2025 Session Last amended: 2024 session

§ 518.01 — Void Marriages

Plain-Language Summary

Declares which marriages are automatically void (invalid) under Minnesota law, including marriages prohibited by section 517.03. A marriage is not void if a spouse was absent for four years and believed dead, unless a court later rules otherwise.

Practical Notes
If your marriage is prohibited under Minnesota law (for example, between close relatives), it is automatically void without needing a court order. However, if your spouse disappeared for four or more years and you remarried believing them dead, the second marriage is valid until a court says otherwise.