Yes, you can marry your first cousin in Massachusetts. Chapter 207 of the Massachusetts General Laws lists every family relationship that bars a marriage, and cousins of any degree are not on that list.1General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 207 Section 1 – Marriage of Man to Certain Relatives Prohibited No genetic counseling requirement, no age condition, no extra paperwork. Massachusetts is one of roughly 19 states, plus the District of Columbia, that allow first-cousin marriage without restrictions.
Why First Cousins Are Allowed
The state drew its line at aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews. Section 1 of Chapter 207 prohibits a man from marrying his mother, grandmother, daughter, granddaughter, sister, aunt, or niece, along with the corresponding stepparents and in-laws; Section 2 sets out the mirror list for women.1General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 207 Section 1 – Marriage of Man to Certain Relatives Prohibited First cousins sit one step further out on the family tree, outside the prohibition. The state’s own annulment guide confirms this, listing the barred relatives and leaving cousins off.2Mass.gov. Find Out If You’re Eligible to Get an Annulment
One caution on the boundary: Section 3 extends every prohibition to relatives of the half blood, so a half-sibling, half-aunt, or half-niece is treated the same as a full-blood relative. That extension does not reach cousins, because cousins were never on the list in the first place.
Getting the License
The process is identical to what any other couple goes through. Both of you appear in person at any city or town clerk’s office in Massachusetts. It doesn’t have to be your hometown or the town where you plan to hold the ceremony.3Mass.gov. Getting Married in Massachusetts: Before the Wedding
You’ll fill out a Notice of Intention of Marriage and bring:
- Proof of age, such as a birth certificate or passport
- Your Social Security number
- Payment; the fee varies by town
- The name you plan to use after the wedding, if you are changing it
There’s a three-day waiting period between filing the notice and picking up the actual license.3Mass.gov. Getting Married in Massachusetts: Before the Wedding To skip it, you can file a Marriage Without Delay petition at the probate or district court in the town where you submitted your notice.4Mass.gov. Instructions: Marriage Without Delay Court Form Once issued, the license is good for 60 days. Miss that window and you’ll start over.
What Happens If You Move to Another State
A cousin marriage performed in Massachusetts is a valid Massachusetts marriage. What another state does with it depends on that state. Not every state allows first-cousin marriage, and a handful will not recognize a cousin marriage performed elsewhere. Most states do recognize marriages that were valid where they were performed, but exceptions exist, so if you’re planning a move it’s worth checking the destination state’s rule before you go.
The reverse situation is simpler. If you and your cousin marry legally in another state and then move to Massachusetts, the marriage is recognized here. Massachusetts has a marriage-evasion statute in Section 10 of Chapter 207 that voids out-of-state marriages entered into by residents to dodge a Massachusetts prohibition, but since cousin marriage is already legal here, there is nothing to evade.5General Court of Massachusetts. Massachusetts Code Chapter 207 Section 10 – Prohibited Foreign Marriages; Null and Void