You must meet certain requirements in order to marry. These vary slightly from state to state, but generally include:
- being at least the age of consent (usually 18, though sometimes you may marry younger with your parents' consent)
- not being too closely related to your intended spouse
- having sufficient mental capacity -- that is, you must understand what you are doing and what consequences your actions may have
- being sober at the time of the marriage
- not being married to anyone else
- getting a blood test (in just a few states), and
- obtaining a marriage license.