Strict measures against early marriages and illegal unions: New fines come into force

16 October 2026, 09:08·45·Society

In Uzbekistan, liability for preventing early marriages and conducting religious marriages without official registration (Civil Status Acts Registration / ZAGS) has been significantly tightened. The relevant law signed by the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan officially entered into force on October 14.

According to the new regulations, the amounts of fines have been increased several times for those who cohabit with persons under the legal marriage age, parents who marry off their underage children, and individuals who perform religious marriage rites without a state marriage certificate.

What are the new fine amounts?

In accordance with the legislative changes, the following fines have been established:

Those marrying minors: Persons who actually live as husband and wife with a person who has not reached the legal marriage age are subject to a fine ranging from 4.4 million sums to 6.6 million sums;
Parents' liability: Parents (or their legal guardians) who marry off or arrange a marriage for their child before reaching the established marriage age will be fined from 8.8 million sums to 11 million sums;
Performing religious marriages without state registration: The fine for religious figures and citizens who perform religious marriage rites for individuals without official state registration (without a ZAGS certificate) has been increased from 13.2 million sums to 22 million sums.

Citizens who report violations will be paid a monetary reward

In order to detect violations early and increase civil society engagement, a special incentive mechanism has also been introduced:

Financial incentive: Persons who report cases of illegal marriages, early unions, or religious ceremonies conducted without state registration to authorized bodies may be paid a monetary reward;
Reward amount: Provided that the relevant conditions are met and the violation is confirmed, the reporting citizen will receive a reward of up to 15 percent of the collected fine amount.

These strict restrictions are aimed at ensuring young girls receive an education, preventing early pregnancies, and robustly protecting the legal rights of women and children within families.