The age of marriage in the United States is the age at which a person can marry in the United States as a right or with parental consent or other authorization. This age is determined by each state and territory, either by statute or by common law. In general, a person can marry after reaching the age of 18 in all states except Nebraska, where the general age of marriage is 19, and Mississippi, where the general age of marriage is 21. [1] The general age of marriage is generally the age of majority, although in Alabama the general age of marriage is 18, while the age of majority is 19. IC 31-11-1-2 Prohibition of marriage with close relatives; marriages between cousins; Exceptions paragraph 2. Two (2) persons may not marry if they are closer than second cousins. However, two (2) persons may marry if they: (1) are first cousins; and (2) both are at least sixty-five (65) years of age. Added by P.L.1-1997, SEC.3. For some, however, marriage comes much earlier.
Many choose to marry in their early twenties, and some even choose to make their first attempt at marriage while still teenagers. While it`s not as common as it used to be, it still works for some people. Among these “early marriages”, there are even some who want to enter married life before the age of 18. Is it legal to marry in Indiana at 17, 15 or even younger? Some minors may not be able to obtain parental consent for a variety of reasons. They are not completely unlucky, as Indiana law provides a narrow channel through which they may still be able to marry. A minor without parental consent may apply directly to the court and apply for a marriage certificate, even if there is no parental consent. This can be done orally or in writing. Once an application has been made, the court will consider all the facts presented, and if it believes that the marriage would be in the best interests of all parties involved, it will allow the clerk of the court to issue a marriage certificate. IC 31-11-1-6 Issuance of marriage certificates to minors; Procedure; Confidentiality of records Article 6 (a) Two (2) persons may marry if: (1) persons are not prohibited from marrying for a particular reason The current law does not set an age limit for the older spouse, and Rep. Karen Engleman, the sponsor of the proposal, said her goal is to ensure that both people are equal in a marriage.
The bill, which is currently before Gov. Eric Holcomb for review, would also require judges to question each person privately to ensure their decisions are voluntary and mature enough before granting permission to marry. It also states that pregnancy or having a child alone is not enough to obtain a marriage license. Over the past 15 years, about 200,000 minors have married. Underage marriages in the United States are not permitted except in exceptional circumstances, including the consent of a clerk or judge, the consent of the minor`s parents or guardians, if one of the parties is pregnant or has given birth to a child, or if the minor is emancipated. New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware do not allow underage marriage in exceptional circumstances. The following field contains the code section and highlights of the age of marriage requirements in Indiana. Partners who are of legal age (18 and older in most states) can marry with relatively few restrictions. For minors, however, state laws on the age of marriage apply. Some age-restrictive laws allow partners to marry a child (or expect), but more states are cracking down on child marriage to prevent young people – mainly young women – from being sought out and abused. Indiana`s age of marriage laws only allow 16- and 17-year-olds to marry with the approval of a juvenile judge, but to a person under the age of four.
The minimum age has been raised from 15 to 16 years and provides that persons aged 16 or 17 may marry only if their future spouse is not more than four years older than them, receive a juvenile court order allowing them to marry, attend any prenuptial consultation required by the order, apply for a marriage certificate “no soonest” 15 days after the order and attach a certified copy of the order to their application for a marriage certificate.