marrying age in Canada

How old do you have to be to get married in Canada ?

The minimum age to get married legally with parental consent in Canada is:

16 years old

This is a general rule to get legally married in Canada, however, you will need parental consent. Once you are 18 you can marry without parental permission. In some parts of Canada, you must be 19 to marry. See info by province below.

18 or 19 years old

Canadian provinces and territories will let you marry legally without the consent of your parents at age 18 or 19. See below for which province these ages apply to.

Minimum age to get married in each Canadian province and territory

Minimum age to marry in Alberta

In Alberta, if you are 18 years or older, you can marry without your parentsโ€™ permission.

If you are 16 or 17 years old, you can marry if you have your parent or guardianโ€™s permission or a court order allowing you to get married.

You cannot marry in Alberta if you are under 16 years of age.

Minimum age to marry in British Columbia

In British Columbia, a couple must both beย 19 years of age or older to marry. If youโ€™re under 19 years of age, you can still get married, but you need your parentsโ€™ or guardiansโ€™ approval.

If youโ€™re under 16, you need a court order to get married.

Minimum age to marry in Manitoba

You must beย at least 18 years oldย to be married in Manitoba without parental consent. If you are 16 or 17 years old, you may marry if you have the written consent of both parents in the province.

Minimum age to marry in New Brunswick

18 years old. 16 or 17 with parental consent.

Minimum age to marry in Newfoundland & Labrabor

19 years old. 16 or 17 with parental consent.

Minimum age to marry in Nova Scotia

You can get married in Nova Scotia if youโ€™reย 19 or olderย and not currently married.

If you are aged 16 to 18, you can get married if you have written consent from your parents or guardians.

You canโ€™t get married if youโ€™re 15 or younger in Nova Scotia.

Minimum age to marry in Ontario

You need to beย at least 16 years oldย to get married in Ontario.

For those under age 18, they need written consent from both parents. You can get consent forms where you get a marriage license.

Minimum age to marry in Prince Edward Island

You must be at least 18 years oldย to get married in PEI.

If you are 16 or 17 years of age, you may marry if you have the written consent of both parents.

Minimum age to marry in Quebec

You must beย at least 18 years oldย to marry in Quebec.

However, you may apply to the courts for authorization to marry at the age of 16 or 17.

Minimum age to marry in Saskatchewan

You must be 18 to marry in Saskatchewan.

If you are 16 or 17, a Saskatchewan โ€œConsent to Marriage of a Minorโ€ form must be signed and completed by the personโ€™s parent or guardian. They must sign the consent form in the presence of a Saskatchewan marriage license issuer, clergy or any person authorized to take affidavits.

Consent forms can be obtained from a Saskatchewan marriage license issuer.

If parents or guardians refuse to consent to the marriage, the minor can apply to a judge of either the provincial or Queenโ€™s Bench court for an order dispensing with their consent. The minor may obtain the judgeโ€™s order by applying to a courthouse in Saskatchewan.

Minimum age to get married in each Canadian territory

Minimum age to marry in the Northwest Territories

It is age 19 to marry and age 16 to 18 with parental consent.

Minimum age to marry in the Yukon

You must be 19 to get legally married in the Yukon. If you are 16, 17, or 18 you must get the consent of your parents or legal guardians.

Minimum age to marry in Nunavut

In Nunavut, you must be at least 19 years old to marry. You must be at least 16 years old to marry with signed parental consent.

Minimum age to get married in the USA

For USA laws about minimum marriage age, see this page.