7 Obscure Marriage Laws In The U.S.
I've been married for a few years now, and it's been as close to normal as I imagine someone being married to me would be. But I stumbled across a little something on the interwebs the other day and it was just strange enough for me to share it with you. There are some old, outdated, and frankly, weird laws about marriage on the books out there. Here are a few I found.
1.) Marriage By Proxy.
In California, Colorado, Texas and Montana, if a member of them military can't make it to their own wedding, they can have someone stand-in. And Montana allows DOUBLE-PROXY weddings.
2. If You Get Married On A Dare in Deleware, You're Fine.
To get a marriage annulled in Delaware, you can choose from a whole bunch of fun, different reasons. There's, quote, "unsoundness of mind," "physical incapacity to consummate," "underage without consent of parents" . . . and even "jest" and "dare."
3.) When You Propose to a Woman in South Carolina, You Better Mean It.
If a guy in South Carolina over the age of 16 proposes to a girl just to trick her into sleeping with him, he can get up to a YEAR IN PRISON.
4. In Mississippi, You Gotta Prove Yourself.
In Truro, Mississippi, a groom has to prove he's manly by hunting and killing either six blackbirds or three crows before his wedding. This law isn't enforced anymore, but it's still on the books.
5. Arkansas is Staying Classy With Age Limits.
For a few months in early 2008, Arkansas accidentally made it legal for anyone of any age . . . even INFANTS . . . to get married without parental consent. In April of 2008 they changed it to 17 for boys, and 18 for girls. But it took that long to change it? And who thought it was a good idea to do that, anyway?
6. Kentucky Makes You Stop At a Hat Trick.
In Kentucky, it's illegal to remarry the same man four times. So, yeah. There's that. It makes me wonder... something had to happen to get that on the books. But what could it be that made the fourth re-marriage the breaking point?
7. None Of That Mystical Stuff in NOLA.
In New Orleans, it's illegal for a palm reader, fortune teller or mystic to officiate a wedding, even if they're ordained.
So there we have it, more marriage insanity. I think my favorite is the Kentucky one. I have so many unanswered questions with that one.
Marriedly yours,
Behka