Politics
Politics

Marriage age raised to 17 in Georgia

State representatives throw paper in the air to celebrate the end of the legislative session at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia on Tuesday, April 2, 2019. EMILY HANEY / emily.haney@ajc.com

Credit: Emily Haney

Credit: Emily Haney

State representatives throw paper in the air to celebrate the end of the legislative session at the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta, Georgia on Tuesday, April 2, 2019. EMILY HANEY / emily.haney@ajc.com
By
May 9, 2019

A new Georgia law requires couples to be at least 17 years old before they can get married.

Gov. Brian Kemp signed the measure into law Monday, raising the state's minimum marriage age from 16 to 17.

Legislators said increasing the marriage age will help protect teenagers from marrying before they're ready.

>> Bill Tracker: See which bills Gov. Kemp has signed, vetoed

Young women in particular are vulnerable to exploitation and abusive relationships, said state Rep. Andy Welch, a Republican from McDonough, before the General Assembly voted to approve House Bill 228.

Most other states allow 16-year-olds to marry if they have permission from their parents.

Georgia joins about a dozen states that require children to be at least 17 years old before they can marry, even with parental consent.

The new law also prevents 17-year-olds from marrying partners more than four years older than them.

About the Author

Mark Niesse is an enterprise reporter and covers elections and Georgia government for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is considered an expert on elections and voting. Before joining the AJC, he worked for The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Alabama. He also reported for The Daily Report and The Santiago Times in Chile.

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