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Legislation to ban underage marriage in Oklahoma cleared its first hurdle, with the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approving Senator Warren Hamilton’s proposal. Senate Bill 504 would eliminate current law allowing 16 and 17-year-olds to marry with parental consent, effectively raising the minimum marriage age to 18.

“Though nearing adulthood, the fact remains that these are minors who are vulnerable and need legal protections from those who seek to prey upon them,” Hamilton, R-McCurtain, said. The senator emphasized that the bill builds on last year’s legislation that raised Oklahoma’s age of consent from 16 to 18, framing it as part of broader efforts to safeguard children from coercion and exploitation.

If approved by the full Senate, Oklahoma would join more than a dozen states that have banned child marriage since 2018. Hamilton said the bill’s language has evolved over several years to provide “effective solutions and strong safeguards” for minors, with lawmakers aiming to close loopholes that could put children at risk.