The bill, signed on September 30, 2025, removes California’s de facto loophole that allowed minors to marry with parental and judicial consent.
Under the new law, the minimum age for marriage or domestic partnership is 18, with no exceptions for parental approval or court orders.
Governor Newsom described the measure as "long overdue" to protect young Californians, while model Courtney Stodden vowed to keep pushing for nationwide bans.
Advocacy groups note that 314,000 minors married nationwide between 2000 and 2021, 66,415 of those at ages that would make sexual activity illegal.
California becomes the 18th state to outlaw child marriage; 32 states still permit the practice, and legislators in those states are likely to respond to the new precedent.
The law takes effect on January 1, 2027, and state courts will begin enforcing it, setting a potential benchmark for federal policy.