A common misperception is that child marriage--typically adult men marrying much younger girls--is something that takes place only in other countries, not the United States, much less California. Sadly, this is not the case!

Child marriage is legal and practiced in 44 of 50 U.S. states, including California, which has no minimum age to marry and no restrictions on the age difference between adult men and the minor girls they can legally marry. Children can be, and often are, forced to marry when their parents petition the courts.

Nearly 300,000 children were legally married in the U.S. between 2000 and 2018, and it is estimated that 23,588 of those children were married in California. Once in these marriages, these largely underage girls do not qualify for many legal protections due to their limited legal capacity. Many domestic violence shelters will not take in girls fleeing child marriages if they are not accompanied by a parent.

We must put an end to the antiquated and abusive practice of child marriage in California! Sign the petition to urge your state legislator to introduce and pass a bill to prohibit marriage to any child under the age of 18--no exceptions!