{"id":375679,"date":"2018-05-15T13:44:57","date_gmt":"2018-05-15T18:44:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/ohio-law\/ohio-marriage-laws.html"},"modified":"2018-05-18T17:50:42","modified_gmt":"2018-05-18T22:50:42","slug":"ohio-marriage-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/ohio-law\/ohio-marriage-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Ohio Marriage Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Ohio Marriage Laws<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

You've just announced your engagement and are excited to start your lives together as a married couple. But before that happens, there are certain practical matters to consider and certain basic requirements<\/a> that must be met. Although all states share similar marriage procedures<\/a>, you must comply with specific Ohio marriage laws if you want to get married in the state.<\/p>\r\n

Ohio Marriage Laws at a Glance<\/h2>\r\n

Nothing can replace the expertise of an attorney when it comes to statutory interpretation, but it helps to have a plain language explanation of the statute as well. See the chart below for a description of Ohio's marriage laws including links to the relevant statutes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

Statutes<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

Validity of Marriage<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

For a valid marriage in Ohio, the parties must fulfill certain qualifications.<\/p>\r\n

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  • Age appropriate<\/i>: At least 18 without consent. A female who is at least 16 can marry with parental consent; a male under 18 needs judicial consent.<\/li>\r\n
  • Not closely related<\/i>: The couple may not be related to each other nearer than second cousins.<\/li>\r\n
  • No bigamy<\/i>: The marriage isn't legal if either party is already in another marriage.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>

Types of Marriage<\/b><\/p>\r\n<\/td>\r\n

Minor Marriage<\/b><\/p>\r\n

When a minor wants to get married in Ohio, they must get consent from their parents, a surviving parent, a parent who represents a residential parent or legal custodian, a guardian, or any of the following:<\/p>\r\n