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Thinking about running off to elope with your first cousin in Utah? Well, that's perfectly fine if you're both sixty-five, or you could qualify if you're both fifty-five, as long as one of you can't have children. If the woman is sterile, and the husband still wants to procreate, he can become a polygamist, as long as one of his wives isn't his underage first cousin. Marrying his sister might be frowned upon in some circles, while his aunt would certainly be long past her birthing years.
According to the NCSL (National Conference of State Legislature), "Twenty five states prohibit marriages between first cousins. Six states allow first cousin marriage under certain circumstances, North Carolina allows first cousin marriage, but prohibits double cousin marriage."
The other five states have comparable laws to Utah. They include:
- Arizona
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Maine
- Wisconsin
Surprisingly, Illinois is more lenient by allowing both partners to be fifty or older. Some women are still able to reproduce in their early fifties. Maine's only stipulation is that each couple "obtains a physician's certificate of genetic counseling."
This brings us back to 'double cousin marriage.' As explained in Urban Dictionary, "When two sisters marry two brothers, their children have the same two sets of grandparents. Unlike most people, who have a cousin that has grandparents that you've never met; these cousins share both sets of grandparents."
If you're still interested in marrying your first cousin, and you're not quite ready to join AARP, then North Carolina is the place for you. Enjoy your legally wedded bliss with your mirrored image loved one, but if you sing off key at the reception, you just might be hauled off to jail. Although inbreeding is perfectly fine, singing off key is against the law in North Carolina.
