Marriage of Children

Home / Marriage of Children

A child marriage is a marriage between the parties where:

Both people marrying are minors, or
One of them is a child/minor.

For a woman, age of marriage is 18 years.

For a man, age of marriage is 21 years.

Under Muslim personal law, the age of marriage is puberty (15 years of age). So, if you are below 18 years/21 years respectively and you get married, your marriage is not illegal. However, you can choose to cancel the marriage under the child marriage law.

Have a question you want to ask our legal experts?

Ask Nyaaya

Related Resources

How can minors marry under Christian Law?

Under Christian law, a minor is defined as someone below the age of 21 years, and is not a widow or widower.

Reporting Child Marriages

Anyone can file a complaint of child marriage, including the child. It doesn't matter whether the child marriage has taken place or not.

Prohibition of Child Marriage

The law prohibits people from performing child marriages and lays down punishments for those involved in conducting the marriage.

Who can get married under Christian Law?

Any two persons who are Christians can marry under Christian law. However, there are some minimum age requirements and prohibited marriages.

Child Marriage Prohibition Officers

Child Marriage Prohibition Officers (CPMO) are appointed by the State governments to curb issues of child marriages in each State.

Cancelling a Child Marriage

Where a child marriage has taken place, the person who was a child at the time of marriage has an option to cancel the marriage.