Georgia Marriage Age Requirements Laws

Young romance seems to blossom easily in the Peach State. Of course, youthful love and courtships are often fleeting. But when a relationship does get serious, however, one might wonder how old you have to be to get married in Georgia? The answer is governed by state law and, as in a handful of other states, Georiga recently changed its requirements. This article can give you a brief introduction to marriage age requirements in Georgia.

Georgia State Marriage Age Laws

Individuals in all states are free to get married once they reach the age of majority, which is 18 in most of the country. But the marriage of minors, those under the age of majority, is governed by state laws. Georgia's marriage age requirement laws allow individuals as young as 17 to marry, but they must be emancipated, must complete a premarital education course, and cannot marry anyone who is more than four years older. 

Georgia previously allowed minors as young as 16 to marry with parental consent (and without consent in the event of a pregnancy or birth of a child), but the law was changed in 2019 in effort to help protect teenagers -- young women, especially -- from being exploited and abused. 

Marriage Age Requirements in Georgia

Marriage laws can vary from state to state. Learn about Georgia marriage age requirement laws in the table below.

After the age limit, there are a few other marriage requirements in order to get a valid marriage license under Georgia law. At the court you will need identification, so bring your driver's license, passport, or birth certificate. If either you or your fiancé have been married before, you will need the divorce decree. Marriage license fees vary depending on your county and can be found by checking with your local probate court. If you would like to avoid the marriage license fee, you can attend a six-hour premarital education program that reviews basic marriage lessons such as budgeting and conflict resolution.

Georgia Marriage Age Requirements Laws: Related Resources

With all of the other planning that goes into a wedding these days, state laws on marriage might be the last thing you want to worry about. If you still have questions, you can contact an experienced family law attorney in Georgia. You can also find more general information on this topic in FindLaw’s marriage law section.