LOUISVILLE (WHAS11) -- One of Kentucky’s newest laws is now in effect.
It deals with marriage as the law prohibits anyone under the age of 17 from getting married.
Seventeen-year-olds who want to tie the knot will need approval from a district judge. Senate Bill 48 also states that if you are 18 you do not have to be a Kentucky resident to marry; however, that person has to prove their age and identity through a birth certificate.
Senator Julie Raque Adams sponsored the bill and is happy that it is now on the books.
"We have a lot of different partners that are interested in protecting those people who are most vulnerable in the state of Kentucky, and we were finding in this instance that it was children getting married to adults," Raque said.
Since the year 2000, the Commonwealth has had 12,000 marriages involving minors.
Several other new laws are now in effect as well. Those laws impact everything from your driving to your child's education.
Under one new law you have to leave at least three feet between your car and people on bikes while passing.
Under a new foster care and adoption law, the definition of a blood relative is expanded for child placement. It's designed to ensure children in foster care are reunited with family or a permanent home in a timely manner.
Another law impacting Kentucky teens requires all high school students pass a financial literacy course before graduating.