SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – Gov. Jerry Brown has signed legislation putting new restrictions on marriages involving one or more minors.
California already allows minors to marry with the permission of a judge and parent. The measure signed Friday will require couples to meet with family court officials who can assess whether a minor has been abused or coerced.
Minors will have to wait at least 30 days before getting married, unless they’re 17 and a high school graduate or one of the partners is pregnant.
The measure by Democratic Sen. Jerry Hill of San Mateo imposes no minimum age for marriage. It originally would have banned all underage marriages but was scaled back amid opposition from advocacy groups that said marriage is a fundamental right and there are legitimate reasons for minors to marry.
