Ark. Code Ann. § 5-26-201: Bigamy
Where this section sits in the code
- AR Code
- Title 5
- Chapter 26
- Subchapter 2
(a) A person commits bigamy if, being married, he or she purports to marry another person. (b) It is an affirmative defense to a prosecution under this section that at the time of the alleged offense the actor: (1) Reasonably believed that the prior spouse was dead; (2) Had lived apart from the prior spouse for five (5) consecutive years throughout which time the prior spouse was not known to the actor to be alive; (3) Reasonably believed that a court had ordered a valid termination or annulment of the prior marriage; or (4) Otherwise reasonably believed that the actor was legally eligible to marry. (c) Bigamy is a Class A misdemeanor. Acts 1975, No. 280, § 2402; A.S.A. 1947, § 41-2402.
(a) A person commits bigamy if, being married, he or she purports to marry another person.
(b) It is an affirmative defense to a prosecution under this section that at the time of the alleged offense the actor: (1) Reasonably believed that the prior spouse was dead; (2) Had lived apart from the prior spouse for five (5) consecutive years throughout which time the prior spouse was not known to the actor to be alive; (3) Reasonably believed that a court had ordered a valid termination or annulment of the prior marriage; or (4) Otherwise reasonably believed that the actor was legally eligible to marry.
(1) Reasonably believed that the prior spouse was dead;
(2) Had lived apart from the prior spouse for five (5) consecutive years throughout which time the prior spouse was not known to the actor to be alive;
(3) Reasonably believed that a court had ordered a valid termination or annulment of the prior marriage; or
(4) Otherwise reasonably believed that the actor was legally eligible to marry.
(c) Bigamy is a Class A misdemeanor.
Collected 2026-09-14T18:32:41Z. Source file · JSON