Missouri: Destination Wedding Spot for 15-Year-Old Brides
More than 1000 15-year-old children have been married in Missouri since 1999. The state has the most lenient child marriage statutes in the country, according to the Kansas City Star.
From the Kansas City Star:
Every other state requires some combination of a judge’s order, parents’ permission, premarital counseling or proof of pregnancy. Some flat-out prohibit marriages so young. But in Missouri, brides and grooms as young as 15 can marry with no more than the single approving swipe of their parent’s pen, even if the other parent objects.
Even children ages 14, 13, 12 or younger can marry in Missouri, as it remains one of 25 states with no minimum age requirement, although at 14 or younger, a judge must approve.
But 15? One signature.
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