Oklahoma Becomes 17th State to Prohibit Child Marriage

Oklahoma has joined a growing list of states banning child marriage. The state is now the 17th in the U.S. to implement such a prohibition. Child marriage involves at least one individual under the age of 18 and is often described by the United Nations as a human rights violation and a form of forced marriage.

Until recently, all 50 states allowed marriages with participants under the age of 18. However, over the past decade, 17 states and Washington, D.C., have raised the minimum marriage age to 18 without exceptions.

Data from Unchained At Last, an organization dedicated to ending child marriage in the U.S., indicates that between 2000 and 2018, close to 300,000 children as young as 10 were legally married in the country. Most of these minors were girls married to adult men.

Oklahoma’s Legislation

Oklahoma has recently enacted legislation mandating that all individuals who wish to marry must be at least 18 years old, with no exceptions permitted. The state Senate passed the bill unanimously, though the state House saw divided opinions among Republicans before it was approved by one vote.

Previously, Oklahoma law allowed minors to marry with parental or guardian consent, and those aged 16 or younger could marry with court authorization.

States Where Child Marriage Remains Legal

Despite progress, some states still permit child marriage under certain conditions. These include:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Mayland
• Mississippi
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Mexico
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming

Efforts are being made in these states to change this legal status. For instance, in Wisconsin, Democratic lawmakers are pushing a bill to end child marriage entirely, allowing only those over 18 to marry.

Advocacy groups express concerns that child marriage leaves minors susceptible to abuse, as they face limited legal rights and protections. The inconsistent laws across the states make it feasible for minors to be relocated and wed in jurisdictions where child marriage remains permitted.

States With Complete Bans on Child Marriage

The states that have wholly banned marriages involving individuals under 18 years are:

• Connecticut
• Delaware
• Maine
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Missouri
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New York
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington

Implementation of Oklahoma’s Law

The new legislation in Oklahoma will be effective starting November 1, marking a significant step in protecting minors from forced and potentially harmful marriages.