North Dakota Decriminalizes Cohabitation Unless Fraudulent

The North Dakota Senate has passed a bill downgrades unmarried cohabitation from from a sex crime to fraud, and then only if the couple claims to be married. The bill was changed from an outright repeal of the state's anti-cohabitation law. The amended proposal would make the false representation of marital status a misdemeanor crime for a man and woman who live together. Cohabiting couples who do not falsely claim marriage would not be penalized.  The proposal now goes to the state House.

Read the article in the New York Times
(Last visited February 11, 2007 bgf)

Among those states that still make cohabitation a crime are MIchigan, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.