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28	28	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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30	30	1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
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32	32	HOUSE BILL 1997 By: Turner
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42	42	AS INTRODUCED
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44	44	An Act relating to marriage; enacting the Child
45	45	Protection Act of 2024; amending 43 O.S. 2021,
46	46	Section 3, which relates to marriage; modifying
47	47	exception; providing for noncodification; and
48	48	providing an effective date.
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60	60	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
61	61	SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law not to be
62	62	codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:
63	63	This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Child
64	64	Protection Act of 2024 ".
65	65	SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 43 O.S. 2021, Section 3, is
66	66	amended to read as follows:
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93	93	Section 3. A. Any unmarried person who is a t least eighteen
94	94	(18) years of age and not otherwise disqualified is capable of
95	95	contracting and consenting to marriage with a person of the opposite
96	96	sex.
97	97	B. 1. Except as otherwise provided by this subsection, no No
98	98	person under the age of eighteen (18) y ears shall enter into the
99	99	marriage relation, nor shall any license issue there for, except:
100	100	a. upon the consent and authority expressly given by the
101	101	parent or guardian of such underage applicant in the
102	102	presence of the authority issuing such license,
103	103	b. upon the written consent of the parent or guardian of
104	104	such underage applicant executed and acknowledged in
105	105	person before a judge of the district court or the
106	106	court clerk of any county within the State of
107	107	Oklahoma,
108	108	c. if the parent or guardian resides outside o f the State
109	109	of Oklahoma, upon the written consent of the parent or
110	110	guardian executed before a judge or clerk of a court
111	111	of record. The executed foreign consent shall be duly
112	112	authenticated in the same manner as proof of documents
113	113	from foreign jurisdictions ,
114	114	d. if the certificate of a duly licensed medical doctor
115	115	or osteopath, acknowledged in the manner provided by
116	116	law for the acknowledgment of deeds, and stating that
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143	143	such parent or guardian is unable by reason of health
144	144	or incapacity to be present in person , is presented to
145	145	such licensing authority, upon the written consent of
146	146	the parent or guardian, acknowledged in the same
147	147	manner as the accompanying medical certificate,
148	148	e. if the parent or guardian is on active duty with the
149	149	Armed Forces of the United Stat es, upon the written
150	150	permission of the parent or guardian, acknowledged in
151	151	the manner provided by law for acknowledgment of deeds
152	152	by military personnel authorized to administer oaths.
153	153	Such permission shall be presented to the licensing
154	154	authority, accompanied by a certificate executed by a
155	155	commissioned officer in command of the appl icant, to
156	156	the effect that the parent or guardian is on active
157	157	duty in the Armed Forces of the United States, or
158	158	f. upon affidavit of three (3) reputable persons stating
159	159	that both parents of the minor are deceased, or
160	160	mentally incompetent, or their whereabouts are unknown
161	161	to the minor, and that no guardian has theretofore
162	162	been appointed for the minor. The judge of the
163	163	district court issuing the license may in his or her
164	164	discretion consent to the marriage in the same manner
165	165	as in all cases in which consent m ay be given by a
166	166	parent or guardian
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193	193	if a court has conferred upon the minor the rights of majority
194	194	pursuant to Section 91 et seq. of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes .
195	195	2. Every person under the age of sixteen (16) years is
196	196	expressly forbidden and prohibited from entering into the marriage
197	197	relation except when authorized by the court:
198	198	a. in settlement of a suit for seduction or paternity, or
199	199	b. if the unmarried female is pregnant, or has given
200	200	birth to an illegitimate child and at least one parent
201	201	of each minor, or the guardian or custodian of such
202	202	child, is present before the court and has an
203	203	opportunity to present evidence in the event such
204	204	parent, guardian, or custodian objects to the issuance
205	205	of a marriage license. If they are not present the
206	206	parent, guardian, or custodian may be given notice of
207	207	the hearing at the discretion of the court.
208	208	3. A parent or a guardian of any child under the age of
209	209	eighteen (18) years who is in the custody of the Department of Human
210	210	Services or the Department of Juvenile Jus tice shall not be eligible
211	211	to consent to the marriage of such minor child as required by the
212	212	provisions of this subsection.
213	213	4. Any certificate or written permission required by this
214	214	subsection shall be retained by the official issuing the marriage
215	215	license.
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242	242	C. No marriage may be authorized when such marriage would be
243	243	incestuous under this chapter.
244	244	SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
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246	246	60-1-11792 CMA 12/12/24

Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB1997 Compare Versions