What Is The Legal Age For Marriage In Tennessee?

The minimum legal age for marriage in Tennessee is 17 with parental consent, while 17-year-olds are not legally allowed to marry someone four or more years older. The bill to create common-law marriage in Tennessee did not initially specify a minimum age but was later amended to set age restrictions. Opponents of the bill argue it could open up the possibility of child marriages. Current Tennessee law sets a minimum marriage age at 17 with parental consent, but 17-year-olds are not legally allowed to marry someone who is four or more years older.

In Tennessee, anyone 18 years or older can apply for a marriage license. For 17-year-old applicants, the state adds a few extra requirements, such as signed affidavits from both parents (unless dead or deemed legally insufficient) and a certified copy as proof of their marriage for legal documents. The age at which minors may get married is determined by state law, with some variance among the states. In Tennessee, men and women as young as 17 may get married.

The proposed legislation would not eliminate or overwrite Tennessee’s marital age limits. Current Tennessee law sets a minimum marriage age, and some worry that the bill, which would establish common-law marriages between “one man and one woman,” endanger marriage equality in the state.