You have to be at least 18 years old to get married in Michigan. A law that took effect in September 2023 removed every prior exception, including the old rule that let 16- and 17-year-olds marry with a parent’s written consent. There is no judicial bypass, no parental permission workaround, and no religious exemption.
Michigan Compiled Laws (MCL) 551.103 states that a person who is 18 or older may enter into a marriage contract.1Michigan Legislature. MCL – Section 551.103 – Marriage License (Excerpt) That’s the whole rule. Age is measured on the day the license is issued and the ceremony performed, not on some future birthday.
What the 2023 Law Changed
Before September 2023, Michigan allowed minors as young as 16 to marry if a parent or legal guardian signed a written consent. Governor Whitmer signed a package of bills in September 2023 that set the floor at 18 and eliminated every exception that had existed under the old statute.2State of Michigan. Governor Whitmer Signs Final Bill in Package Protecting Children, Officially Banning Child Marriage
So if you’ve heard that a 17-year-old can marry in Michigan with a parent’s signature, that information is out of date. The parental consent route no longer exists.
What Happens If Someone Under 18 Marries Anyway
A marriage involving a person under 18 is void in Michigan.3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws Chapter 551 – Marriage – Section 551.51 Void means it has no legal effect from the beginning. The couple does not need to file for annulment or divorce to undo it, because in the eyes of the law it never existed as a marriage.
The practical consequence is that none of the legal effects of marriage attach: no spousal rights, no joint tax status, no inheritance by right of marriage, nothing. A county clerk should not issue the license in the first place, but even if a ceremony takes place, the result is the same.
Can a Michigan Resident Marry in Another State at 17?
No. Michigan recognizes an out-of-state marriage of its residents only if both parties were legally competent to marry under Michigan law at the time of the ceremony.4Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws Chapter 551 – Marriage – Section 551.271 A 17-year-old Michigan resident who travels to a state with a lower minimum age, marries there, and comes home can find the marriage unrecognized in Michigan.
That matters for every downstream right that depends on being married: filing jointly, hospital visitation, insurance coverage through a spouse, inheritance without a will. If Michigan doesn’t recognize the marriage, those rights don’t follow you across the state line.
Proving Your Age at the County Clerk’s Office
Because 18 is now the hard floor, you will be asked to prove it. When you apply for a marriage license, bring a valid driver’s license, state-issued ID, or passport, plus a certified birth certificate showing your full date of birth.5Wayne County, Michigan. Marriage Licenses The photo ID establishes who you are; the birth certificate confirms when you were born. A clerk can ask for the birth certificate as additional proof of age even when the ID shows your date of birth.1Michigan Legislature. MCL – Section 551.103 – Marriage License (Excerpt)
If you were born outside the United States, your foreign birth certificate must be translated into English by a certified translator, and a notary other than the translator must notarize the translator’s signature. You will also need documents establishing legal presence, such as a green card, employment authorization card, naturalization papers, or a valid passport with current visa status.5Wayne County, Michigan. Marriage Licenses
If You Don’t Have a Birth Certificate
You can request a certified copy of a Michigan birth certificate from the vital records office in the county where you were born or from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. The state registrar charges $34 for a search and one certified copy.6Michigan Legislature. MCL – Section 333.2891 – Public Health Code (Excerpt) County offices sometimes charge less, often in the $20 to $34 range for the first copy. Processing can take time, so order it well before you plan to apply for the license.
Other People You Cannot Marry
Age is the question most people ask about, but it isn’t the only limit. Michigan prohibits marriage between close relatives: parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren, siblings, aunts or uncles and nieces or nephews, and first cousins.7Michigan Legislature. MCL – Section 551.3 Marriages between step-parents and step-children, and between certain in-laws, are also prohibited. And you cannot marry anyone new while a prior spouse is still living and the earlier marriage has not been legally dissolved.8Michigan Legislature. MCL – Section 551.5
The witnesses who sign your marriage license also have to be at least 18.1Michigan Legislature. MCL – Section 551.103 – Marriage License (Excerpt) So the age rule reaches a little past the couple itself.