Iowa Marriage Age Requirements Laws

Created by FindLaw's team of legal writers and editors | Last reviewed June 20, 2016

We’ve all had a school crush and wondered what it would be like to get married. Maybe it was just doodling first and last names in a notebook. Or maybe you’ve had more serious thoughts of getting married, and now you’re wondering how old you have to be to tie the knot in the Hawkeye State. And the answer is that it probably depends on whether your parents are cool with you getting married. This is an introduction to the marriage age requirement laws in Iowa.

State Marriage Age Laws

Iowa’s age of majority, like most other states, is 18. This means you are an adult in the eyes of the law and you can get married with just a few additional requirements. While there are some jurisdictions with no state marriage age requirements, some states will allow younger partners to get married if they have their parents’ permission, or one of the partners already has had a child or is pregnant. Iowa’s marriage laws allow minors aged 16 and up to marry with parental consent.

Marriage Age Statutes in Iowa

Not all state marriage laws are the same. The chart below lists the details of Iowa's marriage age statutes.

Code Section	Iowa Code 595.2: Marriage Gender - Age
Minimum Legal Age With Parental Consent	Male: 16; Female: 16
Minimum Legal Age Without Parental Consent	Male: 18; Female:18
Comments	Minors 16-17 may obtain license without parental consent with approval of court if both parents dead or incompetent or marriage in parties' best interest.

Marriage Requirements

Even a perfect romance has to jump through a few hoops to become perfectly legal. Each state has their own marriage requirements that prospective couples have to meet, one of which is obtaining an actual marriage license. Iowans can submit a marriage license application at a county recorder's office and by providing full names, identification, and one witness who is over 18 and knows both parties.

Iowa does have a three-day waiting period from the time the marriage license is issued to when the ceremony can be performed. The marriage license fee is generally $35, but you can check with your local county clerk for details and any additional requirements.