California Bans Child Marriage!  

AB 1267 (Pellerin) Sets Minimum Age to Marry at 18

Sacramento, CA (September 30, 2026) – The California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls (CCSWG) celebrates a historic victory as Governor Gavin Newsom signs Assembly Bill 1276 (Pellerin), officially banning child marriage in California. After a nearly 10-year push to outlaw the practice, California joins 17 other states which have closed loopholes allowing minors to marry, setting the minimum age to marry at 18 with no exceptions. 

California was previously one of only three states with no statutory minimum age for marriage, a gap that allowed approximately 35,000 minors, most of them girls, to marry between 2000 and 2021. 

“AB 1267 being signed into law affirms what we already know: girls deserve to live their childhoods as children, not spouses,” said Commissioner Assemblymember Gail Pellerin, author of the bill and member of the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. “This victory belongs to the survivors who have courageously shared their experiences of abuse and exploitation time and time again to ensure that not one more child is subjected to the harms of child marriage.” 

In the U.S., nearly 315,000 children were legally married between 2000 and 2021, with the vast majority being girls married to adult men. The vast majority of U.S. child marriages involve girls marrying adult men. 

“Today, California finally joins many other states in banning child marriage with no exceptions or loopholes,” said California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls Executive Director Darcy Totten. “Children, especially girls, in California will no longer face being exploited or coerced into marriage, handed over to a predator who should have been prosecuted instead, or having their human rights violated. We are so grateful for the work of author Commissioner Assemblymember Gail Pellerin; our co-sponsor Unchained At Last, the many advocates and survivors who fought for this protection; and to the Governor for signing AB 1267 and showing that California can and will stand up for girls and youth.” 

Advocates and survivors, including co-sponsor Unchained At Last, have fought for nearly a decade to end child marriage in California. Former child brides, including Courtney Stodden and Christina Sutton, testified about the dangers and lifelong impact of child marriage, including increased risk of domestic violence, homelessness, financial dependency, and barriers to education and legal protection. 

“We at Unchained At Last are proud to have cosponsored this historic legislation with the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls. For nine years we have been begging, cajoling, urging and protesting to get California legislators to ban child marriage, a human rights abuse that destroys girls’ lives, and now, finally, we can declare victory,” said Unchained At Las Executive Director Fraidy Reiss. 

“AB 1267 becoming law is more than a generic policy; it’s California finally standing up for survivors like me. We won’t allow child marriage to happen to more children. The scars I carry will be with me for a lifetime. I can’t change that. What I can do now is work to be the person I needed, someone who protects children and ensures no minor ever has to endure what I did,” said child marriage survivor Christina Sutton.  

“When children are marrying adults, overwhelmingly girls marrying adult men, the imbalance of power is undeniable,” said California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls Chair Dr. Rita Gallardo Good. “Thank you, Governor, for signing AB 1267, and to fellow Commissioner Assemblymember Gail Pellerin for authoring the bill to ensure our laws protect minors from the harm of child marriage. The Commission thanks our co-sponsor, Unchained At Last, survivors, advocates, legislators, and staff who helped make this law possible.”  

“The reason why I chose to advocate for this cause was to help protect other girls. I wanted to make a lasting impact on the world, and by passing this bill, I’ve been able to help the girls before me and the future generations of girls to come,” said Sophia from Girl Scout Troop 62435, Girl Scouts of Northern California. 

When California’s law becomes effective on January 1, 2027, only two states remain with no minimum marriage age – Mississippi and New Mexico.  

Key Provisions of AB 1276: 

• Prohibits anyone under 18 from being issued a marriage license or establishing a domestic partnership in California. 
• Repeals all exceptions previously allowing minors to marry with parental consent or court order. 
• Aligns California law with national and international standards for child protection and human rights. 

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About the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls 

For 60 years, the California Commission on the Status of Women and Girls has identified and worked to eliminate inequities in state laws, practices, and conditions that affect California’s women and girls. Established as a state agency with 17 appointed commissioners in 1965, the Commission regularly assesses gender equity in health, safety, employment, education, and equal representation in the military and the media.