California Assembly Passes Landmark Bill Banning Child Marriage Despite Eight Republicans Voting 'No'

California lawmakers advanced AB 1267, which would set the minimum marriage age at 18 and eliminate parental-consent exceptions. (Credit: Lekan Ridwan via Unsplash)

California is on the brink of eliminating one of the last legal pathways for a child to marry in the United States, after state lawmakers advanced a bill setting an outright minimum marriage age of eighteen.

Assembly Bill 1267, authored by Assemblymember Gail Pellerin of San Jose, cleared the Assembly on a 66 to 8 vote before winning unanimous backing in the Senate on 19 August 2026. Only a final concurrence vote in the Assembly now stands between the bill and Governor Gavin Newsom's desk. California is currently one of just three states with no statutory minimum age for marriage.