California Bans Child Marriage With No Exceptions as Governor Gavin Newsom Signs Landmark Measure Setting Minimum Age at 18
California has officially banned marriage for anyone under the age of 18, closing legal loopholes that allowed minors to enter marriages with parental consent and judicial approval. Governor Gavin Newsom signed the landmark legislation into law, establishing an absolute minimum age requirement with zero exceptions. The move makes California the eighteenth state in the nation to completely outlaw the practice, shutting down avenues that child welfare advocates long warned left vulnerable teenagers exposed to coercion and abuse.
Under previous California legal codes, the state was one of only three jurisdictions in the country that did not define an absolute statutory minimum age for marriage. A minor of any age could obtain a marriage license or enter a registered domestic partnership provided they secured written approval from a parent or legal guardian alongside permission granted by a family court judge. Child protection groups noted that this system created legal blind spots, effectively shielding predatory arrangements and forced unions behind official court paperwork.
The newly signed measure, Assembly Bill 1267, completely repeals those exemptions. Authored by Santa Cruz lawmaker Gail Pellerin, the statute prohibits county clerks from issuing marriage licenses to individuals under 18 and bars minors from entering into legally binding domestic partnerships. The legislation takes effect on January 1, 2027, granting administrative agencies and county clerks time to update application forms, database registries, and licensing procedures to reflect the universal age threshold.
Speaking on the enactment of the law, Governor Newsom described the reform as a necessary step to safeguard the state youngest residents. He stressed that children in California are now safer from exploitation and forced domestic arrangements than ever before. State officials emphasized that minors who enter marriage are statistically far more vulnerable to domestic violence, drop out of high school at much higher rates, and face severe legal barriers if they attempt to leave an abusive household before reaching adulthood.
The bill signing was attended by activist Courtney Stodden, whose personal experience drew nationwide attention to the realities of underage marriage. Stodden was thrust into global media attention in 2011 after marrying a 51-year-old actor at the age of 16 in Las Vegas, a relationship she has since publicly spoken about with deep pain and regret. Standing alongside state officials, Stodden praised the ban and declared that survivors should never have been expected to carry such burdens, pledging to continue public advocacy until child marriage is prohibited across every American state.
Advocacy groups that led the legislative campaign, including the survivor-led organization Unchained At Last, provided data revealing that thousands of minors had entered marriages in California in past years. Research showed that across the nation, an overwhelming majority of underage marriages involved young teenage girls wed to adult men, frequently in circumstances where physical intimacy would otherwise be prosecuted as a statutory criminal offense outside the legal protection of marriage.
Despite California joining the growing list of states with strict bans, child marriage remains legally permissible in 32 states across the United States. Many jurisdictions continue to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to marry under circumstances such as parental consent, teenage pregnancy, or judicial waivers, while states like Mississippi and New Mexico still lack a clear statutory floor. The absence of a federal law governing minimum marriage ages leaves marriage regulations entirely to individual state legislatures.
Child welfare advocates and legal experts hailed the California law as a decisive victory that builds momentum for national legal reform. Campaigners emphasized that giving children an uninterrupted path to finish high school, develop economic independence, and mature without adult marital obligations is essential for child welfare. Rights groups plan to use the California breakthrough to urge lawmakers in remaining states to eliminate exceptions and establish 18 as the universal minimum marriage age nationwide.