Laws

California vs New York: Minimum Marriage Age

New York has a higher minimum marriage age than California.

California flag
California
CA · West
No statutory minimum
Minimum marriage age with statutory exceptions. California has no statutory minimum age.
New York flag
New York
NY · Northeast
Winner
18 (banned)
Minimum marriage age with statutory exceptions. California has no statutory minimum age.

Visual comparison

CaliforniaNo statutory minimum
New York18 (banned)

National Rankings

Where They Rank Nationally

See where both states fall among all 50 states for minimum marriage age.

California #50 · No statutory minimum
New York #13 · 18 (banned)
Lowest Highest

Top 10 States — Minimum Marriage Age

#1 Connecticut flag Connecticut
18 (banned)
#2 Delaware flag Delaware
18 (banned)
#3 Florida flag Florida
18 (banned)
#4 Hawaii flag Hawaii
18 (banned)
#5 Illinois flag Illinois
18 (banned)
#6 Maine flag Maine
18 (banned)
#7 Maryland flag Maryland
18 (banned)
#8 Massachusetts flag Massachusetts
18 (banned)
#9 Michigan flag Michigan
18 (banned)
#10 Minnesota flag Minnesota
18 (banned)
Selected states
#50 California flag California
No statutory minimum
#13 New York flag New York
18 (banned)

California ranks 50th and New York ranks 13th nationally for minimum marriage age.

What this means

California vs New York: Minimum Marriage Age in context

New York's minimum marriage age is 18 (banned), compared with No statutory minimum in California. Minimum marriage age with statutory exceptions. California has no statutory minimum age.

California
No statutory minimum
New York
18 (banned)

People also ask

California vs New York Minimum Marriage Age — common questions

QWhat is California's minimum marriage age?

California's minimum marriage age is No statutory minimum.

QWhat is New York's minimum marriage age?

New York's minimum marriage age is 18 (banned).

QWhich state has a higher minimum marriage age — California or New York?

New York has a higher minimum marriage age than California.

More comparisons: California vs New York

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Full comparison

Data source and freshness

Data period
State statutes reviewed January 2026
Dataset reviewed
July 23, 2026
Method note
Statewide minimum-age summary; exceptions and court procedures can change.