Is It Illegal to Marry Your Cousin in Arkansas? Here’s What the Law Says

First cousin marriages are prohibited in Arkansas. The state’s marriage rules, which declare first cousin weddings to be void and incestuous, expressly forbid this.

Other intimate partnerships, like sibling marriages and parent-child marriages, are also covered under the legislation. Nonetheless, it is legal for more distant relatives, including first cousins once removed, to get married.

Legal Consequences

Both couples may face criminal charges if they married in spite of being first cousins. This holds true for both the people and any officiants who willfully perform the marriage.

Although there haven’t been any recent recorded convictions for such incidents in Arkansas, penalties could include fines or incarceration.

Recognition of Out-of-State Marriages

It’s interesting to note that Arkansas has recognized weddings that were lawfully consummated in other jurisdictions, despite prohibiting first cousin marriages within the state.

In 1986, the Arkansas Supreme Court issued a landmark decision that upheld an out-of-state marriage between first cousins, demonstrating that such weddings would not raise serious social issues.

Summary

• First Cousin Marriage: Illegal in Arkansas.
• First Cousins Once Removed: Allowed.
• Legal Penalties: Misdemeanor for marrying or officiating without knowledge of the relationship.
• Out-of-State Recognition: Marriages between first cousins performed legally elsewhere may be recognized in Arkansas.

To properly negotiate these complicated rules, it is advised that anybody thinking about getting married to a relative in Arkansas seek legal advice.

References:

1. https://www.dataminingdna.com/can-first-cousins-marry-in-arkansas/
2. https://theamm.org/marriage-laws/arkansas/309
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage_law_in_the_United_States

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