California bans child marriage with no exceptions

California has made 18 the legal minimum marriage age, ending a loophole that allowed children of any age to marry with parental consent and a judge’s approval. The new law caps a nearly decade-long campaign by survivors and advocacy groups and puts pressure on the 32 other U.S. states where child marriage remains legal.

Why it matters: - California’s new law closes one of the last major child-marriage loopholes in the United States. - The ban removes a pathway that could leave minors vulnerable to forced marriage, abuse and long-term economic harm. - The change also aligns California with international human rights standards that call for marriage only at 18. - As the nation’s most populous state, California’s move sends a signal to the 32 other states where child marriage is still legal.

What happened: - California approved AB-1267, setting 18 as the minimum legal age for marriage with no exceptions. - The law ends a rule that had allowed children of any age to marry with written parental consent and a judge’s approval. - The legislation was signed after years of failed attempts, including repeated setbacks in committee and an unsuccessful push during the 2023-2024 session. - The victory followed nearly a decade of campaigning by Unchained At Last, survivors, community groups and human rights organizations including Equality Now.

The details: - Before the new law, California was one of only three U.S. states without a minimum marriage age, alongside Mississippi and New Mexico. - Under the old law, one parent could consent in writing even without custody, and a judge could still approve the marriage. - Minors in California had limited legal tools to protect themselves, including barriers to leaving home, entering a domestic violence shelter, hiring a lawyer or filing suit on their own. - Marriage-based emancipation came only after the wedding and did not grant full adult rights. - The law also created risks beyond California because federal visa rules for spouses and fiancés depend on the legal marriage age in the intended state of residence. - That gap could have enabled trafficking disguised as marriage, including adult U.S. citizens bringing underage foreign spouses to California and adults from outside the U.S. marrying California minors to gain immigration status. - Unchained At Last estimates that about 34,875 girls married in California between 2000 and 2021. - Unchained At Last found that 86% of all minors who married in the U.S. from 2000 to 2021 were girls, and most married adult men. - At least 66,415 of those marriages involved a minor who was below the age of sexual consent or in an age gap that could amount to statutory rape under state law. - Before the ban, 19 states, including California, had an explicit marriage exception or defense in child-rape laws; the new law removes that exception except for minors who are already married.

Between the lines: - The California fight exposed a long-running split among advocates over how to balance child protection with concerns about abortion and health-care access for young people. - Opponents of a total ban argued that marriage restrictions could weaken other youth rights, while supporters said marriage can be delayed but abortion care often cannot. - The final outcome suggests survivor-led organizing and coalition-building can break through years of legislative deadlock. - The campaign also showed how state-level child-marriage laws can have spillover effects on immigration, criminal law and public health.

What’s next: - Advocates are likely to use California’s ban as pressure on remaining states that still allow child marriage. - Unchained At Last says its work has helped push 17 states to set 18 as the minimum marriage age since the first California bill was introduced. - The new law may also strengthen efforts to close related loopholes in sexual-assault and trafficking law. - Equality Now says the California result shows that long-standing legal gaps can be closed when advocacy groups stay coordinated.

The bottom line: - California has finally made child marriage illegal in all cases, ending a policy gap that survivors and advocates had fought for nearly a decade to close.