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California has enacted a law setting 18 as the minimum marriage age, with no exceptions, starting Jan. 1, 2027. The BBC reports that child marriage remains legal in 32 states; advocates say the change closes a gap that left minors with limited ability to leave marriages.
California has banned marriage for anyone under 18 after Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation establishing 18 as the minimum age, with the law due to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. The state becomes the 18th to prohibit child marriage since 2018, while the BBC reports that the practice remains legal in 32 U.S. states.
The law ends a system in California that allowed minors to marry with parental consent and a judge’s approval. According to the BBC, the state had no minimum marriage age under those exceptions. The new requirement sets 18 as the threshold without those routes for minors to marry.
Newsom signed the bill with Courtney Stodden, who married actor Doug Hutchison in 2011 when she was 16. Stodden has since advocated for a ban. The BBC also spoke with survivors Brittany Bee and Sara Tasneem, who described marrying as teenagers and supported the change.
Advocacy group Unchained At Last said about 9,000 girls married each year in California and that almost all child marriages involved girls and adult men. That figure is the group’s estimate, as cited by the BBC; the report does not provide a separate government count or further methodology.
What the Age Limit Changes
The new rule removes California’s legal exceptions for minors and establishes a clear age threshold for marriage. Advocates say this matters because underage spouses can face barriers to leaving a marriage. The BBC reported that California had no mechanism for people under 18 to divorce, a situation survivors said could leave them trapped in abusive or predatory relationships.
The law also changes the choices available to families, young people and courts: from Jan. 1, 2027, parental permission and judicial sign-off will no longer allow a minor to marry in California. The BBC reports that 32 states still permit child marriage under some circumstances, leaving protections different from state to state.
Survivors’ accounts point to the potential consequences behind the policy debate. Bee told the BBC she married at 17 to escape an abusive home and said she experienced alleged abuse by her adult husband. Tasneem said she was forced to marry at 15, became a mother at 16 and left school. These are personal accounts, not findings about every underage marriage, but they illustrate the risks advocates cite.
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How California Reached the Ban
California’s former rules allowed a minor to marry if a parent consented and a judge approved the marriage. The BBC reported there was no legal minimum age in the state under that exception, and no mechanism for a person under 18 to divorce. The new legislation closes the marriage exception by requiring both people to be at least 18.
California’s change follows a wider shift in state law. The BBC reported that about a decade ago, child marriage was allowed across the country, while a growing number of states have since adopted bans. California is the 18th state to ban the practice since 2018, according to the report.
The legislation follows years of campaigning by survivors and advocacy groups. Stodden’s 2011 marriage at age 16 drew international attention. Bee and Tasneem told the BBC they had also spent years pushing for legal change. Tasneem said she began lobbying in 2017 and described seeing the bill become law as a long effort.
“Victory.”
— Courtney Stodden
Details Still to Be Clarified
The law’s effective date is Jan. 1, 2027; until then, the BBC report indicates California’s existing rules remain in place. The supplied report does not give the statute’s full text, identify any implementation guidance, or describe how officials will handle applications or proceedings that cross the effective date.
The figure of about 9,000 girls married annually is attributed to Unchained At Last, and the report does not explain the estimate’s method or time period. The BBC’s count of 32 states where child marriage remains legal is a snapshot of state laws; it does not detail the specific exceptions or requirements in each state. The supplied material also does not identify pending legislation elsewhere.
The 2027 Start Date
California’s minimum-age requirement is scheduled to begin on Jan. 1, 2027. Until that date, the law has been signed but has not yet taken effect. The report does not set out any additional state deadlines or administrative steps before implementation.
Stodden said she would keep campaigning for children to be protected from marriage in all 50 states. Whether other states will change their laws, and when, remains unclear. For now, the next confirmed milestone in California is the start of the new age requirement.
Key Questions
What does California’s new law require?
It requires both people to be at least 18 to marry in California, ending the former route that allowed a minor to marry with parental consent and judicial approval.
When does the California ban take effect?
The law is scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027. The BBC report does not describe any separate rules for applications or cases around that date.
How many states still allow child marriage?
The BBC report says child marriage remains legal in 32 U.S. states. The report does not list the exceptions or age rules that apply in each state.
Why did survivors support the ban?
Survivors interviewed by the BBC described marrying as minors and said the experience affected their safety, education and ability to choose their futures. Bee also said California lacked a way for people under 18 to divorce.
Source: hn
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