There’s still a chance fir first cousins to marry in Florida.
That’s because the state legislature did not pass a bill banning such marriages.
Florida is one of 18 states where marrying your first cousin is legal. New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and California are among the states where first cousins are allowed to get married with no restrictions.
The bill stated after July 1, 2026, incestuous marriage would not be recognized for any purpose in the state of Florida.
State legislators are hopeful the measure would be back on the block next year, and would pass.
“I think we need to do the right thing for Floridians here,” State Rep. Dean Black told Action News Jax. “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.”
“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,” he added.
Black slipped the ban into a wider Department of Health bill, which seemed ready to pass after receiving no push-back during deliberations.
However, debates about other measures brought the bill to a standstill on the last day of deliberations.
