Family · Marriage License

Legal Age to Marry in Michigan

The general age and absolute minimum age to marry in Michigan, the parental-consent or court rules for a minor where permitted, and recent changes. Cited to the statute and stated as written.

Confirmedagainst Mich. Comp. Laws §551.51Reviewed by Cholilurrohman · July 2026

Legal age to marry · Michigan

In Michigan you must be 18 to marry, with no exceptions since September 19, 2023. There is no parental-consent route and no judge, probate or otherwise, who can approve a marriage below 18. A marriage entered into in Michigan by anyone under 18 is void.

18, no exceptions

General age18, no exceptions

Absolute minimum18

StatuteMich. Comp. Laws §551.51

The rule and exceptions in Michigan

The general age, the permission path for a minor where allowed, and the absolute minimum.

The rule in this state	What it means
18 or older may contract marriage	MCL 551.103(1) states plainly that an individual who is 18 years of age or older may contract marriage. That is the whole age rule. There is nothing below it.
Proof of age on request	MCL 551.103(1) lets the county clerk require a birth certificate or other proof of age in addition to the statement of age in the application, and bars the clerk from issuing a license until the requirements are met.
Witnesses must also be adults	MCL 551.103(2) requires the witnesses who sign the returned license to be 18 years of age or older.
Underage marriage is void	MCL 551.51(1) says a marriage entered into in Michigan by an individual under 18 is void. That is stronger than voidable, so it needs no annulment action and does not ripen into a valid marriage when the underage party turns 18.

Exceptions and limits	What it means
None on age	There is no exception. Michigan removed every one of them in 2023. No parental consent, no judicial order, no probate court waiver, no pregnancy exception, and no emancipation exception exists.
Prospective only	MCL 551.51(2) applies the rule to a marriage entered into on or after the effective date of the amendment. A marriage lawfully entered into in Michigan by a 16 or 17 year old before September 19, 2023 is not retroactively voided.

Void, not voidable

MCL 551.51(1) says a marriage by a person under 18 is void. It does not require anyone to bring an annulment action, and on the face of the statute it does not become valid when the underage party turns 18.

The reform, precisely

MCL 551.51 was amended by 2023 PA 71 and MCL 551.103 by 2023 PA 121, both effective September 19, 2023. The package was tie-barred, so every piece carries the same date and the reform was deliberately all or nothing.

The old consent route is repealed and must be ignored

The provision that used to let a 16 or 17 year old marry with a parent’s signature was removed by 2023 PA 121. Michigan no longer has any parental-consent age. Web sources that still repeat the old 16-with-consent rule are wrong.

Officials face the penalties, not the couple

Michigan keeps misdemeanor penalties aimed at process failures rather than at the parties, so a county clerk who violates the act, a person who officiates improperly, or someone who makes a false statement in the application can be prosecuted.

What to know

Neutral, factual points about applying for a marriage license in Michigan. This is legal information, not legal advice.

Confirm both parties are 18
Michigan requires everyone marrying to be 18 or older under MCL 551.103(1). There is no younger route of any kind.
Bring proof of age to the county clerk
The clerk may ask for a birth certificate or other proof of age and will not issue a license until the age requirement is satisfied.
Do not look for a consent or court path
There is no parental consent, judicial order, probate waiver, pregnancy exception, or emancipation exception. All were removed in 2023.
Know that an underage marriage is void
A marriage entered into in Michigan by anyone under 18 is void under MCL 551.51(1), so it has no legal effect from the start.

This is general legal information, not legal advice, and it states the law as written. Minimum-age laws have changed in several states recently, so confirm the current statute with a court resource or a licensed attorney.

The Michigan law in detail

Michigan is now a hard 18 state with no way around it. Since September 19, 2023, MCL 551.51(1) provides that a marriage in Michigan may not be contracted by anyone under 18, and any such marriage is void, while MCL 551.103(1) lets only a person 18 or older contract marriage. The 2023 reform did not just raise the age, it dismantled the entire apparatus that used to allow younger marriages. There is no parental-consent age anymore, because the consent provision was repealed, and there is no judge, probate or otherwise, with power to approve a marriage below 18. The clearest proof is structural. The act that once let a minor marry now consists of a single section and carries a rewritten title that simply prohibits the marriage of an individual under 18. Web pages that still describe a 16-with-consent rule are quoting law that no longer exists. The statute is void rather than voidable, which is stronger, and it is prospective, so a marriage lawfully formed by a 16 or 17 year old in Michigan before September 19, 2023 is not undone. Penalties in this area fall on clerks and officiants who break the rules, not on the couple.

Common questions

What is the legal age to marry in Michigan?

You must be 18. MCL 551.103(1) lets only an individual 18 or older contract marriage, and MCL 551.51(1) makes a marriage by anyone under 18 void.

Can a 16 or 17 year old marry in Michigan with parental consent?

No. Michigan repealed its parental-consent route in 2023. There is no consent age at all, and no marriage below 18 is permitted for any reason.

Are there any exceptions to Michigan’s marriage age?

None. Since September 19, 2023 there is no judicial order, no probate waiver, no pregnancy exception, and no emancipation exception. Everyone marrying must be 18.

What happens to a marriage in Michigan involving someone under 18?

It is void under MCL 551.51(1), meaning it has no legal effect from the start and does not require an annulment. The rule is prospective and does not undo marriages lawfully formed before September 19, 2023.

Primary source

→ Mich. Comp. Laws §551.51 (2023 PA 71); §551.103 (2023 PA 121)

Michigan Compiled Laws · Chapter 551 (Marriage), §551.51 and §551.103 · legislature.mi.gov

Cholilurrohman
Every figure on this page is checked line-by-line against the current statute. Editorial standards →

Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.

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