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 (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 not marry.
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′re considered emancipated. You′re legally free from your parents, and they′re no longer responsible for you. Likewise, you′re no longer under their authority.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 alcohol remains off-limits until you turn twenty-one.
