{"data":{"id":"us-ar/ark.-code-ann.-9-11-803","jurisdiction":"us-ar","citation":"Ark. Code Ann. § 9-11-803","heading":"Covenant marriage","body":"(a) (1) A covenant marriage is a marriage entered into by one (1) male and one (1) female who understand and agree that the marriage between them is a lifelong relationship. (2) Parties to a covenant marriage will have received authorized counseling emphasizing the nature, purposes, and responsibilities of marriage. (3) Only when there has been a complete and total breach of the marital covenant commitment may a party seek a declaration that the marriage is no longer legally recognized. (b) (1) A man and a woman may contract a covenant marriage by declaring their intent to do so on their application for a marriage license as otherwise required under this chapter and executing a declaration of intent to contract a covenant marriage as provided in § 9-11-804 . (2) The application for a marriage license and the declaration of intent shall be filed with the official who issues the marriage license. Acts 2001, No. 1486, § 5\n\n(a) (1) A covenant marriage is a marriage entered into by one (1) male and one (1) female who understand and agree that the marriage between them is a lifelong relationship. (2) Parties to a covenant marriage will have received authorized counseling emphasizing the nature, purposes, and responsibilities of marriage. (3) Only when there has been a complete and total breach of the marital covenant commitment may a party seek a declaration that the marriage is no longer legally recognized.\n\n(1) A covenant marriage is a marriage entered into by one (1) male and one (1) female who understand and agree that the marriage between them is a lifelong relationship.\n\n(2) Parties to a covenant marriage will have received authorized counseling emphasizing the nature, purposes, and responsibilities of marriage.\n\n(3) Only when there has been a complete and total breach of the marital covenant commitment may a party seek a declaration that the marriage is no longer legally recognized.\n\n(b) (1) A man and a woman may contract a covenant marriage by declaring their intent to do so on their application for a marriage license as otherwise required under this chapter and executing a declaration of intent to contract a covenant marriage as provided in § 9-11-804 . (2) The application for a marriage license and the declaration of intent shall be filed with the official who issues the marriage license.\n\n(1) A man and a woman may contract a covenant marriage by declaring their intent to do so on their application for a marriage license as otherwise required under this chapter and executing a declaration of intent to contract a covenant marriage as provided in § 9-11-804 .\n\n(2) The application for a marriage license and the declaration of intent shall be filed with the official who issues the marriage license.","path":["AR Code","Title 9","Chapter 11","Subchapter 8"],"source_url":"https://oss-data-us.vaquill.ai/v2026.08/us_ar_statutes.parquet","current_through":"2026-08-14","vintage":"open-us-law v2026.08, retrieved 2026-09-14","retrieved_at":"2026-09-14T18:32:41Z","sha256":"a13694738134390f583540f938c9d1d0ad28aaa9a0350893da7ee8beb77ea6f5","source_id":"us-ar","stale":false,"prev":"us-ar/ark.-code-ann.-9-11-802","next":"us-ar/ark.-code-ann.-9-11-804"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}