INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Anyone younger than 18 will need a judge’s permission in order to get married in Indiana under a law change approved by state legislators.
The proposal approved late Wednesday by lawmakers would repeal the state’s current law that allows those as young as 15 to marry if they have parental consent.
The new law would only allow 16- or 17-year-olds to marry someone no more than four years older after obtaining approval from a juvenile court judge.
Bill sponsor Republican Rep. Karen Engleman of Georgetown cited concerns that girls who marry before 18 have greater risk of sexual and domestic violence, along with higher poverty and high school dropout rates.