Those aged 16 in Scotland are able to get married or enter into a civil partnership. The Scottish Government has launched a consultation on increasing this age to 18.
Community Safety Minister in the Scottish Government Siobhian Brown said:
“A marriage or civil partnership is a significant commitment with important legal and financial consequences, so it is essential that it is entered into freely and for the right reasons.
“This consultation is important as while ceremonies involving under‑18s are rare, raising the minimum age would ensure that no one under 18 can enter a legally recognised marriage or civil partnership in Scotland.
“Family law affects people at some of the most important moments in their lives. The consultation will also look at wider reforms and offers an opportunity to ensure our laws provide greater protection, fairness and transparency, and reflect the needs of modern Scotland.”
People aged 16 have been able to get married in Scotland since 1929. There were 26,955 marriages in Scotland in 2024, only 129 of those involved at least one person aged 16–19 — less than 0.5% of all marriages.
Th website YoungScot lists what 16 years olds in Scotland can currently do.
- Get married.
- Enter into a civil partnership.
- Consent to lawful sexual intercourse.
- Leave home without your parents/guardians’ consent.
- Apply for your own home through your local council.
- Have access to many more banking facilities, including all adult services, except overdrafts and credit.
- Buy wine, beer or cider to drink in a restaurant with a meal when a responsible adult is present, but cannot buy it in a bar, off-licence or supermarket.
- Join a trade union.
- Drive a moped, small agricultural tractor, or mowing machine.
- Leave school. If you are 16 between 1 March and 30 September you can leave after 31 May of that year and if you are 16 between 1 October and the last day of February you can leave at the start of the Christmas holidays in that school year.
- Get a full-time job and pay National Insurance.
- Choose your own GP.
- Change your name without the consent of your parent or guardian.
- Be sent to a young offenders’ institution.
- Be prosecuted in the Justice of the Peace, Sheriff or High Court
- Stand for election to become a member of a Community Council in certain areas.
- If adopted, you have the right to access information relating to your birth and adoption. You can obtain your original birth certificate and request a copy of your adoption record and your court record. Find out more on the Citizen’s Advice Scotland website.
- Join the armed forces, but not to train as an officer. You will also need parental consent if you are under the age of 18. You can apply from the age of 15 years 9 months.
- Be legally responsible for babysitting.
- Apply for a passport without parental/guardian consent.
- Consent to medical treatment (if you are under 16 you can also consent to medical treatment if you are capable of understanding the nature and possible consequences of the procedure and treatment).
- Opt-out of being an organ donor.
- Earn the National Minimum Wage for 16 and 17 year olds.
- Work as a waiter or waitress in a hotel or restaurant.
- Buy Premium Bonds.
- Get a piercing without parental/guardian consent.
- Buy a pet – you can own a pet before you’re 16 but you can’t buy one yourself without a parent present until you’re 16.
- You must pay full fare on trains (unless you have a Young Scot card which gives you up to a 1/2 off train fares!).
- Vote in a Scottish Parliament election and in a local council election.
The Consultation closes on 21 April 2026 click on this link Family Law Consultation.
This consultation seeks views on:
- Implementing the Scottish Law Commission’s recommendations to improve cohabitants’ rights following separation
- Cohabitant’s rights where their partner dies without leaving a will
- Whether the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership should be raised from 16 to 18 and on extending the criminal offence of forced marriage or forced civil partnership
- Extending the simplified divorce and dissolution procedures in Scotland to include cases where there are children under 16 and no dispute about their welfare
- On whether there should be qualifying requirements for religious and belief bodies with celebrants who solemnise marriages and register civil partnerships.
Given the scope of this consultation you do not have to complete every section and can focus on only the parts that matter to you.
Read the consultation paper. The consultation paper contains full background information for this consultation. You may find it useful to read or refer to while responding.
