Oklahoma Becomes 17th State to Ban Child Marriage

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Oklahoma has officially prohibited child marriage, becoming the 17th state in the United States to implement such a ban. This action aligns with the United Nations’ definition of child marriage as a human rights violation and forced marriage, where at least one party is under 18.

In 2017, marriage under the age of 18 was legally possible across all 50 states. As of now, 17 states and Washington, D.C., have raised the legal marriage age to 18 without exceptions. Between 2000 and 2018, approximately 300,000 children, some as young as 10 years old, were legally married in the U.S., primarily girls married to adult men. This data comes from Unchained at Last, a nonprofit dedicated to ending child marriage in the United States.

Oklahoma’s New Legislation

Oklahoma recently enacted a bill mandating that individuals wishing to marry in the state must be at least 18 years old. The bill passed unanimously through the state Senate and faced some debate in the state House before passing by one vote.

Previously, state laws permitted minors to marry with parent or guardian consent. Additionally, children aged 16 or younger could marry with court authorization.

States Where Child Marriage Remains Legal

The following states still allow some form of child marriage, according to Unchained At Last:

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

While child marriage is legal in these states, many lawmakers are advocating for change. In Wisconsin, Democratic lawmakers are pushing a bill to outlaw child marriage entirely, ensuring the legal marriage age is set at 18 without exceptions.

Advocates have voiced concerns that child marriage exposes minors to abuse due to their limited legal rights. Additionally, discrepancies in state laws allow minors to be taken to other states where child marriage continues to be legal.