No, it is not illegal to marry your cousin in Alabama. The state permits first-cousin marriages without any special restrictions or requirements, placing it among 18 U.S. states with fully legal cousin unions.
Alabama Marriage Code
Alabama Code § 13A-13-3 and § 30-1-3 outline prohibited relationships, banning marriages between parents and children, siblings (full or half), grandparents and grandchildren, aunts/uncles and nieces/nephews, and step-relations created by marriage. First cousins fall outside these categories, allowing legal marriage, cohabitation, and sexual relations without inquiry on applications.
Types Allowed
First cousins, first cousins once removed, half-cousins, and even adopted cousins can marry freely—no age waivers, infertility proofs, or genetic counseling needed, unlike conditional states like Arizona. Marriage licenses issue like any other at county probate courts, requiring only ID, age verification (16 with consent, 18 without), and no prior marriage.
Prohibited Relations
Closer kin face felony incest charges: siblings (up to 10 years prison), parent-child (life sentence possible), with no exceptions. Alabama recognizes common-law marriages too, but cousin pairs must meet capacity, agreement, and public representation standards.
License Process
Apply at any Alabama probate judge or license commissioner—no blood tests or waiting periods. Fees run $73-$90; ceremonies follow by officiants like judges or clergy. Out-of-state cousin marriages hold validity here.
National Context
Alabama joins states like California and New York in full permission, contrasting 25 states’ bans (e.g., Texas, Nevada). Genetic risks exist (4-7% higher birth defects), but law ignores them—counseling advised voluntarily. Social stigma persists, though legality stands firm as of 2026.
SOURCES:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage_law_in_the_United_States
- https://www.lawinfo.com/resources/family-law/alabama/
