No person shall marry his or her sibling, parent, grandparent, child, grandchild, stepparent, grandparents' spouse, spouse's child, spouse's grandchild, sibling's child or parent's sibling. Persons who have a relationship of kinship, by being ascendant or descendant, by consanguinity, adoption or affinity, or collateral by consanguinity or adoption, until the third degree, or by sharing or possessing physical custody or parental authority. 5192), Sexual penetration (being 18 years of age or older), https://www.courthousenews.com/half-blood-uncle-niece-couples-endorsed-in-ny/, "2018 Arkansas Code 5-4-201 FinesLimitations on amount", "California Penal Code 290 (20192020 SB145 Section 1. The unique and extremely popular [citation needed] authority on pop culture since 2008. With Kentucky leading the way in 1943, state legislatures began to pass legislation prohibiting first-cousin marriage during the early . After this time, cousin marriage became taboo and frowned upon, so fewer and fewer cousins were marrying. So, Dakota Sioux, Ojibwe and Chippewa the tribes of Minnesota let it ride. Here is a list of some of the best states to marry in Nigeria and why. second cousin: a second cousin is the child of your parents cousin. By the way, if youre wondering why I didnt start this list with the states that ban all cousin marriages or second cousin marriages its because there arent any. (Better than the conclusion of this list leading to you ruminating about your first cousin, right?). Person known to be biologically related as parent, child, grandparent of any degree, grandchild of any degree, brother, sister, half-brother, half-sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece. Marriage, cohabitation (under the representation of marriage), sexual intercourse. First cousins in Connecticut who want to marry: rejoice! While marrying a first cousin doubles your risk of having a baby born with a birth defect, that percentage is really only a 4-6% chance. Marriage between first cousins was legal in all states prior to the Civil War, but anthropologists and other professionals began to protest it as there was a great deal of evidence proving that the children of first cousins have an increased chance of being born with mentally and physically disabled children. No one under the age of 16 can be married in Illinois. Click through to find out! Michigan doesnt have any precedents on it, nor any laws that seem to specifically prohibit it. In other states, it is legal to be married to your first cousin. In simple words, your parents cousin is your cousin once removed. Youll notice that we havent filled in yes or no for many of the states. https://herlifeblog.com/wp-content/cache/breeze-minification/js/breeze_0d71f2cf9f0dd91f8e35d5108a9c1b99.js. Between 1650 and 1850, the average married couple was fourth cousins, meaning they shared the same great-great-great grandparents, research shows. A small number of states allow certain types of first cousin couples to marry. It is legal in all 50 states to marry your second cousin. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. This is genetically a more distant relationship than full first cousins. Why do so many people feel its gross to marry a first cousin? First-cousin marriage can be allowed in seven states. What about Utah and its first-cousin marriage laws? Visit our attorney directory to find a lawyer near you who can help. Texas has the dubious honor of being the only state to introduce a ban in this century. 1 Some states recognize marriages performed elsewhere, especially when the spouses were not residents of the state when married. What? What states is it legal to marry your cousin? Maybe someone will find this list, realize that those taboo feelings theyve been having every year at Thanksgiving arent that strange, and use the info gathered here to finally make true love happen. See also Cousin marriage court cases in the United States References I was actually surprised more of the banned states from above dont have adopted cousin loopholes. Read Also: 15 Best Tribe to Marry As Wife in Nigeria. First cousins can be married in 19 states. Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming. Louisiana has outright banned cousins collaterals within the 4th degree- so you couldn't marry an Aunt/Uncle or 1st Cousin in Louisiana. Person related to other person as a (i) Brother or sister, either of the whole blood or the half blood; or (ii) Father or mother, when the child, regardless of legitimacy and regardless of whether the child was of the whole blood or half-blood or was adopted, was 18 years of age or over when the act was committed; or (iii) Stepfather or stepmother, when the stepchild was 18 years of age or over when the act was committed . From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core. Therefore, in order to avoid such a situation, couples should receive genetic counselling from a physician before they make a huge decision. 16, 1), or who commit fornication or adultery with each other. Its a little ambiguous in both of these states. His aunt, uncle, nephew or niece of the whole or half-blood. In Texas, a marriage is void if one party to the marriage is related to the other, including first cousins. Twenty-five states prohibit marriage between first cousins. There are only six states that allow marriages between first cousins, with restrictions, while 19 states allow first-cousin marriages without any restrictions at all. Colorado, like California, does not outlaw marriage between first cousins. Utah allows first cousins to marry only if both parties are 65 or older, or both are 55 or older with a district court finding one or both parties are infertile. The orange color shows states where marriage between first cousins is allowed under some conditions. This is because Alabama law prohibits marriage between family members. And several presidents married cousins of more distant relations. There are 25 states where marrying your first cousin is illegal no exceptions. However, many cultures promote marriage between cousins, for various reasons. In Pennsylvania, it is illegal for first cousins to marry, but they can have sexual relations and live together. Pick from two wedding decks, one in Vail and one in Aspen, or the San Sophia Overlook in Telluride. Moreover, it is also because of genetic reasons. Plus think about how cheap the wedding will be so much overlap in the number of guests that fall under the well, we have to invite your Uncle Bernie umbrella! If you need a full explanation, check out our article on first cousins once removed. Contact us. Original birth certificate. Outlaw Jesse James married his first cousin Zerelda. 11 Cousin Marriage Laws in the US, From Strictest to Loosest, National Conference of State Legislatures, 11 Most Profound Quotes in Simpsons History, 11 Businesses Selling Two Hilariously Unconnected Items. Sexual intercourse or deviate sexual intercourse, Ascendant or descendant, brother or sister, uncle or niece, aunt or nephew (with knowledge), related by consanguinity either whole or half blood. His ancestor or descendant by blood or adoption; or, His brother or sister of the whole or half-blood or by adoption; or, His stepchild or stepparent, while the marriage creating the relationship exists; or. How Many Bras Does the Average Woman Own? Think you know where your state falls on such laws? A person who is related either legitimately or illegitimately, as, A person 18 years of age or older engages in sexual penetration, Actor is the victim's "natural or adoptive parent, step-parent guardian, custodian, or person. (1) an ancestor or descendant of the whole or half blood; (2) a brother or sister of the whole or half blood; or. First cousins in Arizona can only marry if one or both parties are 65 or older. YES YOU CAN. The table below provides a summary of the main factors. If your cousin is the grandchild of a fourth cousin, those fourth cousins twice removed. Note that the laws listed do. Translation: White people in Minnesota may not marry their first cousins. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures website (NCSL), it is legal for first cousins to get married in 21 states across the United States of America. However, there are many countries across the world and even some states in America itself, where cousin marriages are considered to be legal. However, there still are a couple of recent examples where couples chose to tie the knot within their own familial bloodlines, thus keeping it within the family tree. Persons known to be within a degree of consanguinity which makes marriages void between: parents and children, including grandparents and grandchildren of every degree; brothers and sisters of the half as well as the whole blood; uncles and nieces of the half as well as the whole blood; aunts and nephews of the half as well as the whole blood; first cousins of the half as well as the whole blood (illegitimate and legitimate children and relatives). First cousins once-removed are allowed to marry. First cousins once-removed, half-cousins and cousins through adoption are also allowed to marry. Though it is less common now, marriage of some form between first cousins is legal in many of America's50 states. Many people feel that intimacy and marriage between first cousins are gross because theyre so closely related and share some DNA. But half-cousins are not allowed to marry, the law states. Summary Of Cousin Marriage Restrictions In U.S. States, A History Of U.S. State Laws On First Cousin Marriages. The children of your first cousins are once removed from you. Research Your State Laws: The Growing Restriction Of First-cousin Marriage. Does Alabama allow first cousins to marry? In Louisiana, first cousins cannot marry, but they can cohabitate or have sexual relations. 765.30 (2010), Cousin marriage court cases in the United States, http://usmarriagelaws.com/search/united_states/maine/index.shtml, http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/state-laws-regarding-marriages-between-first-cousi.aspx, "Michigan Marriage License Laws > MI Wedding Officiants", http://www.osbar.org/public/legalinfo/1131_Marriage.htm, Laws regarding incest in the United States, https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Cousin_marriage_law_in_the_United_States_by_state&oldid=3085663, Pages with citations using unsupported parameters, Marriage, unions and partnerships in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, About Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core, Only if at least one is unable to reproduce, Only if both are over 50 or one is infertile, If judicial approval in writing is obtained, Proof of Genetic Counseling from a Genetic Counselor, Only if both parties are 65 or older, or both 55 are or older with a district court finding of infertility of either party, Only if the woman is at least 55, or either is permanently sterile. Extend to children and relations born out of wedlock or any person who sexually penetrates a. Incest: 2y to 6y and $2,000 (minimum) to $500,000 fine; Aggravated incest: 4y to 12 y and $3,000 (minimum) to $750,000 fine. The legality of marrying your first cousin can vary depending on the state or region, with some states allowing it while others prohibit it outright. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Required fields are marked *. Because Colorado has no such restrictions, there are occasional news reports about the state being a "destination" for first cousins from other states who wish to marry. Sexual penetration (2nd degree sexual assault) or sexual contact (4th degree criminal sexual contact), At least 15y without parole (2nd degree sexual assault) or up to 18m (4th degree criminal sexual contact). Nabeel Ahmad is the founder and editor-in-chief of Legal Inquirer. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Again, Wisconsin is another state that is attempting to prevent the births of disabled children, which has been shown to occur more frequently in closely related relatives. 14, 961); who knowingly intermarry with each other. Not . In Maryland, first cousins, first cousins once-removed, half-cousins and cousins through adoption are allowed to marry, cohabitate and have sexual relations. These states have the strictest laws (especially Kentucky, Nevada and Ohio, as youll see the others below all make exceptions).