In Oregon, it is illegal to marry your first cousin. The state law explicitly prohibits marriages between first cousins or any nearer relatives, and any marriage entered into between such parties is considered void and not legally recognized. Oregon law specifies that prohibited marriages include those where the parties are first cousins, aunts, uncles, parents, siblings, or half-siblings by blood.
This prohibition means that even if two first cousins wish to marry, their marriage will not have legal validity in Oregon, and they cannot obtain a marriage license for such a union from the state. This restriction aligns with Oregon’s broader marriage laws that prioritize certain degrees of consanguinity to prevent marriages between close blood relatives.
Therefore, while many states have varied laws about cousin marriage—some allowing it, some banning it outright, and others having conditional allowances—Oregon clearly forbids marriage between first cousins, maintaining a strict ban on such unions under its family law statutes.
Sources
[1] https://oregonlawhelp.org/topics/family/getting-married-oregon
[2] https://cardozolawreview.com/the-unconstitutionality-of-state-bans-on-marriage-between-first-cousins/
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage_law_in_the_United_States
[4] https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_106.020
[5] https://www.legalmatch.com/law-library/article/cousin-marriage-laws.html
