Is it legal in Texas to marry your first cousin?

Marriage of Cousins in Texas

Yes and no. The law was amended a few years ago to prohibit marriage of first cousins, and the application for a marriage license requires each applicant to mark "true" or "false" to a question asking if the applicants are cousins. But, a marriage resulting from fraud or mistake in the application is not void, so if you lie on the application, you can be prosecuted for perjury, but still, apparently, validly married, although there don't seem to be any court cases interpreting the statute. It is hard to believe that this was an intended result, so one would think that either the Texas legislature or the courts would do something to alter this outcome.

More advice and input from FAQ Farmers:

• You have the same grandparents. Your children would have a very high chance of genetic mutations.

• I believe Texas is one of several states that will allow it. With that said, I personally think it's a very bad idea.

• I had two cousins that got married in Texas, and also have two friends. I also think it is not a good idea. Besides the normal reasons, what if the marriage did not work out?

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