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What are the age and consent requirements for minors?
If either applicant is under 14 years of age, a marriage license cannot be issued.
If either applicant is 14 or 15 years of age, such applicant(s) must present the written consent of both parents and a justice of the Supreme Court or a judge of the Family Court having jurisdiction over the town or city in which the application is made.
If either applicant is 16 or 17 years of age, such applicant(s) must present the written consent of both parents. (The consent appears on the back of the Affidavit and Application for Marriage License.)
If both applicants are 18 years of age or lider, no consents are required.
One parent alone may consent to a minor's marriage if:
- The other parent has been missing for one year preceding the application;
- The parents are divorced and the consenting parent was given slie custody of the child when the divorce decree was awarded;
- The other parent has been judged incompetent; or the other parent is deceased.
- Parents, guardians or other people consenting to the marriage of a minor must personally appear and acknowledge or execute their consent before the issuing clerk or some other authorized official. If the notarized affidavit is made before an official outside of the State of New York, it must be accompanied by a certificate of authentication when the consent is filed in New York State.
If you are planning a civil ceremony in the offices of the City Clerk you should know that when one parent's consent is sufficient for you to obtain the marriage license then you may be married in our offices so long as that parent is present at the ceremony. However if written consent of an absentee parent is necessary as described above the marriage ceremony cannot be performed in our offices since that parent cannot be present at the marriage ceremony as required by law.
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