We’re getting close to the time of year when most weddings happen. It makes sense—the weather is just right, plants are starting to bloom, and now is a great time to start over.
People in the south love to marry their cousin, though, which is still a running joke. The jokes are getting old, but they do make me wonder if it’s possible to marry your cousin in Gladewater, Texas. Okay, sort of.
Marriage Laws
For many years, people have argued about who can marry whom. Though it may seem impossible, it has been allowed in all 50 states for about 30 years to marry your cousin. The first rules in Texas that made it legal for family members to get married were passed in 1997. This is what Texas law says:
Texas Family Law Code § 6.201
A marriage is void if one party to the marriage is related to the other as:
- An ancestor or descendant, by blood or adoption
- A brother or sister, of the whole or half blood or by adoption
- A parent’s brother or sister, of the whole or half blood or by adoption
- A son or daughter of a brother or sister, of the whole or half blood or by adoption
That means in Texas, you can’t really marry a first cousin. What if, though, second, third, and so on cousins like each other? Of course, it is allowed to get married in Texas and everywhere else in the US.