California currently remains one of only four states in the United States that permits marriage without a minimum legal age. This lack of regulation enables children to marry adults, a practice that continues despite numerous legislative attempts to eliminate it. Advocates and survivors are questioning why lawmakers have not passed straightforward legislation that would set the marriage age at 18, without exceptions.
In San Diego County alone, more than 100 marriage licenses involving minors were issued since 2010. Alarmingly, state officials sanctioned a marriage between a 14-year-old and a 15-year-old. This issue extends beyond one county; according to the organization Unchained at Last, approximately 315,000 minors were married across the United States from 2000 to 2021, with about 35,000 of those marriages occurring in California. The majority involved underage girls marrying adult men.
Repeatedly, proposed bills aimed at changing these laws have failed to secure passage. State Senator Aisha Wahab expressed her frustration during a recent interview, stating, “We’ve heard every single excuse to not protect children, and that’s what bothers me in a so-called progressive state.” She highlighted the contradictions in existing laws, noting that individuals under 25 cannot rent a car and those under 21 cannot legally drink alcohol, yet minors are permitted to make lifelong commitments through marriage.
Many Americans operate under the assumption that the legal marriage age is 18. In reality, only 16 states and Washington, D.C. have enacted full bans on child marriage. A further 30 states permit child marriage with exceptions, leaving California among the four states without any age limit.
While judges are mandated to interview minors and their guardians before approving marriage licenses, advocates argue that this safeguard is insufficient. Minors, lacking legal standing, find it difficult to file for divorce, retain legal counsel, or stay in domestic violence shelters without adult consent. Moreover, marriage can serve as a loophole around statutory rape laws, allowing potential abuse to persist under legal guise.
Survivor stories illustrate the dire consequences of these laws. San Diego resident Brittany Bee was compelled to marry a 24-year-old church member at age 17. She now lives with the trauma of her experience and advocates for reforms to prevent similar situations. Another survivor, Mandy Havlik, was forced into marriage at 17 after enduring years of coercion. She recalls her desperate pleas for help going unheard, stating, “No one called CPS; no one tried to stop it. People did not boycott my wedding. There were a lot of people who were complicit in this action, and that’s the unfortunate part.”
Both women are now engaged with Unchained at Last, an organization dedicated to ending forced marriages. In 2024, they joined other advocates in Sacramento, donning wedding gowns to demand legislative change. Despite their efforts, the bill to ban child marriage failed again, marking the fifth unsuccessful attempt in California.
For Bee and Havlik, surrendering the fight is not an option. As Senator Wahab prepares to draft new legislation for a sixth time, advocacy groups, including Freedom United, remain steadfast. They continue to share survivor testimonies, pressure lawmakers, and raise awareness about this pressing issue, which disproportionately affects young girls and exposes them to significant risks of exploitation.
While not all child marriages are coerced, the inherent vulnerability of minors, especially girls, makes them susceptible to manipulation. Advocates urge a unified demand that all states in the U.S. raise the minimum marriage age to 18, ensuring that children are protected from potential harm associated with early marriage.
