Lawmakers Seek To Raise Legal Age For Marriage In North Carolina

State lawmakers are advancing efforts to raise the legal age for marriage. North Carolina is one of two states in the country that still allow children as young as 14 to get married.

Bills currently in the state House and Senate would prevent anyone under the age of 18 from marrying.

Senate Bill 35 is being sponsored by Sen. Vickie Sawyer, a Republican from Mooresville. Sawyer has been working with the Tahirih Justice Center to change North Carolina's law.

The House bill is sponsored by Rep. Jason Staine, a Lincolnton Republican. Staine says he fears that North Carolina could become a regional destination for child marriages.

Current state law requires parental consent for minors to marry. Children as young as 14 can seek court approval to marry in cases involving pregnancy or raising a child.

According to a news release from the Justice Center, North Carolina is tied with Alaska for having the lowest legal marriage age. The Center says child marriage can be a factor in poverty, domestic violence, and sexual abuse.