Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1267 Wednesday, ending child marriage in California. The bill will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, and will set 18 as the minimum age requirement for marriage and domestic partnerships.
Previously, California allowed minors to marry or enter a domestic partnership with parental consent and court approval. Before the bill, California was one of only three states without a statutory minimum marriage age.
The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls estimated approximately 35,000 California minors married between 2000 and 2021. There were also nearly 315,000 children legally married nationwide during that time. The organization also said that most marriages involved an underage girl marrying an adult man.
Alongside Newsom at the signing was advocate and media personality Courtney Stodden. Stodden was 16 when her parents allowed her to marry 50-year-old actor Doug Hutchison, and since the divorce, has advocated nationally in the fight against child exploitation.
“California is a victory, but I’m not stopping here. I will keep fighting until children are protected from marriage in all 50 states,” said Stodden.
The bill was coauthored by 38 lawmakers from both parties and both legislative chambers. It was also sponsored by Unchained At Last and the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls, both of which have advocated for ending child marriage.
California will become the 18th state to completely ban marriage under 18 without exception after a nearly decade-long fight, according to Assemblywoman Gail Pellerin’s office. “Today, California kids are safer than ever before,” Newsom said.
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