Annulment, by state
An annulment is a court finding that a marriage was never valid. A divorce ends a valid one. States allow it only on narrow grounds, and the grounds and the deadlines differ more than most people expect. This page shows them for each state, from the state’s own law.
Short marriages are not annulled just for being short, and regret is not a ground. An annulment needs a specific defect that existed on the wedding day: a spouse already married, a close relative, an underage party, fraud or force, or an inability to consummate. In many states, living together after you learn the truth, or waiting too long, ends the right to ask. Every row below was read on the state legislature’s own site on 3 October 2026, and where we could not read it, the row says so.
On this page 6
Void and voidable: the difference that matters
Void
Never valid, from the start. The usual examples are marrying while already married, or marrying a close relative. Several states, including Nevada, Massachusetts and Wyoming, say a void marriage needs no court decree at all, though a court order is still the way to prove it.
Usually no deadline. Some states let anyone with an interest raise it.
Voidable
Valid until a court annuls it, and only the spouse who was wronged can usually ask. Typical grounds: fraud, force or duress, being underage, lacking the capacity to consent, or being unable to consummate.
Often a deadline. And living together after you know can end the right.
States do not all sort the grounds the same way. West Virginia calls even bigamous marriages “voidable,” void only once a court declares it. North Carolina lists impotence and lack of understanding as making a marriage void.
The deadlines for fraud
Fraud is the ground most people ask about, and the deadline to use it ranges from 90 days to four years, or none at all:
Grounds that surprise people
Married as a jest or dare
Delaware lists it as its own ground, within 90 days of learning the facts.
Married too soon after the license, or after a concealed divorce
Texas allows annulment if the wedding was within 72 hours of the license (within 30 days of the marriage), or if a spouse hid a divorce from someone else in the 30 days before the wedding (within a year).
A hidden past
Virginia and West Virginia list an undisclosed felony and a pregnancy by another man. Virginia also lists undisclosed prostitution; West Virginia, a sexually transmitted disease. Hawaii lists a concealed “loathsome disease.”
Anything that would undo a contract
Nevada allows annulment on any ground that would void a contract in equity, and Kansas for a mistake of fact or “any other reason justifying rescission.”
A belief of pregnancy
North Carolina allows it where the marriage rested on a belief that one partner was pregnant, followed by separation within 45 days, unless a child is born within 10 lunar months.
All fifty states
The third column is whether fraud or force is a ground and how long you have. The fourth lists other grounds and limits worth knowing. Each state name links to its full kit.
| State | Deadlines | Fraud or force | Other grounds and limits | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Not reached in the time available. | No official source could be read Tried 3 Oct 2026 |
| Alaska | No fixed deadline Action to have the marriage declared void | Yes. Lost if you freely lived together after learning of the fraud. | Underage without consent, unsound mind, never consummated. Bigamy and close kin are void. | AS 25.24.010-25.24.040 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Arizona | Grounds only partly in statute Annulment | Not listed in the section read; annulment is for an impediment that makes the marriage void. | Close relatives, including first cousins unless both are 65 or older or one cannot have children. | A.R.S. §§ 25-301, 25-101 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Arkansas | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Statutes published only by a commercial service. | No official source could be read Tried 3 Oct 2026 |
| California | Grounds only partly in statute Nullity of marriage | Yes, unless you freely lived together with full knowledge. Deadlines not confirmed. | Under 18, unsound mind, force, incurable physical incapacity; a later marriage while a spouse is living. | Cal. Fam. Code §§ 2201, 2210, 2211 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Colorado | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Statutes published only by a commercial service, and the court page we tried was missing. | No official source could be read Tried 3 Oct 2026 |
| Connecticut | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | The statute site failed a secure connection. The Judicial Branch says an annulment is granted if the marriage is void or voidable, but lists no deadlines. | Judicial Branch annulment guide Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Delaware | Fixed deadlines Annulment | Yes. Within 90 days of learning of it. | Married as a jest or dare (90 days); inability to consummate (1 year after learning); underage (1 year after the marriage). | 13 Del. C. §§ 101, 1506 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Florida | Grounds only partly in statute Annulment | No annulment statute; grounds come from court decisions we did not read. | The statutes read cover only marriages between close relatives, and common-law marriages after 1 January 1968. | Fla. Stat. §§ 741.21, 741.211 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Georgia | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Statutes published only by a commercial service. | No official source could be read Tried 3 Oct 2026 |
| Hawaii | No fixed deadline Annulment | Yes, force, duress or fraud, if you have not lived together since. | A concealed loathsome disease; underage; lack of mental capacity; an undivorced spouse living. | HRS §§ 580-21, 572-1 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Idaho | Fixed deadlines Annulment | Fraud: within 4 years of discovering it. Force: within 4 years of the marriage. | Underage (4 years after reaching the age of consent), unsound mind (any time before death), incurable incapacity (4 years). | Idaho Code §§ 32-501, 32-502, 32-205, 32-206 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Illinois | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | The statute site failed a secure connection. | No official source could be read Tried 3 Oct 2026 |
| Indiana | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | The statute site loads no text without a browser. | No official source could be read Tried 3 Oct 2026 |
| Iowa | No fixed deadline Annulment | Not listed as a ground in § 598.29. | Impotence; a spouse living at the time; a party under guardianship found unable to marry; marriages prohibited by law. | Iowa Code §§ 598.29, 595.19 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Kansas | No fixed deadline Annulment | Yes, and the court must grant it. No deadline stated. | The court may also annul for a mistake of fact, lack of knowledge of a material fact, or any other reason that would undo a contract. | K.S.A. §§ 23-2702, 23-2502, 23-2503 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Kentucky | Fixed deadlines Declaration of invalidity of marriage | Yes. Within 90 days of learning of it. | Inability to consummate (90 days); a prohibited marriage, such as bigamy or close kin, within 1 year of learning of it. | KRS 403.120, 402.010, 402.020, 402.030 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Louisiana | No fixed deadline Nullity of marriage | Consent not freely given, such as duress, makes it relatively null. Lost if you confirm the marriage afterward. | Absolutely null for no ceremony, an existing marriage, close kin, or age; anyone with an interest can raise it. | La. Civ. Code arts. 88, 90, 90.1, 93, 94, 95, 96 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Maine | Grounds only partly in statute Annulment | No voidable grounds listed in the chapter read. | Close kin, an undivorced spouse, a ward marrying without the guardian, or lying about past marriages make it void. | 19-A M.R.S. §§ 701, 751, 752, 753 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Maryland | Grounds only partly in statute Annulment | Not in the section read. | Marriages between listed relatives, including some in-laws and step-relatives, are void. | Md. Code, Fam. Law § 2-202 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Massachusetts | Grounds only partly in statute Annulment | Not listed in the sections read. | Close kin and some in-laws, or a former spouse living, make it void without a court case. | M.G.L. c. 207, §§ 1-4, 8, 14, 16 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Michigan | Fixed deadlines Annulment | Treated as void unless you lived together voluntarily before filing. | Physical incapacity: only the injured spouse, within 2 years of the wedding. | MCL 552.1-552.3, 552.34-552.39 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Minnesota | Fixed deadlines Annulment | Yes. Within 90 days of learning of it. | Inability to consummate (1 year after learning); underage; no annulment after either spouse dies. | Minn. Stat. §§ 518.01-518.05, 517.03 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Mississippi | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Statutes published only by a commercial service. | No official source could be read Tried 3 Oct 2026 |
| Missouri | Grounds only partly in statute Annulment | Not in the sections read. | Close relatives, a former spouse living, or lack of capacity make it void. | RSMo §§ 451.020, 451.030, 451.090 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Montana | Fixed deadlines Declaration of invalidity | Yes. Within 2 years of learning of it. | Mental incapacity or alcohol and drugs (1 year after learning); inability to consummate (4 years); prohibited marriages any time before a death. | MCA 40-1-401, 40-1-402 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Nebraska | No fixed deadline Annulment | Yes, if you have not lived together since. Lost if you freely lived together after you knew. | Impotence; a spouse living; underage if you separated before reaching age. | Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 42-103, 42-118, 42-373 to 42-377 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Nevada | No fixed deadline Annulment | Yes. Lost if you lived together after learning of it. | Any ground that would undo a contract in equity. Underage without consent: within 1 year after turning 18. | NRS 125.290-125.370 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| New Hampshire | Grounds only partly in statute Annulment | No voidable list in the sections read; the law refers to annulment under statute or common law. | Close kin, a living spouse, or a party under 18 make it void. | RSA 457:2, 457:4, 457:43, 458:1-458:3 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| New Jersey | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | The court site blocked us. | No official source could be read Tried 3 Oct 2026 |
| New Mexico | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | The statutes are only on a commercial platform, and we could not find the section. | No official source could be read Tried 3 Oct 2026 |
| New York | Fixed deadlines Annulment | Force or duress: any time, unless you lived together first. Fraud: within the general civil time limit, which we did not read. | Physical incapacity within 5 years; incurable mental illness for 5 years or more; under 18. | N.Y. Dom. Rel. Law §§ 5, 6, 7, 140 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| North Carolina | No fixed deadline Annulment | Not listed in § 51-3. | Impotence and lack of understanding are void grounds. Voidable: marrying on a belief of pregnancy, then separating within 45 days. | N.C.G.S. §§ 51-3, 51-4, 50-4 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| North Dakota | Fixed deadlines Annulment | Fraud: within 4 years of discovering it. Force: within 4 years of the marriage. | Underage (4 years after reaching age), unsound mind (any time before death), incurable incapacity (4 years), incest (any time). | N.D.C.C. §§ 14-04-01, 14-04-02 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Ohio | Fixed deadlines Annulment | Fraud: within 2 years of discovering it. Force: within 2 years of the marriage. | Never consummated (2 years); underage (2 years after reaching age); bigamy; mental incompetence. | R.C. 3105.31, 3105.32, 3101.01 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Oklahoma | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | The statute site put up a bot check, which we do not work around. | No official source could be read Tried 3 Oct 2026 |
| Oregon | No fixed deadline Annulment | Yes. Lost if you later ratified the marriage. | Too young or lacking understanding; bigamy and close kin are void. | ORS 106.020, 106.030, 107.005, 107.015 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Pennsylvania | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | The statute text would not load. | No official source could be read Tried 3 Oct 2026 |
| Rhode Island | Grounds only partly in statute Divorce for a marriage originally void or voidable | No separate annulment statute; a void or voidable marriage is ended by divorce. | Listed relatives, an undissolved marriage, or mental incompetence make it void. | R.I. Gen. Laws §§ 15-1-2 to 15-1-5, 15-5-1 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| South Carolina | Grounds only partly in statute Annulment | Only if the marriage was never consummated by living together. | Bigamy, a party under 16, and close relatives make it void. | S.C. Code §§ 20-1-10, 20-1-15, 20-1-80, 20-1-100, 20-1-510 to 20-1-560 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| South Dakota | Fixed deadlines Annulment | Fraud: within 4 years of discovering it. Force: within 4 years of the marriage. | Underage (4 years after reaching age), unsound mind (any time before death), incurable incapacity (4 years). | SDCL 25-3-1 to 25-3-8 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Tennessee | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | Statutes published only by a commercial service. | No official source could be read Tried 3 Oct 2026 |
| Texas | Fixed deadlines Annulment | Yes. Lost if you lived together after learning of it. | Concealed divorce within 30 days before the wedding (1 year); married within 72 hours of the license (30 days); impotency; intoxication. | Tex. Fam. Code §§ 6.102-6.111, 6.201-6.206, 6.306-6.307 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Utah | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | The statute site failed a secure connection. | No official source could be read Tried 3 Oct 2026 |
| Vermont | Fixed deadlines Annulment | Force, fraud, coercion or deception: during the spouses’ lifetimes. | Physical incapacity: only the injured spouse, within 2 years of the wedding. Under 16. | 15 V.S.A. §§ 511-516 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Virginia | Fixed deadlines Annulment | Yes, but not if you lived together after you knew, and never after two years of marriage. | Impotency, an undisclosed felony, pregnancy by another, or undisclosed prostitution, under the same two-year cap. | Va. Code §§ 20-38.1, 20-45.1, 20-89.1 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Washington | No fixed deadline Declaration of invalidity | Yes. Only while both spouses are living, and lost if you lived together after you knew. | Age, no required approval, bigamy, close kin, lack of capacity. | RCW 26.09.040, 26.04.020, 26.04.130 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| West Virginia | No fixed deadline Annulment | Yes. The injured spouse loses it by confirming the marriage after knowing. | A sexually transmitted disease, an undisclosed felony, pregnancy by another man; even bigamy is voidable until a court declares it. | W. Va. Code §§ 48-3-101 to 48-3-105 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Wisconsin | Fixed deadlines Annulment | Yes. Within 1 year of learning of it. | Inability to consummate (1 year); prohibited marriages within 10 years, with no limit where a spouse was still living. | Wis. Stat. §§ 767.313, 765.03, 765.21 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
| Wyoming | No fixed deadline Annulment | Yes, if you have not voluntarily lived together since. | A living spouse, mental incompetence, close kin, or under 16 make it void; 16 or 17 without a judge’s consent is voidable. | W.S. § 20-2-101 Read 3 Oct 2026 |
Civil annulment and religious annulment
A civil annulment comes from a state court and changes your legal status. A religious annulment, such as a declaration of nullity in the Catholic Church, is a separate process under that faith’s own rules. One does not produce the other: a religious annulment does not end a marriage in the eyes of the state, and a civil divorce or annulment does not settle the question for a church. If both matter to you, you will need both.
What we could not confirm
14 states are marked rather than filled, and some rows are partial
- Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee publish their statutes only through a commercial service. Connecticut, Illinois and Utah statute sites failed a secure connection; Indiana’s loads no text without a browser; New Jersey and Oklahoma blocked us; New Mexico’s statutes are on a commercial platform; Pennsylvania’s text would not load; Alabama was not reached.
- California: we read the grounds, but the deadlines section now exists in two versions and neither could be read.
- Arizona, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and South Carolina: the sections we read list void marriages, but not the other grounds or any deadlines. In several of these, fraud and similar grounds come from court decisions, which we did not read.
- New York: the fraud deadline is the general civil time limit, which we did not read.
If annulment is not available
Divorce or legal separation may be the route instead. See how each state handles separation.
Everything else about your state
Forms, residency, waiting periods, service of process, and what happens to the house.
Common questions about annulment
Short answers to what people ask most. The table above has the detail for each state.
What is the difference between an annulment and a divorce?
A divorce ends a valid marriage. An annulment is a court finding that the marriage was never valid, because of a defect that existed on the wedding day, such as bigamy, a close family relationship, fraud, force or being underage.
Can I get an annulment because the marriage was short?
Not for that reason alone. Length is not a ground in any state we read. You need a specific ground such as fraud, force, bigamy or an inability to consummate. Virginia even works the other way: no annulment on most grounds after two years of marriage.
How long do I have to file for an annulment based on fraud?
It depends on the state. Delaware, Kentucky and Minnesota allow 90 days from learning of it, Wisconsin one year, Montana and Ohio two years, and Idaho, North Dakota and South Dakota four years from discovery. In many states, living together after you know ends the right.
What is a void marriage?
One that was never valid, usually because a spouse was already married or the spouses are close relatives. Several states say a void marriage needs no court decree, but a court order is the usual way to prove it.
Does a church annulment end my legal marriage?
No. A religious annulment is separate from the state. To end the marriage legally you need a civil annulment or divorce from a state court.