New Law Bans Marriage By Minors In Minnesota

MINNESOTA — Several new state laws went into effect in Minnesota Aug. 1, including statues that prohibits marriage by minors.

The new law bans marriage by minors by deleting statutory language that had allowed 16 and 17-year-old children to receive a marriage license with "the consent of the person’s legal custodial parents, guardian, or the court."

The law also bans the state from recognizing a marriage involving a minor in another state, or foreign jurisdiction, if one of the parties to the marriage was a Minnesota resident at the time of the marriage.

Minnesota will recognize marriages involving two minors if both parties to the marriage were not residents of Minnesota at the time of the marriage.

The law was sponsored by Democrats Rep. Kaohly Her and Sen. Sandra Pappas.