{"data":{"id":"us/20-cfr-222.11","jurisdiction":"us","citation":"20 CFR 222.11","heading":"Determination of marriage relationship.","body":"A claimant will be considered to be the husband, wife, or widow(er) of an employee if the law of the State in which the employee has or had a permanent home would recognize that the claimant and employee were validly married, or if a deemed marriage is established.\n(a) Generally, State courts will find that a claimant and employee were validly married if—\n(1) The employee and claimant were married in a civil or religious ceremony (see § 222.12) or\n(2) The employee and claimant live together in a common-law marriage relationship which is recognized under applicable State law (see § 222.13), and no impediment to the marriage existed at the time it took place.\n(b) A deemed marriage relationship may be established as described in § 222.14.","path":["Title 20—Employees' Benefits","CHAPTER II—RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD","SUBCHAPTER B—REGULATIONS UNDER THE RAILROAD RETIREMENT ACT","PART 222—FAMILY RELATIONSHIPS","Subpart B—Relationship as Wife, Husband, or Widow(er)"],"source_url":"https://www.ecfr.gov/api/versioner/v1/full/2026-08-25/title-20.xml","current_through":"2026-08-25","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T02:24:45Z","sha256":"01297f8032f8906f99b20e16192fc5d09b31f895e87967d3949fffb55369fbea","source_id":"us-cfr","stale":true,"prev":"us/20-cfr-222.10","next":"us/20-cfr-222.12"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}