The bill amends South Dakota's marriage laws to increase the minimum age for marriage and revise the requirements for obtaining a marriage license. Specifically, it removes the provision that allowed individuals aged sixteen to eighteen to marry with parental consent, thereby raising the minimum age for marriage to eighteen. The existing requirement for notarized parental consent for minors is deleted, and the language regarding the solemnization of marriages is updated to clarify that it is a Class 1 misdemeanor for a person to solemnize a marriage if either party is under the age of legal consent without proper consent from parents or guardians.

Additionally, the bill introduces new language that specifies the conditions under which a person may be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor for solemnizing a marriage. This includes situations where either party is under the age of legal consent, of unsound mind, or if any other legal impediment exists. The bill also repeals the previous requirement for written parental consent for minors, streamlining the process for marriage licenses and ensuring that all applicants must be at least eighteen years old.

Statutes affected:
Introduced, 01/30/2025: 25-1-9, 25-1-33, 25-1-13