No. 62.
Mr. Evarts to Mr. Van den Bossche.

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 7th instant, and in reply to inclose herein copies of two circulars of [Page 122] the Department based on the report of the law officer of the Department regarding marriage laws in this country, referred to in the note of the Department of 3d instant. That report appears, however, to have been made in 1872, rather than in 1874, the date assigned in the above-mentioned note.

Accept, sir, a renewed assurance of my high consideration.

WM. M. EVARTS.
[Inclosures.]

Circular No. 18.

To the Diplomatic and Consular Officers of the United States:

Gentlemen: Occasions having arisen in which it was found desirable for the diplomatic and consular officers of the United States to possess authentic information concerning the laws in force in the several States and Territories of the United States as to the age at which males and females, whether unmarried or married, attain their majority, the Department, some time since, addressed a circular letter to the executives of the several States and Territories, from which the following information has been extracted:

states.

  • Alabama.—Males under 17 years, and females under the age of 14, cannot contract marriage. Both males and females attain their majority at 21 years of age.
  • Arkansas.—Males at the age of 21 years, and females at 18, attain their majority.
  • California.—Males attain their majority at the age of 21 years and females at 18.
  • Connecticut.—Males and females, unmarried or married, attain their majority at 21 years of age.
  • Delaware.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age, females at 21 or marriage.
  • Florida.—Males and females, married or unmarried, attain their majority at 21 years of age.
  • Georgia.—Males and females, married or unmarried, attain their majority at 21 years of age.
  • Illinois.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age and females at 18.
  • Indiana.—Males and females, married or unmarried, attain their majority at 21 years of age.
  • Iowa.—The period of minority extends in males to the age of 21 years and in females to 18, but all minors attain their majority by marriage.
  • Kansas.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age and females at 18, whether married or unmarried.
  • Maine.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age, and females, for the purposes of marriage, at 18, and for all other purposes at 21.
  • Maryland.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age and females at 18.
  • Massachusetts.—Males and females attain their majority, whether married or unmarried, at 21 years of age.
  • Michigan.—Males and females attain their majority at 21 years of age. (The age, however, so far as relates to females, is established rather by implication than direct averment of statute.)
  • Minnesota.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age and females at 18. (Males, however, are qualified under the law to contract marriage at 18 and females at 15.)
  • Missouri.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age and females at 18.
  • Mississippi.—Males and females attain their majority, whether married or unmarried, at 21 years of age. (Females are allowed to marry without consent of parents or guardian at 18.)
  • Kentucky.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age, females 18. (Males can marry at 18 and females at 14.)
  • Louisiana.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age and females at 18. (Males can marry at 14 and females at 12.)
  • New Hampshire.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age and females at 18.
  • New Jersey.—Males and females attain their majority at 21 years of age. (Females can marry without consent of parents or guardian at 18.)
  • New York.—Males and females attain their majority, whether married or unmarried, [Page 123] at 21 years of age. (Males may dispose of personal estate, by will, at 18 and upward, and females at 16. Marriage of females under 14, without consent of parents or guardian, may be declared void by the courts.)
  • North Carolina.—Males or females attain their majority, whether married or unmarried, at 21 years of age.
  • Nebraska.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age; females, married, at 16; unmarried, at 18.
  • Nevada.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age and females at 18.
  • Ohio.—Males attain their majority, whether married or unmarried, at 21 years, and females at 18.
  • Oregon.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age and females at 18, or on their marriage.
  • Pennsylvania.—Males and females attain their majority at 21 years of age. (In cases of apprenticeship, the male, under the law, is released at 21 and the female at 18.)
  • Rhode Island.—Males and females, married or unmarried, attain their majority at 21 years of age. (But both male and female may make a will of their personal property at 18.)
  • South Carolina.—Males and females, married or unmarried, attain their majority at 21 years of age.
  • Tennessee.—Males and females, married or unmarried, attain their majority at 21 years of age.
  • Texas.—Males or females attain their majority at 21 years of age. (Minor female upon marriage becomes of full age.)
  • Vermont.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age and females at 18.
  • Virginia.—Males and females attain their majority, married or unmarried, at 21 years of age.
  • West Virginia.—Males and females attain their majority at 21 years of age. (Minors, 18 years of age and upward, may dispose of personal property by will. No marriage can be solemnized between parties either of whom is under 21 years of age, unless with the consent of father, guardian, or mother.)
  • Wisconsin.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age and females at 18. (Marriage of a minor does not affect the state of majority.)

territories.

  • Colorado.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age and females at 18. (Males can marry at 16 and females at 14.)
  • Dakota.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age and females at 18. (Males can marry at 16 and females at 14.)
  • Idaho.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age and females at 18. (Males can marry at 16 and females at 14.)
  • Montana.—Males attain their majority at 21 year’s of age and females at 18. (Males can marry at 18; no age fixed for females.)
  • New Mexico.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age and females at 18. (Males must be 21 years of age to marry without consent of parents, but no age fixed for females.)
  • Utah.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age and females at 18. (A minor may make contract for personal services.)
  • Washington.—Males attain their majority at 21 years of age and females at 18. (All females married to a person of full age shall be deemed and taken to be of full age. Males and females under age must have consent of parents or guardian to marry.)

I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant,

HAMILTON FISH.

Circular No. 39.

To the Diplomatic and Consular Officers of the United States:

Gentlemen: Occasions having arisen in which it was found desirable for the diplomatic and consular officers of the United States to possess authentic information concerning the laws in force in the several States and Territories of the United States in relation to births and marriages, the department has collected from the laws of the several States and Territories the following information on the subject:

states.

  • Alabama.—There must be a license to marry from the judge of probate; certificate of the marriage returned to him and recorded in his office. No registry of births.
  • Arkansas.—No license; but the person solemnizing must return a certificate to the clerk of the court for the county, who shall record it. No registry of births.
  • California.—No license required; but persons solemnizing must keep a record and transmit it to the county recorder, who shall record it. No registry of births.
  • Connecticut.—License must be had from town clerk; certificate returned to town registrar, and by him recorded. No registry of births.
  • Delaware.—A marriage license must be had or bans published in church. Persons solemnizing must keep a record, and once a year transmit copy to recorder of county, who records it. No registry of births.
  • Florida.—License for marriage to be issued by clerk of county; certificate of; returned to him, and he records it. No registry of births.
  • Georgia.—License for marriage issued by ordinary of the county; certificate returned to him, and he records it. No registry of births.
  • Illinois.—Bans must be published two weeks in church or license obtained from county clerk; in either case certificate to be returned to him by party solemnizing, and by the clerk recorded. No registry of births.
  • Indiana.—No license required; but certificate of, must be returned to county clerk, and by him recorded. No registry of births.
  • Iowa.—License must be had from the county clerk, and party solemnizing must return certificate to clerk, who records it. No registry of births.
  • Kansas.—No license is required; but certificate to be returned to the county clerk by the person solemnizing, and to be recorded by the clerk. No registry of births.
  • Kentucky.—There must be a license, or publication notice, filed in clerk’s office; certificate to be returned to the registrar of births, deaths, and marriages, who is to record it. While there is provided in this State a mode of registering births, as there is no provision requiring parents to report birth, the law is to a great extent a dead letter.
  • Louisiana.—The parish judge issues a license, and the certificate is returned to that officer, and he records it. No registry of births.
  • Maine.—The town clerk issues license, or publication of bans in church; the party solemnizing the marriage keeps record, and makes return to the town clerk within a year; clerk records it. No registry of births.
  • Maryland.—The clerk of orphans’ court issues license; the certificate is returned to him, and he records. No registry of births.
  • Massachusetts.—Parties intending to marry must file notice with the clerk, after which he issues licenses; and certificate is returned to-the-town registrar, who records it. Inhabitants of this State going out of the State to marry, in order to evade law, marriage declared void. No registry of births.
  • Michigan.—License issued by county clerk, and certificate returned to him; clerk records it. No registry of births.
  • Minnesota.—No license; but the minister or magistrate who performs ceremony must examine one of the parties, on oath, as to whether the proposed marriage is such as the law allows; certificate of oath and marriage returned to the county clerk for record. No registry of births.
  • Missouri.—License by clerk, and certificate returned to him for record. No registry of births.
  • Mississippi.—License issued by registrar of orphans’ court, and certificate returned to him for record. No registry of births.
  • New Hampshire.—The intention to marry must be published at three meetings, either religious or town meetings; certificate of town clerk of such publication is the license; it is returned to him and recorded. No registry of births.
  • New Jersey.—No license is required; but certificate of marriage to be returned to town clerk, and by him recorded. No registry of births.
  • New York.—No license is required; but certificate of marriage must be returned to the registrar of births, marriages, and deaths; provision is also made for the return of all births, but not generally enforced.
  • North Carolina.—License to be issued by county judge or clerk, and certificate returned to clerk, who records it. No registry of births.
  • Nebraska.—Judge of probate issues license, and certificate is returned to that officer, and he records it. No registry of births.
  • Nevada.—No license required; certificate returned to county clerk, who records it. No registry of births.
  • Ohio.—Bans may be published in church or a license from clerk of county court, to whom, in either case, certificate is returned for record. No registry of births.
  • Oregon.—No license is required; but certificate returned for record to recorder of the county court. No registry of births.
  • Pennsylvania.—No license required; but the person solemnizing the marriage must keep record. No registry of births.
  • Rhode Island.—No license required; but return must be made by person solemnizing marriage to town clerk for record. No registry of births.
  • South Carolina.—Licence from the clerk of the county court, and return made to him for record. No registry of births.
  • Tennessee.—License from clerk of county court, and return of certificate to him for record. No registry of births.
  • Texas.—License from clerk of probate court, and return of certificate to him for record. No registry of births.
  • Vermont.—Publication in either church or town meeting; certificate returned to town clerk for record. No birth registry.
  • Virginia.—License from county court, and return of certificate to court for record. No registry of births.
  • West Virginia.—License from clerk of county court; certificate returned to that officer for record. No registry of births.
  • Wisconsin.—Person solemnizing to examine one of the parties on oath, to make certificate, and return the same to the county clerk for record.

territories.

  • Colorado.—No marriage license required, but certificate to be returned by the party solemnizing to the clerk of county for record. No registry of births. In this Territory, if a married man dies without a will or issue, all his property, real and personal, goes to his widow.
  • Dakota.—No marriage license required, and no record kept. Judges, justices of the peace, and ministers of the gospel may solemnize. No registry of births.
  • Idaho.—No license required; but party solemnizing must, within three months, return certificate of, to county recorder for record. No registry of births.
  • Utah.—No license required, and no registry of either marriages or births.
  • Washington.—No license required; but certificate to be returned by the party solemnizing to the county recorder for record. No birth registry.
  • New Mexico.—No license required, and no registry of marriages or births.

I am, gentlemen, your obedient servant,

HAMILTON FISH.

Note.—In the several States and Territories penalties are imposed by the statutes for a failure to comply with the requirements as to license or return of the certificate—in some cases against the parties to the contract, in other cases against the party solemnizing the marriage, and in some instances against all parties; but in none of the States or Territories is the marriage null and void because of a non-compliance with the requirements of the statute.