AN ACT relating to child marriage.

Amend KRS 402.020 to prohibit marriage with a person under 18 years of age; exclude from being prohibited and void, marriages entered into in the Commonwealth before the effective date of this Act and marriages entered into in another state or country; amend KRS 402.080 and 402.210 to prohibit the issuance of marriage licenses to persons under 18 years of age; amend KRS 402.030 to conform; repeal KRS 402.205, relating to petitions to courts filed by minors aged 17 years seeking permission to marry.

Children and Minors Civil Actions County Clerks Courts Courts, Circuit Courts, District Courts, Family Domestic Relations Parental Rights

Introduced: February 3, 2026

Last action: April 15, 2026

To Appropriations & Revenue (H)

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This bill would make it illegal to get married in Kentucky if either person is under 18 years old. County clerks would be prohibited from issuing marriage licenses to anyone under 18, and the existing process that allowed 17-year-olds to ask a court for permission to marry would be eliminated. Marriages that already took place in Kentucky or in another state or country before this law takes effect would not be affected. Who it may affect: minors, families, and county clerks who process marriage licenses.

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