Marriage by minors prohibited

A new law prohibits marriage by minors by deleting statutory language allowing 16- and 17-year-old children to receive a marriage license with “the consent of the person’s legal custodial parents, guardian, or the court.”

The law, effective Aug. 1, 2020, also prohibits the state from recognizing a marriage involving a minor in another state, or foreign jurisdiction, if one of the parties to the marriage was a Minnesota resident at the time of the marriage.

Minnesota will recognize marriages involving two minors if both parties to the marriage were not residents of Minnesota at the time of the marriage.

The law is sponsored by Rep. Kaohly Her (DFL-St. Paul) and Sen. Sandra Pappas (DFL-St. Paul).

HF745*/SF1393/CH76

HF0745* / SF1393 / CH76