New York statute
N.Y. Penal Law § 255.20 — Unlawfully procuring a marriage license, bigamy, adultery: defense
Current through 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17)
Part of Article 255: Offenses Affecting the Marital Relationship, New York Penal Law.
Full text of N.Y. Penal Law § 255.20
Statutory text current through the 2026 legislative session (LBDC text via OpenLegislation as of 2026-07-17). This publication reproduces the text of the Consolidated Laws of New York as provided by the New York State Senate's Open Legislation service (Legislative Bill Drafting Commission statutory text); it is not the official statutes of the State of New York.
255.20 Unlawfully procuring a marriage license, bigamy, adultery:
defense.
In any prosecution for unlawfully procuring a marriage license,
bigamy, or adultery, it is an affirmative defense that the defendant
acted under a reasonable belief that both he and the other person to the
marriage or prospective marriage or to the sexual intercourse, as the
case may be, were unmarried.
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