Generally, the answer to this question is no. North Carolina law only allows you to get an annulment in limited circumstances. You can file for an annulment if:
- You find out your spouse was already married to another person, who was still living at the time of your marriage;
- You or your spouse were under the age of 16 at the time of your marriage;
- You are related to your spouse, and the relationship is closer than first cousins (or if you are double first cousins);
- You or your spouse is physically impotent;
- At the time of the marriage, one or both of you was unable to understand the marriage vows. For example, if you were drunk, or if either of you has a mental disability that would prevent you from understanding that you were getting married.
Additionally, you may get an annulment if you got married because you thought your wife was pregnant, and you:
- Separated within 45 days of the marriage;
- Stayed separated for a year; and
- No child was born within 10 months of the separation.
But even if one of the above is true, you may still not be able to get an annulment. For instance, if you found out that your spouse was unable to have sex, or if you were drunk at the wedding, but afterwards, you continue to live as a couple for any period of time, then the court may find that you have ratified the marriage. If you lived as husband and wife long enough, the court might also find that you have sat on your rights to have the marriage annulled, and it’s now too late to complain.