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Fact check: Which states have raised their minimum marriage age in recent years?
Executive Summary
Several states have moved in recent years to raise their minimum marriage age to 18 without exceptions, while others have proposed or partially reformed laws that still permit minors to marry under certain conditions. Key confirmed actions include enacted laws or legislative moves in Virginia (2024–2025) and New Hampshire (signed March 2025), alongside advocacy and proposals in other states such as Wyoming and Oregon, and broader reports that eleven states have adopted full bans [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. A notable shift: States are closing loopholes and moving to 18
Recent legislative activity shows a clear trend toward 18 as the legal marriage age with no judicial, parental, or pregnancy exceptions in several states. Virginia revised its Code to set 18 as the minimum age, with statutory updates recorded in 2024, reflecting legislative momentum to eliminate underage marriage [1]. New Hampshire’s governor signed a bill in March 2025 that raises the age to 18 effective January 1, 2025, explicitly repealing prior judicial alternatives for 16- and 17-year-olds, which illustrates the policy objective of preventing coercion and abuse tied to child marriage [2].
2. Legislative proposals and partial reforms show mixed approaches
Not every state has enacted a full ban; some have proposed measures or pursued partial reforms that still allow minors to marry under restricted circumstances. Wyoming legislators proposed a bill that would raise the minimum to 18 while retaining provisions allowing 16- and 17-year-olds to marry with parental consent in certain cases, signaling compromise-oriented reforms rather than outright bans [3]. This illustrates a policy divide between advocates pushing for universal age-18 bans and lawmakers seeking middle-ground statutory language to address family or community concerns.
3. Advocacy groups and research frame the national picture
Child-advocacy organizations and mapping efforts have documented the national landscape, asserting that eleven states have enacted full bans that make marriage under 18 illegal in all circumstances, with groups like UNICEF and Unchained at Last cited in reporting that summarizes these outcomes and ongoing campaigns [4]. Earlier mapped reports from 2013 remain useful for historical context, showing how state statutes previously allowed varied exceptions — such as pregnancy or judicial waivers — and underscoring how much state law has evolved since that baseline [5].
4. State-by-state nuances and other legal changes beyond age
Some states have implemented related marital reforms that are not strictly age-raising but limit other marriage-related permissions, such as bans on marriage between first cousins, which were recently adopted by states like Connecticut; these shifts reflect a broader legislative willingness to reconsider marriage law exceptions and public-health rationales even where age remains unchanged [6]. Such measures are often framed in different policy terms—public health, incest prohibitions, or child protection—yet they interact with the broader statutory environment governing who may marry and under what conditions.
5. Timing matters: recent enactments vs. pending measures
The timeline of these reforms is important: Virginia’s statutory text updated in 2024 and New Hampshire’s 2025 enactment are recent, enforceable changes, whereas bills proposed in other states, including Wyoming’s 2022 proposal and Oregon’s consideration in 2025, reflect ongoing legislative processes rather than completed reforms [1] [3] [2] [4]. Distinguishing signed laws from active proposals clarifies which states currently bar underage marriage outright and which remain in transition or debate.
6. Where consensus and contention appear in the debate
The movement toward uniform age-18 laws is supported by child-protection advocates citing coercion and lifelong harm; opponents of strict bans often raise concerns about parental rights or exceptional circumstances, leading to legislative compromises in some jurisdictions. Evidence in the reporting shows a split: some states adopt uncompromising 18-only rules, while others retain limited exceptions or pursue incremental reforms, illustrating the tension between universal protection and context-specific flexibility embedded in different state legislatures’ approaches [3] [4].
7. Synthesis: what the available sources confirm and what remains open
The assembled reporting confirms that multiple states have raised or legislatively pursued raising the marriage age to 18 in recent years, with definitive enactments in Virginia and New Hampshire and active proposals in states like Wyoming and Oregon; advocacy groups report at least eleven states with complete bans as of early 2025 [1] [2] [3] [4]. Remaining uncertainties include the precise list of all states that recently enacted changes versus those still debating reforms, because reporting mixes enacted law, pending bills, and related marital reforms such as cousin-marriage bans; further state-by-state statutory review would solidify the full, current roster.