Currently in Idaho there is no minimum age for marriage. Sort of. For minors age 16 and up, it takes parental consent before a marriage license is granted. Under the age of 16 requires parental or guardian consent and a court order. According to the State Law website:

Children under the age of 16 can get a license to marry with written parental consent and a court order. A hearing will be held on the petition to marry under the age of 16 and the minors must be found physically and mentally developed... or it must be in the “best interest of society” that the marriage be permitted.

My oldest son is 16 this year and finally referred to a girl as 'cute' yesterday. My three younger kids are even further from ready to settle down than he is. So, it is hard for me to imagine or come up with a  scenario in my head that makes sense for a child to be married. That doesn't mean it doesn't or shouldn't happen.

Even Guam and Puerto Rico at least have laws in the books with specific ages. That could soon be the case for Idaho too as lawmakers have introduced a child marriage bill to set the minimum age at 16 and set up further stipulations for those marriages. Similar legislation was proposed and shot down last year. The new law would also require the minors in these marriages to be within three years age of each other, according to the Idaho Press.

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