California Bans Child Marriage

California has officially banned child marriage, Governor Gavin Newsom signed the law on 31 December, making 18 the minimum age for marriage effective 1 January.

The legislation eliminates the former practice that still exists in 32 other U.S. states, where parents or judges could authorize a minor’s marriage.

Newsom said the change was a “long overdue measure to protect young Californians and minors,” echoed by sister‑in‑law Brittany Bee – a former child bride who has driven advocacy.

According to Unchained At Last, about 9,000 girls were wed each year in California, most to adult men, before this ban.

The new law also creates a framework for minors to seek divorce, a mechanism previously nonexistent.

Survivor Sara Tasneen, who married at 15, said the bill’s passage feels like a “marathon” finished and that “kids cannot get married after January 1, 2027 in California.”

The ban signals that California is now the 18th state to legislate against child marriage since 2018, placing it in the vanguard of protecting children nationwide.