PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Prashant Bharadwaj TI - Impact of Changes in Marriage Law AID - 10.3368/jhr.50.3.614 DP - 2015 Jul 01 TA - Journal of Human Resources PG - 614--654 VI - 50 IP - 3 4099 - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/50/3/614.short 4100 - http://jhr.uwpress.org/content/50/3/614.full SO - J Hum Resour2015 Jul 01; 50 AB - Does the postponement of marriage affect fertility and investment in human capital? I study this question in the context of a 1957 amendment to the Mississippi marriage law that was aimed at delaying the age of marriage; changes included raising the minimum age for men and women, parental consent requirements, compulsory blood tests, and proof of age. Using a difference-in-differences design at the county level, I find that, overall, marriages per 1,000 in the population in Mississippi and its neighboring counties decreased by nearly 75 percent; the crude birth rate decreased between 2 and 6 percent; and school enrollment increased by 3 percent after the law was enacted (by 1960). An unintended consequence of the law change was that illegitimate births among young black mothers increased by 7 percent. I show that changes in labor market conditions during this period cannot explain the changes in marriages, births, and enrollment. I conclude that stricter marriage-related regulations that lead to a delay in marriage can postpone fertility and increase school enrollment.