Gov. Ron DeSantis wants marriages between first cousins banned in Florida

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to end law allowing cousins marriage

In a April 7 press conference, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke against a state law that allows first cousins to marry each other. He said it's not consistent with the United States' culture. 

MIAMI, Fla. - Gov. Ron DeSantis is advocating in favor of establishing a law to prevent first cousins from marrying each other in the state of Florida. Currently, the state doesn't have any law prohibiting a marital union between first cousins. 

DeSantis voiced his opinion against allowing marriage between first cousins after House Bill 733, a 2025 proposal that would have added first cousins to the ban starting July 1, failed. 

What we know:

During an April 7 press conference, DeSantis brought up the topic, saying, "Florida doesn't ban cousin marriage. That's an easy curveball. We need to do that." 

Florida is one of around 19 states that allows marriage between first cousins, a 2008 study, "It's Ok, We're Not Cousins by Blood": The Cousin Marriage Controversy in Historical Perspective," published in the National Library of Medicine said. 

According to the study, the first states to create legislation banning marriage between first cousins were Washington, Nevada, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Kansas, Ohio and New Hampshire from 1858 to 1869. 

As of today, the 19 states that currently don't have laws in place preventing the union include: California, Colorado, Alaska, New Mexico, Hawaii, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

With HB 733, some Florida legislators attempted to ban marriage between first cousins. 

"Supporters of such a measure cite public health concerns tied to a higher risk of genetic disorders, while critics argue the issue falls under personal freedom and private family decisions," FOX News reported. 

On March 31, DeSantis posted on X, "For some reason the ban on cousin marriages was dropped during the legislative process. Stay tuned." 

In Florida, marriage is prohibited between people related by lineal consanguinity – a direct blood relation. A man can't marry his sister, aunt, niece. A woman can't marry her brother, uncle or nephew. 

DeSantis recently signed laws regarding proof of U.S. citizenship to vote and HB 249 to designate Florida’s new state flagship, the S.S. American Victory.