Part of: Divorce Specialists
The legal age for marriage in the UK depends on which nation you marry in. In England and Wales it is 18, with no exceptions: since 27 February 2023, 16- and 17-year-olds cannot marry or form a civil partnership even with a parent’s consent (GOV.UK). In Scotland the minimum age is 16 and no parental consent is needed. In Northern Ireland it is 16, but 16- and 17-year-olds need parental consent, and a Bill to raise the age to 18 is before the Assembly.
Key takeaways
- England and Wales: 18 for marriage and civil partnership, no exceptions, since 27 February 2023.
- Scotland: 16, with no parental consent needed. The Scottish Government has consulted on raising it to 18.
- Northern Ireland: 16 with parental consent. A Bill to make it 18 had not become law by 11 September 2026.
- In England and Wales it is a crime, with a maximum of 7 years in prison, to do anything intended to cause a child to marry, even without threats or pressure.
- A marriage in England and Wales where either person is under 18 is void.
Legal age for marriage UK: how the nations compare
What age can you get married? UK law gives a different answer in each nation. The table below gives the legal age to marry, UK-wide and nation by nation, as at 11 September 2026.
| Nation | Minimum age to marry | 16-17 with parental consent? | Civil partnership | The law |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 18 | No. Abolished on 27 February 2023 | 18 | Marriage Act 1949, s.2, as amended by the 2022 Act |
| Scotland | 16 | Not needed | 16 | Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977, s.1; mygov.scot |
| Northern Ireland | 16 | Yes, consent is required | 16, with consent | Age of Marriage Act (NI) 1951, s.1; Department of Finance |
Minimum marriage age UK: what changed on 27 February 2023
The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Act 2022 came into force on 27 February 2023 and raised the minimum age for marriage and civil partnership in England and Wales from 16 to 18. Before then, a 16- or 17-year-old could marry with a parent’s consent or, failing that, a court’s.
The Act did three things. Section 2 of the Marriage Act 1949 now says a marriage is void if either person is under 18. The consent route for 16- and 17-year-olds was removed. And causing a child to marry became a criminal offence in any circumstances, not only where force or threats are used.
So the legal age for marriage in England and Wales is now 18 for everyone, whatever a family’s religion, culture or wishes, and the same age applies to civil partnership.
Legal marriage age UK timeline: 1949 to 2026
- 1949: the Marriage Act 1949 makes a marriage void in England and Wales if either person is under 16.
- 1969: the Family Law Reform Act 1969, s.2 lowers the age below which parental consent is needed from 21 to 18.
- 1977: the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977 sets 16 as the minimum age in Scotland, with no parental consent requirement.
- 2014: forcing someone to marry becomes a crime under section 121 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014, and breaching a forced marriage protection order becomes an offence from 16 June 2014 (Family Law Act 1996, s.63CA).
- 27 February 2023: England and Wales raise the minimum age to 18 and create the child marriage offence.
- 29 December 2025: the Scottish Government opens a family law consultation asking whether Scotland should raise its minimum age to 18. It closed on 21 April 2026.
- March to April 2026: Northern Ireland’s Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill is introduced on 16 March and passes its Second Stage on 20 April. Its later stages were still to be scheduled on 11 September 2026.
Can you get married at 16? UK rules nation by nation
Yes, but only in Scotland or Northern Ireland, because there is no single legal age to get married UK-wide. In Scotland a 16-year-old can marry without anyone’s consent, because parental consent has not been a feature of Scots law. In Northern Ireland a 16- or 17-year-old can marry with parental or equivalent consent (Department of Finance).
Can you get married at 16 in England? No. And travelling to Scotland is not a safe workaround for someone who lives in England or Wales. A civil partnership registered in Scotland or Northern Ireland is void if either person was domiciled in England and Wales and under 18 (Explanatory Notes, section 4), and a marriage there raises the same question of where each person is domiciled. Anyone who helps arrange it may also commit the offence described next.
Marriage age law: the offence of causing a child to marry
Since 27 February 2023, section 121(3A) of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 makes it an offence to do anything for the purpose of causing a child to marry before their 18th birthday. No violence, threats or coercion need be shown. The maximum sentence is 7 years’ imprisonment.
For this offence, marriage means any religious or civil ceremony, whether or not it is legally binding (Explanatory Notes). An unregistered religious or community ceremony involving a 16-year-old is covered, even though it could never be a valid marriage.
The offence also reaches weddings outside England and Wales, for example where the child is habitually resident here (s.121(7A)). Arranging a ceremony abroad for a 17-year-old who lives in England does not put it beyond the law.
The need was real. In 2021 the government’s Forced Marriage Unit gave advice or support in 118 cases involving victims under 18, and in 2018, 119 girls and 28 boys under 18 married in England and Wales (GOV.UK).
What happens if someone marries below the minimum age for marriage?
In England and Wales the marriage is void: in law it never existed. Both section 2 of the Marriage Act 1949 and section 11 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 say a marriage is void where either person is under 18.
A court nullity order gives formal, recorded proof of that status, which can matter later, for example if either person wants to marry again. Our guide to marriage annulment explains how nullity works.
Marriages abroad under 18: does England and Wales recognise them?
There is no single yes or no. For a marriage that took place outside England and Wales, section 14 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 leaves its validity to the rules of private international law, which can look both at the law of the country where the wedding happened and at each person’s capacity to marry.
The answer turns on the facts: where each person lived and was domiciled at the time, their ages, and the law of the country concerned. If you are unsure whether an overseas marriage entered into before 18 is valid here, get advice on your own facts before relying on it either way.
Legal age of marriage in Scotland and Northern Ireland: reforms under way
Scotland. The minimum age is 16 under section 1 of the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977, which still read 16 when we checked it on 11 September 2026. The Scottish Government’s consultation asked whether to raise the age of marriage in Scotland, and of civil partnership, to 18, in line with England and Wales and with the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.
Northern Ireland. A marriage where either person is under 16 is void under section 1 of the Age of Marriage Act (Northern Ireland) 1951, and 16- and 17-year-olds need parental or equivalent consent. The Marriage and Civil Partnership Bill would raise the minimum age for marriage and civil partnership to 18 and make it a crime to arrange a marriage involving anyone under 18 (Department of Finance). It had not become law by 11 September 2026.
How to protect someone at risk of an underage or forced marriage
- In an emergency, call 999.
- Contact the government’s Forced Marriage Unit on 020 7008 0151 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm; out of hours 020 7008 5000) or [email protected]. It can help find safe accommodation.
- Call the Karma Nirvana helpline on 0800 5999 247 for specialist support with honour-based abuse and forced marriage.
- Apply for a forced marriage protection order. It is free, it can stop someone taking the person out of the UK, and an emergency order can be made without the other side being told first. Our forced marriage protection orders guide explains how the order works.
Breaching a forced marriage protection order is a crime carrying up to five years’ imprisonment (Family Law Act 1996, s.63CA).
If you are worried about a planned marriage, or need to know whether a past marriage is valid, our family law specialists can talk it through in a free, confidential consultation. Call 0330 094 5880 or ask us to call you back. For ending a valid marriage, see our divorce specialists page.
Marriage laws in England: common questions
What is the legal age for marriage in the UK?
It is 18 in England and Wales, 16 in Scotland, and 16 with parental consent in Northern Ireland. The same ages apply to civil partnership.
Can a 16-year-old legally get married in the UK?
Yes in Scotland, without parental consent, and in Northern Ireland with parental or equivalent consent. Not in England and Wales, where the minimum is 18.
Can you get married at 17 with parental consent in England?
No. The consent route for 16- and 17-year-olds was abolished on 27 February 2023, so the marriage age in England and Wales is 18 with no exceptions.
When did the age of marriage change from 21 to 18?
21 was the age below which you needed parental consent, not the minimum age. The Family Law Reform Act 1969 lowered it to 18. The minimum age itself rose from 16 to 18 in England and Wales in 2023.
How old do you have to be to get married?
18 if you marry in England or Wales, 16 in Scotland, and 16 in Northern Ireland with parental consent. In cross-border cases, where each person is domiciled can also matter.
What age can you get engaged in the UK?
There is no minimum age for an engagement, because an agreement to marry is not a legally binding contract in England and Wales (Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1970, s.1). But steering a child towards a wedding, including through an engagement, may be conduct for the purpose of causing a child to marry, which is an offence.
Expert Commentary:
“A common question clients ask when looking into the legal age for marriage uk is: whether I can get married in Scotland aged 16 but I live in England. The Answer quite simply is: A marriage civil partnership registered in Scotland or Northern Ireland is void if either person was domiciled in England and Wales and under 18.”
Tom Atkinson, Client Team Member
