Marriage Requirements, Licenses, and Ceremonies FAQ

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Marriage Requirements, Licenses, and Ceremonies FAQ

Information on marriage laws and procedures.

» Can anyone get married to anyone?

Can anyone get married to anyone?

You must meet certain requirements in order to marry. These vary slightly from state to state, but generally include:

being at least the age of consent (usually 18, though sometimes you may marry younger with your parents' consent)

not being too closely related to your intended spouse

having sufficient mental capacity -- that is, you must understand what you are doing and what consequences your actions may have

being sober at the time of the marriage

not being married to anyone else

getting a blood test (in just a few states), and

obtaining a marriage license.

Marital Prohibitions

All but two states (California and Massachusetts) prohibit people of the same sex from marrying. And all states prohibit a person from marrying a sibling, half-sibling, parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, child, grandchild, great-grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew. Some states have additional prohibitions.