What states allow child marriage without parental consent?

1. Summary of the results

Based on the analyses provided, none of the sources directly answer the specific question about which states allow child marriage without parental consent. However, the sources reveal important contextual information about child marriage laws in the United States.

The analyses consistently show that child marriage remains legal in a significant portion of U.S. states, though the exact numbers vary slightly between sources. One analysis indicates that child marriage is legal in two-thirds of U.S. states ^[1], while others specify that it's currently legal in 34 states ^[2]. The discrepancy suggests different methodologies or timeframes for counting states with various restrictions.

Sixteen states have passed complete bans since 2018 ^[1], with New Hampshire becoming the 13th state to require people to be 18 years old to get married when its ban took effect in 2025 ^[3]. Washington state also recently implemented a child marriage ban ^[4], bringing the total number of states with complete bans to approximately 12-13 states that have raised their minimum marriage age to 18 with no exceptions.

The current legal landscape shows significant variation in minimum age requirements: 10 states have a minimum marrying age of 17, 20 states have a minimum age of 16, two states have a minimum age of 15, and four states do not have a minimum age specified at all ^[1]. Critically, four U.S. states do not require any minimum age for marriage with a parental or judicial waiver ^[2], meaning children of any age could potentially marry with appropriate consent or court approval.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The analyses reveal several crucial gaps in addressing the original question. Most significantly, none of the sources specifically identify which states, if any, allow child marriage without parental consent ^{[1] [2] [5]}. This represents a fundamental limitation in the available data for answering the user's specific query.

The sources focus primarily on parental and judicial consent mechanisms rather than scenarios where minors could marry independently. The analyses suggest that most child marriage laws involve either parental consent, judicial approval, or both ^[2], but they don't explicitly state whether any jurisdiction allows minors to marry without any adult consent whatsoever.

Alternative perspectives on child marriage legislation emerge from the analyses. While advocacy organizations like Equality Now advocate for the minimum age for marriage to be set at 18, with no exceptions ^[2], the legislative reality shows that most states have introduced and debated legislation related to child marriage, often with exceptions for parental or judicial consent ^[1]. This suggests ongoing political and social debates about balancing parental rights, religious freedom, and child protection.

The analyses also reveal that some states allow children as young as 15 or 16 years old to get married, and a handful of states having no age requirements at all ^[3], indicating that the legal framework varies dramatically across jurisdictions. This patchwork of laws creates significant inconsistencies in child protection standards nationwide.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question itself doesn't contain explicit misinformation, but it may reflect incomplete understanding of how child marriage laws typically function in the United States. The question assumes that some states might allow child marriage without parental consent, but the analyses suggest that virtually all child marriage laws involve some form of adult approval mechanism, whether through parents, guardians, or courts.

The framing of the question might inadvertently minimize the role of judicial oversight in child marriage cases. The analyses indicate that even in states with minimal age requirements, judicial or parental waivers are typically required ^[2], suggesting that completely independent minor marriage decisions are extremely rare or nonexistent in current U.S. law.

Additionally, the question doesn't acknowledge the rapidly evolving legal landscape around child marriage. With 16 states passing bans since 2018 ^[1] and recent legislative action in states like New Hampshire and Washington ^{[3] [4]}, the legal framework is changing quickly, making any static answer potentially outdated.

The analyses collectively suggest that the more relevant question might be which states have the most permissive parental and judicial consent mechanisms rather than which allow completely independent minor marriage decisions.