Family
Code des personnes et de la famille 2012 setting marriage age at 18 for both sexes
Loi n° 2012-014 set a uniform marriage age of 18, permits polygamy only where elected at marriage, and improved the position of surviving spouses in succession. Customary marriage has civil effect if registered.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Tribunal de première instance in family matters; registered customary marriage has civil effect.
- Deadline — Birth registration: 45 days
- Deadline — Registration of a customary marriage: required for civil effect
Governing law
- Loi n° 2012-014 du 6 juillet 2012 portant Code des personnes et de la famille
- Loi n° 2015-010 portant nouveau Code pénalfamily-related offences
In practice
The 2012 Code equalised the marriage age and, importantly for succession practice, gave the surviving spouse a defined share where customary rules had often excluded widows in favour of the husband's lineage. Because customary marriage is recognised on registration, and many are never registered, widows' claims still frequently turn on proving the marriage existed.