Proposed Bill to Ban Marrying Your First Cousin Shot Down

You are either here because you think it’s shocking that a proposed bill on banning marriage to one’s own first cousin or because you are elated that the bill failed to pass because you are in love with yours.

Either way, this is a no-judgement zone and I’m just here to give you the facts.

What State Failed to Pass the Ban on Marrying Your First Cousin?

Florida. The bill to ban marrying a first cousin failed to pass in the Florida Senate, according to WTOP-TV.

Legislatures failed to pass HB-733, which stated that after July 1, 2026, incestuous marriage would not be recognized for any purpose in the state of Florida.

What Was in The Failed Ban on First Cousin Marriage Bill?

According to WTOP-TV, the bill stated that a man may not marry any woman to whom he is related by lineal consanguinity, aka someone with a direct bloodline relation — like his cousin, sister, aunt, or niece.

The bill would have also prohibited a woman marrying a man with whom she is related to by lineal consanguinity, such as her brother, uncle, cousin or nephew.

Read More: Here Are the Happiest Marriages in Country Music

While many support the bill’s idea, there are surely some waking up in Florida this morning happy as a clam that they can still legally marry their lover, who also might be their cousin, or brother, sister, uncle or nephew.

Florida is one of 19 states in America where marrying your first cousin is still legal.

What States is it Legal to Marry Your First Cousin?

According to the National Institutes of Health, these are the states where marriage to a first cousin is fully legal with no restrictions.

1. Alabama
2. Alaska
3. California
4. Colorado
5. Connecticut
6. Florida
7. Georgia
8. Hawaii
9. Maryland
10. Massachusetts
11. New Jersey
12. New Mexico
13. New York
14. North Carolina
15. Rhode Island
16. South Carolina
17. Tennessee
18. Vermont
19. Virginia