’re under 16, you need a court order to marry.