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By Michael Klinski South Dakota News Watch Yes. South Dakota is one of 34 states that allow some children under the age of 18 to marry. Teens aged 16 and 17 can get married in the state if they have permission from a parent or legal guardian, which has been the law since 1993, though several previous attempts to change the law have been rejected. A bill introduced in the 2026 legislative session would raise the age to 18 but allows teens 16 and 17 with an age gap of no more than four years to marry if granted from a court hearing or with parental permission. According to the website Unchained At Last, 881 children (under the age of 18) were married in South Dakota from 2000-23. Child marriage was legal in all 50 states until 2018, when Delaware and New Jersey banned it. Since then, 14 more states and Washington, D.C., have joined them. Sources Sioux Falls Argus Leader, South Dakota lawmakers kill bill that would change minimum age of marriage from 16 to 18 KELO-TV, Child marriage bill moves on with amendment UnchainedAtLast.com, Child marriage in South Dakota 19thNews.org, Child marriage is still legal in two-thirds of U.S. states. Here's why. South Dakota News Watch partners with Gigafact to publish fact briefs that refute or confirm a claim with supporting information and additional evidence and context. Read previous fact briefs. Read our verification standards and other best practices policies. Submit a question for us to answer on the South Dakota News Watch Tipline. Send questions or feedback to factbrief@ sdnewswatch.org. This story was produced by South Dakota News Watch, an independent, nonprofit organization. Read more stories and donate at sdnewswatch.org and sign up for an email to get stories when they're published. Contact Michael Klinski at michael.klinski@sdnewswatch.org.