First cousins are still legally allowed to marry one another in Florida after state lawmakers failed to ban the practice.
State Representative Dean Black, a Republican, introduced an amendment to existing legislation that would outlaw marrying ‘a lineal descendant’ of your grandparent, which would include cousins.
The amendment would have made this illegal by July 2026. However, on the last day of the legislative session, Black told Action News Jax that disagreements over other elements of the bill led to an impasse.
Because of that, the measure was never adopted and for now, cousins can still marry in the Sunshine State.
Florida is one of 16 states that allow first-cousin marriages without any restrictions. Black said this is because when these laws were originally written populations were not as dense, which meant it was much harder to find a viable partner.
‘There are plenty of people here, and there are plenty of people you can find to be your lifelong partner without looking to your first cousin,’ Black said.
‘So, yes. I think it should come back whether it’s a standalone bill, whether it’s tagged onto some other bill. Not really sure. We’ll have to see.’
Twenty-five states have outright bans on cousin marriages, while nine others have carveouts that allow these unions if one partner is infertile, both partners are of the same sex or both partners are above a certain age.
Florida failed to ban first cousin marriages after lawmakers failed to agree on a bill that would have outlawed the practice
State Representative Dean Black, a Republican, introduced the amendment that would have made it illegal for all cousins to marry. He believes the amendment will be back in subsequent legislative sessions
States that have no restrictions include New York, California, Massachusetts and Georgia.
Like all US states, Florida bans most types of marriages between most family members. It is illegal, for instance, to marry your parent, grandparent, child, aunt, niece or nephew.
Scientists generally agree that children with parents who are first cousins have a greater risk of inheriting genetic disorders.
A 2008 study conducted in the United Kingdom found that children with unrelated parents have a 2 to 3 percent chance of developing birth defects. Children with first cousin parents had a 4 to 6 percent chance.
Children of first cousins are also more likely to have speech and language difficulties. They even have more primary care appointments every year.
