In Mississippi, it is illegal for first cousins to marry. State law explicitly prohibits marriage between first cousins by blood, declaring such unions incestuous and void. The relevant statute (Mississippi Code § 93-1-1) states that “the children of brother or sister, or brothers and sisters intermarry being first cousins by blood” are not allowed to marry.
However, more distant relatives—such as first cousins once removed or second cousins—are legally permitted to marry in Mississippi. The law does not prohibit these more distant cousin relationships.
Additionally, Mississippi does not recognize first cousin marriages performed in other states, even if such marriages are legal elsewhere.
While first cousin marriage is illegal in Mississippi, marriage between second cousins or first cousins once removed is allowed.
Sources
[1] https://www.ulc.org/wedding-laws/mississippi
[2] https://law.justia.com/codes/mississippi/title-93/chapter-1/section-93-1-1/
[3] https://dataminingdna.com/can-first-cousins-marry-in-mississippi-explained/
[4] https://codes.findlaw.com/ms/title-93-domestic-relations/ms-code-sect-93-1-1/
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cousin_marriage_law_in_the_United_States
