● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportLow impact1 neutral
California Bans Child Marriage, Requiring All Spouses to Be 18 or Older
Key points
- California bans child marriage, effective January 1, 2024.
- Individuals must be 18 years old to marry in California.
- California is the 18th state to ban child marriage since 2018.
- Previously, minors could marry with parental and judicial consent.
New Law in California
California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed legislation to prohibit child marriage within the state. This new law, which takes effect on January 1, 2024, establishes 18 as the minimum age for marriage in California. The state previously allowed minors to marry with parental consent and judicial approval.
Advocacy and Impact
The legislation was supported by advocates like Courtney Stodden, who married at 16, and Brittany Bee, a former child bride. They highlighted issues such as the lack of divorce mechanisms for minors and the prevalence of girls marrying adult men. Advocacy groups like Unchained At Last reported approximately 9,000 child marriages annually in California, predominantly involving girls.
Broader Context
California's ban makes it the 18th state to prohibit child marriage since 2018. While the practice was once legal across all US states, a growing number of states have been changing their laws to protect minors from early marriage.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
The daily brief
One email each morning: the day's tech stories, clustered across outlets and summarized. No account needed.
One email a day. Unsubscribe in one click, any time.
Today's brief
Spend a few minutes, get the whole day. Every topic's top stories in one hands-free rundown — listen, watch, or read the transcript.
▶ Play today's brief
New every morning, and the back catalogue is archived by date.
Reporting from
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed legislation banning child marriage, effective January 1, 2024. The new law mandates that individuals must be 18 years old to marry in the state, making California the 18th state to enact such a ban since 2018.