HARTFORD, Conn. — The legislation that effectively bans child marriages in the state of Connecticut was signed into law by the lieutenant governor on Friday.
Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, serving in her capacity as acting governor while Gov. Ned Lamont is out of the state, signed into law the legislation that updates Connecticut’s marriage statutes prohibiting anyone under the age of 18 from receiving a marriage license.
Connecticut is now the 9th state in the country to adopt a law prohibiting child marriage. The law goes into effect on July 1.
“I am proud that Connecticut has joined its neighbors in ending child marriage and closed a loophole that would allow some to venue shop for marriage in our state,” Bysiewicz said. “When we allow child marriage, we deprive children of their childhood – and their future. The legislature has set a number of reasonable restrictions for persons under the age of 18 – and through this new law we are eliminating a practice that undermines our children’s health, safety, education and future economic opportunities."
Lamont, who is out of the state on an economic development mission supporting Connecticut’s aerospace industry, called child marriage a “human rights violation.”
“The impact of being forced into marriage underage can be devastating, and both physically and emotionally harmful. In America, we should be setting an example for the rest of the world on what it means to stand up for children and their basic rights,” Lamont said in a statement. “I urge other states across our country to join this growing coalition and raise the marriage age to 18.”
State lawmakers passed the legislation in May and early June.
Under the current law, which was enacted in 2017, a probate judge can issue marriage licenses to 16 and 17-year-olds with the written consent of a parent or guardian. Prior to this law, the state did not have any age requirement for marriage.
Between 2000 and 2021, there were 1,251 child marriages in Connecticut. In the six years since the current state law was passed raising the minimum age to 16, there have been 33.
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