How Common is Child Marriage in California? A Count is Coming

In California, child marriage faces increasing scrutiny – and a head count

 

California lawmakers passed a bill that requires the State Registrar to report how many children got married in the state between 2019 and 2024, including each child’s age and gender. The Registrar would also be required to create yearly reports to track the frequency of child marriage in California.

 

The bill was presented to Governor Newsom early last week; Newson is expected to approve the bill in the next few days, signing it into law. 

 

Once it becomes law, a detailed report of the total number of children married in the state over the last five years, including their age and gender, will be created and published publicly on the State Registrar’s website. 

 

Moving forward, local registrars will need to submit this information to the State Registrar each year in order to monitor how often child marriages occur in each county. A grant program to study extralegal marriage involving minors (in which children are married without following existing laws) will also be created. 

 

It’s important to note that the bill will not change California child marriage laws as they’re currently written. 

 

This bill was introduced by Senator Aisha Wahab [D], with bipartisan joint support from Assemblymember Bill Essayli [R], Assemblymember Corey Jackson [D], Assemblymember Ash Kalra [D], and Assemblymember Tom Lackey [R]. It received overwhelming support in both the California State Senate and State Assembly. 

 

Check the bill’s current status & read the full text by visiting the California Legislature website: SB-575 Marriage: underage marriage.(2023-2024)

 

Similar legislation is being considered in Congress: Federal lawmakers are considering a bill to study child marriage in US, including new state and federal policies and grants to assess, restrict or ban child marriage. Read more about the Child Marriage Prevention Act of 2024 here. 

 

 

California Child Marriage Laws: Is Child Marriage Legal in California?

Yes: Child marriage is legal in California with court approval. Children must meet certain conditions to obtain court approval to marry.

 

Minors under the age of 18 can marry in California with court approval, and may be required to complete a 30 day waiting period, answer questions during an interview and assessment by Family Court Services, or obtain parental consent, depending on their circumstances. If these conditions are met, they may be given court approval to marry. 

 

• See all California marriage laws

 

 

How Common is Child Marriage in California? 

 

How many children marry in California each year? Current estimates suggest that around 8,000 children are married in California each year, but there is no official count (via Unchained At Last). 

 

This bill would establish a more reliable official count of child marriage in the state, and give lawmakers valuable information that can help them write, revise, or repeal California’s child marriage laws in the future. 

 

 

Read About Recent Updates to Child Marriage Laws Around the US: 

 

America’s child marriage laws are changing quickly. Although underage marriage is still legal in most states, several states have set new limits in recent years, or banned child marriage altogether. Read some of our recent articles on the issue below: 

 

• New Hampshire Child Marriage Ban in Effect in 2025
• Virginia’s Child Marriage Ban in Effect Soon, Plus Protections for Marriage Rights
• Washington State Just Banned Child Marriage
• Michigan bans child marriage, raises legal age to marry to 18

 

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Read Next: 

 

• How Old Do You Have To Be To Get Married In Each State?

 

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