California Moves to Ban Child Marriage Under 18

California took a significant step toward ending child marriage Wednesday when the State Senate unanimously passed legislation that would establish 18 as the minimum age for marriage in the state.

The bill requires just one additional vote before advancing to Governor Gavin Newsom for final approval. If signed into law, California would join the majority of states that have implemented age restrictions to prevent minors from entering into marriage.

California currently stands as one of only three states without age restrictions on marriage when parental consent is provided. The proposed legislation would eliminate that exception and set a firm minimum age of 18 years old for all marriages performed in the state.

Model and media personality Courtney Stodden has been a vocal advocate for the legislation. Stodden married actor Doug Hutchison in 2010 when Hutchison was 51 years old and Stodden was 16. Stodden has publicly stated that the marriage caused significant psychological harm and has spent years advocating for policy changes to protect minors from similar situations.

The legislation has received support from Unchained At Last, an organization dedicated to ending child marriage throughout the United States. The group has been working with lawmakers and advocates to close legal loopholes that permit minors to marry with parental or judicial consent.

Child marriage remains legal in most American states under certain circumstances, though momentum has been building in recent years to raise minimum marriage ages. Advocates argue that minors lack the legal standing and life experience to make informed decisions about marriage, and that early marriage often leads to negative outcomes including interrupted education, economic hardship, and increased vulnerability to domestic abuse.

The bill's unanimous passage in the State Senate signals strong bipartisan support for protecting minors from premature marriage. Should the legislation clear its final procedural hurdle and receive the governor's signature, California would implement one of the nation's strongest protections against child marriage.