{"data":{"id":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-43-43-3","jurisdiction":"us-ok","citation":"Okla. Stat. tit. 43, § 43-3","heading":"Who may marry","body":"A. Any unmarried person who is at least eighteen (18) years of\n\nage and not otherwise disqualified is capable of contracting and\n\nconsenting to marriage with a person of the opposite sex.\n\nB. 1. Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, no\n\nperson under the age of eighteen (18) years shall enter into the\n\nmarriage relation, nor shall any license issue therefor, except:\n\na. upon the consent and authority expressly given by the\n\nparent or guardian of such underage applicant in the\n\npresence of the authority issuing such license,\n\nb. upon the written consent of the parent or guardian of\n\nsuch underage applicant executed and acknowledged in\n\nperson before a judge of the district court or the\n\ncourt clerk of any county within the State of\n\nOklahoma,\n\nc. if the parent or guardian resides outside of the State\n\nof Oklahoma, upon the written consent of the parent or\n\nguardian executed before a judge or clerk of a court\n\nof record. The executed foreign consent shall be duly\n\nauthenticated in the same manner as proof of documents\n\nfrom foreign jurisdictions,\n\nd. if the certificate of a duly licensed medical doctor\n\nor osteopath, acknowledged in the manner provided by\n\nlaw for the acknowledgment of deeds, and stating that\n\nsuch parent or guardian is unable by reason of health\n\nor incapacity to be present in person, is presented to\n\nsuch licensing authority, upon the written consent of\n\nthe parent or guardian, acknowledged in the same\n\nmanner as the accompanying medical certificate,\n\ne. if the parent or guardian is on active duty with the\n\nArmed Forces of the United States, upon the written\n\npermission of the parent or guardian, acknowledged in\n\nthe manner provided by law for acknowledgment of deeds\n\nby military personnel authorized to administer oaths.\n\nSuch permission shall be presented to the licensing\n\nauthority, accompanied by a certificate executed by a\n\ncommissioned officer in command of the applicant, to\n\nthe effect that the parent or guardian is on active\n\nduty in the Armed Forces of the United States, or\n\nf. upon affidavit of three (3) reputable persons stating\n\nthat both parents of the minor are deceased, or\n\nmentally incompetent, or their whereabouts are unknown\n\nto the minor, and that no guardian has theretofore\n\nbeen appointed for the minor. The judge of the\n\ndistrict court issuing the license may in his or her\n\ndiscretion consent to the marriage in the same manner\n\nas in all cases in which consent may be given by a\n\nparent or guardian.\n\n2. Every person under the age of sixteen (16) years is\n\nexpressly forbidden and prohibited from entering into the marriage\n\nrelation except when authorized by the court:\n\na. in settlement of a suit for seduction or paternity, or\n\nb. if the unmarried female is pregnant, or has given\n\nbirth to an illegitimate child and at least one parent\n\nof each minor, or the guardian or custodian of such\n\nchild, is present before the court and has an\n\nopportunity to present evidence in the event such\n\nparent, guardian, or custodian objects to the issuance\n\nof a marriage license. If they are not present the\n\nparent, guardian, or custodian may be given notice of\n\nthe hearing at the discretion of the court.\n\n3. A parent or a guardian of any child under the age of\n\neighteen (18) years who is in the custody of the Department of Human\n\nServices or the Department of Juvenile Justice shall not be eligible\n\nto consent to the marriage of such minor child as required by the\n\nprovisions of this subsection.\n\n4. Any certificate or written permission required by this\n\nsubsection shall be retained by the official issuing the marriage\n\nlicense.\n\nC. No marriage may be authorized when such marriage would be\n\nincestuous under this chapter.\n\nR.L. 1910, § 3885. Amended by Laws 1947, p. 301, § 1; Laws 1959, p.\n\n183, § 1; Laws 1959, p. 184, § 1; Laws 1963, c. 91, § 1; Laws 1965,\n\nc. 383, § 1; Laws 1970, c. 131, § 1, emerg. eff. April 7, 1970; Laws\nsion required by this\n\nsubsection shall be retained by the official issuing the marriage\n\nlicense.\n\nC. No marriage may be authorized when such marriage would be\n\nincestuous under this chapter.\n\nR.L. 1910, § 3885. Amended by Laws 1947, p. 301, § 1; Laws 1959, p.\n\n183, § 1; Laws 1959, p. 184, § 1; Laws 1963, c. 91, § 1; Laws 1965,\n\nc. 383, § 1; Laws 1970, c. 131, § 1, emerg. eff. April 7, 1970; Laws\n\n1975, c. 39, § 1, eff. Oct. 1, 1975; Laws 1989, c. 64, § 1, eff.\n\nNov. 1, 1989; Laws 2004, c. 422, § 4, eff. July 1, 2004.","path":["OK Code","Title 43"],"source_url":"https://www.oklegislature.gov/OK_Statutes/CompleteTitles/os43.pdf","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:36Z","sha256":"d982465014eaf9adcb973ac20f1edaedc5dcc50a3d1eaa5977ef28b2ef32d940","source_id":"us-ok","stale":false,"prev":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-43-43-215","next":"us-ok/okla.-stat.-tit.-43-43-3.1"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}