If you′re eighteen, you may marry without anyone′s permission. If you′re not eighteen, you′ll need permission from your parents or guardians and/or the court. States have different requirements about underage persons obtaining a marriage license. Some states also require a blood test and counseling before issuing a license.

There may also be restrictions on who you can marry. Marrying certain relatives (siblings or first or second cousins, for example) is against the law, but exactly which other relatives varies among the states.

Under current law, gay and lesbian couples may legally get married in Massachusetts, Iowa, Connecticut, Vermont,  New Hampshire and in the District of Columbia.  Additional states are considering their own gay marriage laws. A few states permit civil unions among gay couples.

 Legislation and lawsuits debating this issue are underway in a number of states. In a few cities, gay and lesbian couples may register as domestic partners.

If you get married as a teenager, you may be emancipated under the laws of your state. If that’s the case, you’re considered legally free from your parents, and they are no longer responsible for you.  Some states, noting the high incidence of divorce, reinstate the parent-child relationship if a married teenager gets divorced and returns home.

As an emancipated, married teen, you should be able to obtain medical care on your own. And you may find it easier to enter into certain contracts and business relationships. Renting an apartment and obtaining credit may be easier, but the purchase and consumption of alcohol remains off-limits until you turn twenty-one.

Update:  In July, 2010 a federal court in Massachusetts ruled that the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996, a federal law, is unconstitutional.  The judge wrote that the law interferes with the right of states to define the institution of marriage.  He also found that the DOMA violates the equal protection clause of the Constitution by discriminating against gay couples regarding federal benefits.  The court found that gay couples deserve the same federal benefits as heterosexual couples.  The decision is limited to Massachusetts where the federal district court has jurisdiction.  However, there may be broader application as a result of expected appeals.

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