Kentucky · Snapshot 09/05/2026

KRE 504: Husband-wife privilege

(a) Spousal testimony.  The spouse of a party has a privilege to refuse to testify against
the party as to events occurring after the date of their marriage. A party has a
privilege to prevent his or her spouse from testifying against the party as to events
occurring after the date of their marriage.
(b) Marital communications.  An individual has a privilege to refuse to testify and to
prevent another from testifying to any confidential communication made by the
individual to his or her spouse during their marr iage. The privilege may be asserted
only by the individual holding the privilege or by the holder's guardian, conservator,
or personal representative. A communication is confidential if it is made privately
by an individual to his or her spouse and is not intended for disclosure to any other
person.
(c) Exceptions.  There is no privilege under this rule:
(1) In any criminal proceeding in which the court determines that the spouses
conspired or acted jointly in the commission of the crime charged;
(2) In any proceeding in which one (1) spouse is charged with wrongful conduct
against the person or property of:
(A) The other;
(B) A minor child of either;
(C) An individual residing in the household of either; or
(D) A third person if the wrongful conduct is comm itted in the course of
wrongful conduct against any of the individuals previously named in this
sentence; or
(3) In any proceeding in which the spouses are adverse parties.
(d) Minor child. The court may refuse to allow the privilege in any proceeding if t he
interests of a minor child of either spouse may be adversely affected.

Where this section sits in the code

KENTUCKY RULES OF EVIDENCE ----- Legislative Research Commission Note (7/1/92). Although denominated "rules," the elements of the Kentucky Rules of Evidence were enacted as statutes by the Kentucky General Assembly. See 1990 Ky. Acts ch. 88; 1992 Ky. Acts ch. 324. Originally codified as KRS Chapter 422A in 1990, the Kentucky Rules of Evidence were renumbered by the Reviser of Statutes, effective July 1, 1992, pursuant to 1992 Ky. Acts ch. 324, sec. 34. By an order dated May 12, 1992, the Kentucky Supreme Court "adopt[ed] so much of the Kentucky Rules of Evidence as enacted by HB 241 [1992 Ky. Acts ch. 324] as comes within the rule making power of the Court, pursuant to Ky. Const. sec. 116."

(a) Spousal testimony. The spouse of a party has a privilege to refuse to testify against

the party as to events occurring after the date of their marriage. A party has a

privilege to prevent his or her spouse from testifying against the party as to events

occurring after the date of their marriage.

(b) Marital communications. An individual has a privilege to refuse to testify and to

prevent another from testifying to any confidential communication made by the

individual to his or her spouse during their marr iage. The privilege may be asserted

only by the individual holding the privilege or by the holder's guardian, conservator,

or personal representative. A communication is confidential if it is made privately

by an individual to his or her spouse and is not intended for disclosure to any other

person.

(1) In any criminal proceeding in which the court determines that the spouses

conspired or acted jointly in the commission of the crime charged;

(2) In any proceeding in which one (1) spouse is charged with wrongful conduct

against the person or property of:

(A) The other;

(B) A minor child of either;

(D) A third person if the wrongful conduct is comm itted in the course of

wrongful conduct against any of the individuals previously named in this

sentence; or

(3) In any proceeding in which the spouses are adverse parties.

(d) Minor child. The court may refuse to allow the privilege in any proceeding if t he

interests of a minor child of either spouse may be adversely affected.

Collected 2026-09-05T21:00:10Z. Source file · JSON

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