HB790 Summary

• Raises the minimum legal age for marriage from 16 to 18 years old in Hawaii, eliminating the previous allowance for 15-year-olds to marry with family court approval.

• Removes requirements for parental consent and written family court approval for minors to obtain marriage licenses.

• Mandates that family courts must declare marriages void (annul) when either party was under the legal marriage age at the time of marriage, rather than permitting such annulments at discretion.

• Eliminates spousal cohabitation after reaching legal age as an exception that would prevent annulment based on age grounds.

• Repeals statutes permitting judicial consent to marriage for minors (sections 572-2, 572-9, and 577-25) and makes conforming amendments to related family court jurisdiction and workers' compensation laws.