State-by-State Marriage "Age of Consent" Laws

The following is a state-by-state summary of the "age of consent" for marriage and other pertinent marriage information for the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico

Alabama	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age fourteen. However, this parental consent is not required if the minor has already been married. (Other statutory laws apply.) Common law marriage is recognized.
Alaska	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at the age sixteen. Parties can marry at a younger age, also with parental consent. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Arizona	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at the age of sixteen. Parties can marry at a younger age, but with both parental and judicial consent.
Arkansas	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, males can marry at the age of seventeen and under the age of seventeen can marry with parental consent and can receive a license by reason of pregnancy or the birth of a child. With parental consent, females can marry at age sixteen and under the age of sixteen can marry with parental consent and can receive a license by reason of pregnancy or the birth of a child.
California	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, there are no age limits regarding the minimum age for a couple to marry. (Other statutory laws apply.) California offers some spousal rights for registered same-sex domestic partners.
Colorado	The age of consent is eighteen. Parties can marry at a younger age, also with parental consent. Common law marriage is recognized.
Connecticut	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at the age of sixteen. Parties can marry at a younger age, but with both parental and judicial consent. Like Vermont (see below), Connecticut permits same sex couples to be parties to a "civil union."
Delaware	The age of consent is eighteen. Males can marry under the age of eighteen with parental consent and under the age of seventeen can receive a license by reason of pregnancy or the birth of a child. With parental consent, females can marry at age sixteen and under the age of sixteen can apply for and receive a license by reason of pregnancy or the birth of a child. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Florida	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen and parties under the age of sixteen can receive a license by reason of pregnancy or the birth of a child. However, this parental consent is not required if the minor has already been married. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Georgia	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent and/or the consent of a judge, parties can marry at age sixteen and under the age of sixteen can apply for and receive a license by reason of pregnancy or the birth of a child. Common law marriages are not recognized except for those that were entered into before 1997.
Hawaii	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent and/or the consent of a judge, parties can marry at age fifteen. Hawaii offers some spousal rights for registered same-sex domestic partners. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Idaho	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen. Common law marriages are not recognized except for those that were entered into before 1997.
Illinois	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen. If parents refuse to consent, judicial consent may be obtained on behalf of the parties. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Indiana	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age seventeen and under the age of seventeen can receive a license by reason of pregnancy or the birth of a child. Common law marriages are not recognized except for those that were entered into before 1958.
Iowa	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent and/or the consent of a judge, parties can marry at age sixteen. Common law marriage is recognized.
Kansas	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent and/or the consent of a judge, males can marry at age fourteen and females at age twelve. Common law marriage is recognized.
Kentucky	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent and/or the consent of a judge, parties can marry under eighteen years of age. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Louisiana	The age of consent is eighteen. Parties under eighteen years of age can marry with parental consent. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Maine	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen. Maine offers some spousal rights to registered same-sex domestic partners. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Maryland	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen and younger parties may receive a license by reason of pregnancy or the birth of a child. Parties giving consent must appear in person to give consent and provide proof of age if the parties seeking marriage are at least sixteen years old. Also, if one of the parents giving consent is ill both an affidavit by the ill parent and from a physician is required to submit. Common law marriage is recognized.
Massachusetts	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent and/or the consent of a judge, males can marry at fourteen years of age and females can marry at the age of twelve. On May 17, 2004, Massachusetts became the first state to recognize same-sex marriage. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Michigan	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Minnesota	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent and/or the consent of the judge, parties can marry at age sixteen. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Mississippi	The age of consent is twenty-one. With parental consent and/or the consent of the judge, males can marry at age seventeen and females can marry at age fifteen. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Missouri	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age fifteen and younger parties may receive a license by reason of special circumstances. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Montana	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent and/or consent of a judge, parties can marry at age sixteen and younger parties may receive a license by reason of special circumstances. Common law marriage is recognized.
Nebraska	The age of consent is nineteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age seventeen. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Nevada	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen and younger. Common law marriage is not recognized.
New Hampshire	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent and the consent of the judge, males can marry at age fourteen and females can marry at age thirteen. Common law marriage is not recognized.
New Jersey	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen or younger. Also, younger parties may receive a license by reason of pregnancy or the birth of a child or other special circumstances. New Jersey offers some spousal rights to registered same-sex domestic partners. Common law marriage is not recognized.
New Mexico	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen and younger parties may receive a license by reason of pregnancy or the birth of a child or other special circumstances. Common law marriage is not recognized.
New York	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental and judicial consent, parties can marry at age sixteen. Common law marriage is not recognized.
North Carolina	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen and younger parties may receive a license by reason of pregnancy or the birth of a child. Common law marriage is not recognized.
North Dakota	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Ohio	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, males under the age of 18 can marry and females at age sixteen can marry and younger parties may receive a license by reason of pregnancy or the birth of a child. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Oklahoma	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen (and younger) and, in addition, younger parties may receive a license by reason of pregnancy or the birth of a child. Common law marriage is recognized.
Oregon	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age seventeen with the exception that if one party does not have a parent who resides in the state and one party has been a resident in Oregon for at least six months, then no permission is necessary. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Pennsylvania	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen and younger parties may receive a license by reason of special circumstances. Common law marriage is recognized.
Rhode Island	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, males can marry under age eighteen and females at sixteen and younger parties may receive a license under special circumstances. Common law marriage is recognized.
South Carolina	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, males can marry at age sixteen and females at age fourteen and younger parties may receive a license by reason of pregnancy or the birth of a child. Common law marriage is recognized.
South Dakota	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen and younger parties may receive a license by reason of pregnancy or the birth of a child. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Tennessee	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen. Under special circumstances, younger minors can receive a license to marry. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Texas	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental and judicial consent, parties can marry but not below the age of fourteen for males and thirteen for females. Common law marriage is recognized.
Utah	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age fourteen. However, this parental consent is not required if the minor has already been married. In addition, each county is authorized to provide premarital counseling before issuing a marriage license to applicants under the age of eighteen and those who are divorced. Common law marriage is recognized.
Vermont	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental or judicial consent, parties can marry at age sixteen. Common law marriage is not recognized. In addition, a Vermont law, the first in the country, permits same-sex couples to be parties to a "civil union."
Virginia	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen and under the age of sixteen may receive a license by reason of pregnancy or the birth of a child. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Washington	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age seventeen and at a younger age under special circumstances. Common law marriage is not recognized.
West Virginia	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties under the age of eighteen may receive a license at a younger age by reason of pregnancy or the birth of a child. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Wisconsin	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen. Common law marriage is not recognized.
Wyoming	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen. They may obtain a license and marry at a younger age under special circumstances. Common law marriage is not recognized.
District Of Columbia	The age of consent is eighteen. With parental consent, parties can marry at age sixteen. However, this parental consent is not required if the minor has already been married. The District of Columbia offers some rights to registered same-sex domestic partners. Common law marriage is recognized.
Puerto Rico	The age of consent is twenty-one for males. The age of consent is also twenty-one for females who may apply for and receive a license at a younger age by reason of pregnancy or the birth of a child. Male applicants eighteen years of age and female applicants sixteen years of age may marry with parental consent. Younger males and females can marry with parental consent and receive a license by reason of pregnancy, the birth of a child, or other special circumstances. Common law marriage is not recognized.

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