The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved legislation by Senator Warren Hamilton, RMcCurtain, to prohibit marriage under the age of 18 in the State of Oklahoma. Senate Bill 504 eliminates current provisions in state law that allow 16- and 17-year-olds to marry with parental consent.

“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 said. “By raising the legal age for marriage, we are closing dangerous loopholes and ensuring more children can grow up safely, without risk of coercion.”

Hamilton stated this bill is another step forward in protecting Oklahoma children, following the Senate’s unanimous vote in 2025 to raise the state’s age of consent from 16 to 18.

“We must continue building on our efforts to strengthen protections for Oklahoma’s children, while eliminating avenues for predators to exploit or harm them,” Hamilton added. “This bill has evolved over the past few years, and I am confident that the language advanced provides effective solutions and strong safeguards for the most innocent among us.”

Senate Bill 504 is now eligible for consideration by the full Senate.

If Hamilton’s bill advances and becomes law, Oklahoma will join more than a dozen states that have outlawed child marriage since 2018.