Minors and Marriage

A person under age 18 years cannot marry unless they have been emancipated, a process also known as having the disabilities of minority removed for general purposes.

Read more about legal emancipation in Texas here.

See Texas Family Code chapters 2.003, 2.101, and 6.205.

A person under 18 years of age applying for a marriage license must:

• Appear before the county clerk;
• Submit proof of identity and age;
• Provide the information required in the application for a marriage license;
• Provide the clerk with a certified copy of the court order removing the disabilities of minority of the person for general purposes; and
• Take the oath printed on the application for a marriage license and sign the application before the county clerk.

See Texas Family Code chapters 2.003, 2.101, and 6.205.

(Starting September 1, 2021, you may be able to apply for a marriage license remotely.)

No. A person under the age of 18 may not be a party to an informal marriage or execute a declaration of informal marriage.

See Texas Family Code chapters 2.003, 2.101, and 6.205.