California Bans Child Marriage, Ending Practice Legal in 32 States

Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill on launch day that makes 18 the youngest age at which a person may marry in the state. The legislation cancels California’s long‑standing loophole that let parents and a judge approve marriages for 16‑ and 17‑year‑olds.

The new law, effective from 1‑January‑2027, follows decades of campaigning by former child bride Brittany Bee, who wed a 50‑year‑old actor when she was 16. Bee was present at the signing; she called the measure a “victory” for survivors who “shouldn’t have had to carry this burden”.

Across the United States, 32 states still allow child marriage under various conditions. In California alone, advocacy groups estimate that about nine thousand girls were wed each year, almost all to adult men. The absence of a minimum age and a path for under‑18 divorces had left many young women trapped in abusive unions.

Survivors such as Sara Tasneen, who married at 15 to a man nearly twice her age, have spoken openly about the trauma. Tasneen, who began lobbying in 2017, said the law’s passage feels “surreal” and was “just grateful” that children can no longer be married after the new date.

The law is the 18th state to restrict child marriage since 2018, signalling a growing national consensus that children need protection from forced unions. Advocates say the measure sends a powerful gesture that no child should be forced to marry.