California became the 18th U.S. state to ban child marriage

Starting January 1, 2027, people in California will be able to get married only after turning 18. The state has become the 18th in the U.S. to officially ban child marriage.

California passed the ban after several years of activists campaigning for these changes. The new law will take effect next year and make the state one of the few in the U.S. where marriage will be permitted only after the age of 18.

California has officially banned child marriage: Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law that will put an end to a practice that remains legal in 32 U.S. states.

The new law will take effect on January 1, 2027, and stipulates that a person must be at least 18 years old to get married in California.

Newsom called this “a long-overdue measure to protect young Californians and minors.” He signed the bill in the presence of Courtney Stodden, whose parents allowed her to marry a 50-year-old Hollywood actor when she was only 16 years old.

Stodden, who advocates for banning this practice, called the changes a “victory” and stated that those who have survived child marriage “should never have been expected to bear this burden.”

Stodden said she “will continue to fight until children are protected from marriage in all 50 states.”

Update

About a decade ago, this practice was permitted in all U.S. states, but an increasing number of states have begun to change their laws. California became the 18th state to ban child marriage since 2018.

Previously, the state had no legally established minimum age for marriage: children could marry with parental consent and a judge’s approval.

There was also no mechanism allowing people under the age of 18 to get a divorce, and many girls reported finding themselves trapped in abusive and exploitative relationships.

Unchained At Last, an organization that advocates for ending child marriage in the U.S., stated that approximately 9,000 girls were married each year in California and that nearly all child marriages were between girls and adult men.

Human rights advocates note that many Americans are not even aware that child marriage is legal in so many states, nor that it has led to allegations of abuse.

This was reported by the BBC.