Do You Think It’s Ok To Get Married In Wyoming At 16?
There are important 'milestone' ages in life that are special.
- Turn 10 you're in double digits
- 13 you're a teenager
- 18 you vote
- 21 you can drink
- 25 you can rent a car
- 40 your life is about half way over
- 55 you can get senior citizen discounts
An important age that was left out is 16. At 16 you can get your drivers license or get married, in Wyoming.
Yep, you can legally be married.
It's interesting to me, because there's no way I was ready to be married at 16. Honestly, I still wasn't ready nor did thought of marriage didn't cross my mind at 18, 21 or 25 either.
My parents were both 17 when they were married and my grandparents were extremely young when they were married, my grandmother was 14.
That was a whole different time then, though. By today's standards they wouldn't have been able to get married for a couple more years.
Times are changing for the age of getting married all over the country.
For the last few years the push for the minimum age to be able to consent to be married has been under fire. Some Wyoming Representatives feel the minimum age needs to be raised to 18, unless parental consent is given for those 16 or 17.
This is a trend that has been happening all over the United States. In the summer of 2022, Massachusetts became the 7th state that raised their legal age to 18. Prior to that, the minimum age for girls was 12 and 14 for boys.
Yep, you read that correctly, 12 and 14 years old. Playing with your Barbie Doll one day and getting hitched the next. Fortunately the state has ended the possibility of child marriages and you MUST be 18, with no exceptions.
With the age of human trafficking and adults marrying teens, the State Of Wyoming is making a push to change the minimum age with House Bill No. HB0007.
AN ACT relating to domestic relations; amending the minimum marriageable age; specifying that marriages involving persons under age sixteen (16) are void; making conforming amendments; specifying applicability; and providing for an effective date.
If the bill passes, it will take effect in July of 2023.