YES YOU CAN. Persons known to be within a degree of consanguinity which makes marriages void between: parents and children, including grandparents and grandchildren of every degree; brothers and sisters of the half as well as the whole blood; uncles and nieces of the half as well as the whole blood; aunts and nephews of the half as well as the whole blood; first cousins of the half as well as the whole blood (illegitimate and legitimate children and relatives). First cousins once-removed and cousins through adoption can be wed, but half-cousins cannot. Persons who may not marry, within 3 degrees of lineal consanguinity or 1 degree of collateral consanguinity (an individual's grandparent, parent, child, sibling, grandchild, grandparent's spouse, spouse's grandparent, parent's sibling, stepparent, spouse's parent, spouse's child, child's spouse, grandchild's spouse, spouse's grandchild, or sibling's child). These states are: The following states are where cousin marriages are completely illegal in: Marrying your cousin is considered to be a taboo in various cultures. A small number of states have added this to their marriage legislation. (Amends) - Chaptered (Stats.2020 Ch.79))", "Statutes: Colorado 18-6-302. However, there are many countries across the world and even some states in America itself, where cousin marriages are considered to be legal. There are only six states that allow marriages between first cousins, with restrictions, while 19 states allow first-cousin marriages without any restrictions at all. Weve called that out in the in-depth articles. Colorado, like California, does not outlaw marriage between first cousins. Without regard to legitimacy or adoption, male & his child, parent, brother, sister, grandchild, niece or nephew, father's sister or brother, mother's sister or brother, father's wife, wife's child, child of his wife's son or daughter; female & her parent, child, brother, sister, grandchild, niece or nephew, father's sister or brother, mother's sister or brother, mother's husband, husband's child, child of her husband's son or daughter. The flow of brides from one family to other is unidirectional. In fact, between 1650-1850, the average married couple was fourth cousins. Meeting with a lawyer can help you understand your options and how to best protect your rights. The state of Illinois allows marriage between first cousins if both parties are aged 50 or older or one is infertile with proof from a medical doctor. In this map, the red color shows states where first cousins are prohibited from marrying without exception. In all but two states (and the special case of Ohio, which "targets only parental figures"),[1] incest is criminalized between consenting adults. Though first cousins in Nebraska cannot wed, they can legally live together and have sexual relations. Class B misdemeanor if marriage entered into; Class A misdemeanor if the couple cohabits after being convicted of entering into a prohibited marriage. Half-cousins and cousins through adoption are allowed to marry in the state. Many of them, as youll see below, also have other little loopholes. Marriage or nonmarital sexual intercourse. Ancestor or descendant, a brother or sister of whole or half-blood, or an uncle, aunt, nephew, or niece of whole blood (blood relationships without regard to legitimacy, and relationship of parent and child by adoption). between parents and children, including grandparents and grandchildren of every degree, between brothers and sisters of the one-half as well as the whole blood, and, between uncles and nieces, aunts and nephews and between first cousins. Only first cousins once removed are allowed to marry in North Dakota. Those living in the nations capital can marry their first cousins, as well as have sexual relations and cohabitate with them. It is legal for first cousins to marry in the state of Maine. First cousins in Vermont are allowed to marry, live together and have sexual relations. Whether or not first cousins are allowed to marry is based on the specific state law. ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Legality_of_incest_in_the_United_States&oldid=1136704396, Articles with dead external links from February 2020, Articles with permanently dead external links, Articles containing potentially dated statements from 2010, All articles containing potentially dated statements, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Marriage, sexual intercourse, deviate sexual intercourse, Marriage, intercourse (cited in state law as. Divorce decree if previously married. A 1973 ruling of the Michigan Supreme Court, however, found that a marriage between first-degree cousins married in Hungary was nevertheless valid. How Many Weddings Are There in Las Vegas Per Day? Like New Jersey, New Mexico allows first cousins, first cousins once-removed, half-cousins and cousins through adoption to marry, cohabitate and have sexual relations. What Does a Narcissistic Injury Feel Like? document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. First cousins and first cousins once-removed in Nevada are not allowed to marry, have sexual relations or live together, but half-cousins are allowed to marry in the state. An ancestor or descendant, a brother or sister of the whole or half blood or an uncle, aunt, nephew or niece of the whole blood. By the way, if youre wondering why I didnt start this list with the states that ban all cousin marriages or second cousin marriages its because there arent any. 765.30 (2010), Cousin marriage court cases in the United States, http://usmarriagelaws.com/search/united_states/maine/index.shtml, http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/state-laws-regarding-marriages-between-first-cousi.aspx, "Michigan Marriage License Laws > MI Wedding Officiants", http://www.osbar.org/public/legalinfo/1131_Marriage.htm, Laws regarding incest in the United States, https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=Cousin_marriage_law_in_the_United_States_by_state&oldid=3085663, Pages with citations using unsupported parameters, Marriage, unions and partnerships in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, About Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core, Only if at least one is unable to reproduce, Only if both are over 50 or one is infertile, If judicial approval in writing is obtained, Proof of Genetic Counseling from a Genetic Counselor, Only if both parties are 65 or older, or both 55 are or older with a district court finding of infertility of either party, Only if the woman is at least 55, or either is permanently sterile. (1) A man with his mother, grandmother, daughter, granddaughter, stepmother, sister, grandfather's wife, son's wife, grandson's wife, wife's mother, wife's grandmother, wife's daughter, wife's granddaughter, brother's daughter, sister's daughter, father's sister or mother's sister; (2) A woman with her father, grandfather, son, grandson, stepfather, brother, grandmother's husband, daughter's husband, granddaughter's husband, husband's father, husband's grandfather, husband's son, husband's grandson, brother's son, sister's son, father's brother or mother's brother. First cousins can cohabitate or have sexual relations. This is why many states flat-out disapprove of marriage between first cousins. Does Alabama allow first cousins to marry? First cousins in Connecticut who want to marry: rejoice! This isnt the only way that the relationship works. Only 21 states in America allow first cousins to be married legally. The common common ancestor is still your great-great-great-grandparent, but that ancestor is the great-great-great-grandparent of your fourth cousin twice removed. Of course, others will have their own opinions, but you can ignore what others think and say and enjoy being with the love of your life. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Some states have never had a prohibition on first cousin marriages on their legislation. Couples must apply for a marriage license, which is valid in any county in the state. 2y to 10y and $25,000 fine (more if specified). If they are half-siblings, then you are half first cousins. Some states consider it to be incest for first cousins to engage in sexual activity, and depending on the state, the couple could spend as long as 20 years in prison. Extend to children and relations born out of wedlock or any person who sexually penetrates a. As a result, first cousins can only legally marry in Arizona and Indiana if theyre over 65 or one is infertile and can provide proof of this. In New Jersey and Rhode Island, incest between consenting adults (16 or over for Rhode Island, 18 or over for New Jersey) is not a criminal offense, though marriage is not allowed in either state. Persons known to be within the 2nd degree of consanguinity (woman and her father, grandfather, son, grandson, brother, brother's son, sister's son, father's brother or mother's brother; man and his mother, grandmother, daughter, granddaughter, sister, brother's daughter, sister's daughter, father's sister or mother's sister). So, if a girl and her sister are out and meet two brothers, they pair off, have sex, and each couple produces a baby those kids couldnt get married in North Carolina. What is it called when you marry your first-cousin? Youll notice that we havent filled in yes or no for many of the states. Depending on what state you live in, you CAN marry your first cousin and can sponsor them for a green card or immigrant visa. His ancestor or descendant by blood or adoption; or, His brother or sister of the whole or half-blood or by adoption; or, His stepchild or stepparent, while the marriage creating the relationship exists; or. But in a lot of cases, you do not know who your second and third cousins are. INCEST: Persons being within the degrees of consanguinity within which marriages are declared by law to be void (V.I. Again, Wisconsin is another state that is attempting to prevent the births of disabled children, which has been shown to occur more frequently in closely related relatives. 1st degree incest: up to 10y and up to $20,000 fine; 2nd degree incest: up to 5y and up to $10,000 fine; Engaging with his or her father, mother, brother, sister, daughter, son, grandfather, grandmother, grandson, granddaughter, nephew, niece, uncle or aunt. TIT. Code Wash. (ARCW) 26.09.040 (2010), Rev. In order to fully understand what cousin marriages are you must first understand what a cousin is and what relation do you have with your cousin in the family tree. First cousins can marry without restriction in nineteen U.S. states, mostly on the east coast.

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