California is one of 13 states that does not have a minimum age requirement for marriage. Child marriage is currently legal in 46 states, with only Delaware, New Jersey, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania setting the minimum age at 18 and eliminating all exceptions, according to Equality Now. Assemblywoman Cottie Petrie-Norris says she's introduced a bill to ban child marriage in the state.
The Assembly Appropriations Committee has already passed this bill with unanimous support, and it will require counties to submit child marriage data to the State Registrar and report back to the Legislature. In California, a person under 18 years old can marry with parental consent but judicial approval is also required. The full Assembly will vote on this measure later this month.