California, one of just three US states with no minimum legal age for marriage, is now on the brink of banning the practice for anyone under 18 as lawmakers move to close the last remaining loopholes that allow children to wed.
The State Assembly recently advanced a bill that would establish a minimum marriage age of 18 without exceptions. The legislation received 'no' votes from eight Republicans. Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, who authored the initiative, argued that ending child marriage is essential to safeguard minors from sexual assault and exploitation.
Years of advocacy by survivors have continually pressured lawmakers to change California's current marriage laws.
Currently, the state remains one of only three in the country with no statutory minimum age for marriage, allowing minors to marry if a parent gives consent and a court grants approval. Under the proposed legislation, these exceptions would be removed.
An analysis by the survivor-led nonprofit Unchained at Last estimates that roughly 35,000 marriages involving minors occurred in California between 2000 and 2021.
Furthermore, the nonprofit has helped seventeen other states enact similar bans. Founder Fraidy Reiss notes that the practice constitutes a human rights violation, damaging long-term educational and health prospects.
The vast majority of these unions involved underage girls marrying adult men. Advocates argue that the current legal structure restricts victims, limiting a minor's ability to file for divorce, hire legal counsel, or access domestic violence shelters without the approval of the guardians who initially consented to the union.
Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, a San Jose Democrat, asserts that the state must act to protect children. She pointed out a contradiction in the legal code: the age of sexual consent is 18 without exception, unless the individual is legally married to the minor.
'If there's even one child who is getting married in California against their will, that is one child too many,' Pellerin stated.
🚨 California Assembly passes bill ending child marriage.8 Republicans voted no. pic.twitter.com/nTHa4181FL
The impact of these laws has been detailed by former child brides. Model Courtney Stodden, who married 51-year-old actor Doug Hutchison in 2011 at the age of 16, has spent over nine years advocating for reform.
Following her divorce in 2020, Stodden began speaking publicly about the grooming dynamics of such arrangements, noting that older adults often use phrases like 'mature for your age' or 'old soul' to excuse their behaviour.
Christina Sutton shared a similar experience during her recent testimony before a Senate Judiciary Committee. Sutton, who was married at 17 to a 22-year-old man, recalled how her parents coached her to tell a Napa judge that the union was her own choice.
She noted that, like many abused children, she chose to lie to a judge rather than risk an escalation of violence at home.
Despite unanimous approval in the state Senate, the bill has faced opposition. Earlier legislative attempts were opposed by organisations including Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California and ACLU California Action.
