Legal Research Home > New Jersey Lawyer > Marriages and Married Persons > New Jersey Marriages And Married Persons Laws Section 37:1-6. Consent for minors; requirements .

     37:1-6. A marriage license shall not be issued to a minor under the age of 18 years, unless the parents or guardian of the minor, if there be any, first certify under their hands and seals, in the presence of two reputable witnesses, their consent thereto, which consent shall be delivered to the licensing officer issuing the license. If the parents, or either of them, or guardian of any such minor shall be of unsound mind, the consent of such parent or guardian to the proposed marriage shall not be required.

    When a minor is under the age of 16 years, the consent required by this section must be approved in writing by any judge of the Superior Court, Chancery Division, Family Part. Said approval shall be filed with the licensing officer.

    The licensing officer shall transmit to the State Bureau of Vital Statistics all such consents, orders, and approvals so received by him in the same manner and subject to the same penalty as in the case of certificates of marriage and marriage licenses.

    If any such male applicant for a license to marry shall be a minor under the age of 18 years, and shall have been arrested on the charge of sexual intercourse with a single, widowed or divorced female of good repute for chastity who has thereby become pregnant, a license to marry the female may be immediately issued by any licensing officer to the minor upon his application therefor, without the consent or approval required by this section.

    Amended 1946,c.185,s.3; 1953,c.34,s.2; 1977,c.60; 1991,c.91,s.367.

Last modified: October 22, 2006