Marriage laws in the United States can vary greatly from state to state, and one common question that arises involves whether it’s legal to marry a cousin. If you live in Massachusetts and are considering marrying your cousin, it’s important to understand the state’s laws on consanguinity (blood relations) and marriage. Here’s a breakdown of Massachusetts’ stance on cousin marriage.
Is It Legal to Marry Your Cousin in Massachusetts?
Yes, it is legal to marry your cousin in Massachusetts. The state does not prohibit marriages between cousins, whether they are first cousins or more distant relatives. Unlike some states that have strict prohibitions against cousin marriages, Massachusetts allows such unions without legal restrictions.
Massachusetts Marriage Laws
In Massachusetts, the laws governing marriage are designed to ensure that couples marrying are not closely related in ways that could lead to potential genetic issues in offspring. The key rules are:
First cousins: Legal to marry.
Second cousins and more distant cousins: Legal to marry.
Massachusetts does not require any special permissions or waivers for first cousins to marry. In fact, there are only a few states where first cousin marriages are outright prohibited, and Massachusetts is not one of them.
Why Do Some States Ban Cousin Marriages?
While Massachusetts permits cousin marriages, some states impose bans due to concerns about the potential genetic risks for children born to cousins who marry. Geneticists suggest that there is a slightly higher risk for certain inherited conditions among children of cousins, but studies show that the risks are still quite low. The risk of birth defects or genetic disorders is similar to that of other common genetic conditions in the general population.
Despite this, states like Texas, Louisiana, and others have chosen to impose restrictions or prohibitions on cousin marriages, often based on these genetic concerns, though the scientific evidence is not as strong as some might think.
What About Marriages Between Other Close Relatives?
Massachusetts law is very specific about close family relationships that are prohibited for marriage, including:
Parent-child marriages (incest).
Sibling marriages (incest).
Uncle-niece and aunt-nephew marriages (incest).
These types of marriages are strictly prohibited, as they are considered to have a higher risk for genetic disorders and are also generally viewed as socially and culturally unacceptable.
Can Cousins Marry if One of Them is Adopted?
In Massachusetts, adoptive cousins are treated the same as biological cousins under the law. If a person is adopted into a family, they are still allowed to marry a cousin from that family, as there are no special prohibitions against this.
In Massachusetts, it is legal to marry your cousin, and there are no state laws that prohibit marriages between first cousins or more distant relatives. While cousin marriages may be restricted in some states due to genetic concerns, Massachusetts allows them with no special requirements. However, it is important to be aware of the laws and risks in other jurisdictions if you or your family members plan to marry outside of Massachusetts.
SOURCES
[1] https://wbsm.com/massachusetts-first-cousins-marry/
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage_law_in_the_United_States
[3] https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-marriage
[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage
[5] https://www.draslamabdullah.com/post/first-cousin-marriage-laws-in-the-u-s
