5 Wild and Weird U.S. Marriage Laws You Wouldn't Believe

With the midterm elections wrapped up, we came across the news of Kim Davis, the Kentucky county clerk who refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples and who also recently lost her reelection bid. Since the brain works in mysterious ways, this got us thinking about marriage laws in the U.S., which led to a crazy rabbit hole of research where we found some weird marriage laws that just had to be shared!

I’m Your [Blood] Type

Once upon a time, a blood test was required for couples seeking marriage licenses. The purpose of these tests was to scan for venereal diseases, genetic disorders, or rubella (a viral illness that causes a skin rash and joint pain). While many states have since eliminated these tests, Montana is the only state that requires both potential spouses to get a blood test before they’re granted a marriage license. The more you know…

Actually, I’m A Little Busy

Want to get hitched without the ceremony? You can literally have someone stand in for you using the “marriage by proxy” law if you live in California, Colorado, Montana, or Texas. Montana is actually the only state to allow a double-proxy marriage, where neither party is present. Someone call Carmen Sandiego or Waldo right now!

Keeping It In The Family

According to USMarriageLaws.com, all states allow the marriage of second cousins under the State Laws on Marriage. Quick reminder, people with the same set of great-grandparents are second cousins. However, first cousins are allowed to get hitched in 20 states and the District of Columbia.

I Double Dog Dare You

While we ponder all the situations that this particular law was born from, if you got married on a dare or as a prank in Delaware then you can also annul the marriage in Delaware. An annulment is not a medical procedure but a legal one in which a marriage is canceled by declaring it null and void. PSA: Please don't get married on a dare or as a prank.

Prove That You Love Me

Cape Cod…a popular summer destination and home to the weirdest marriage law I’ve read to date. Specific to the town of Truro, a man must prove his masculinity before marriage by killing either six blackbirds or three crows (so specific!). Apparently, birds eating crops was a real problem in colonial times and this was one solution. But no one’s decided to repeal it since then?