my cousin and i plan on living the state to get married will it be valid

[Guest Sabrina]

so I live in Mo and my cousin and I really want to get married but it shows online is a felony for us to get married here but we planned on going to TN to get married because its legal in that state but will it even be valid when we come home is it illegal for us to sleep together we have tried giving up our love for each other but he hadn't seen me in years but when he say me for the first time in I want to say 8 years he was remembered his feelings for me and I do for him too we wont give up on this but we want to know what we can do thank u

[KC 137]

It plainly says in the Missouri criminal code that if you return to the state after marrying a prohibited person (spelled out in the civil marriage laws), they you can be charged with a crime. So, the trick is to marry in a state where it is legal and not return to live. 

I suppose if you moved to another states, took up residency there, then married and eventually returned to MO, the criminal case would seem to fall apart or at least enter a grey area. In this case, you didn't move to evade state laws.

You could contact the aclu and see if they will take on the case. I am betting it is unconstitutional.