Section 2C:24-1 – Bigamy
a. Bigamy. A married person is guilty of bigamy, a disorderly persons offense, if he contracts or purports to contract another marriage, unless at the time of the subsequent marriage:
(1) The actor believes that the prior spouse is dead;
(2) The actor and the prior spouse have been living apart for 5 consecutive years throughout which the prior spouse was not known by the actor to be alive;
(3) A court has entered a judgment purporting to terminate or annul any prior disqualifying marriage, and the actor does not know that judgment to be invalid; or
(4) The actor reasonably believes that he is legally eligible to remarry.
b. Other party to bigamous marriage. A person is guilty of bigamy if he contracts or purports to contract marriage with another knowing that the other is thereby committing bigamy.
L.1978, c. 95, s. 2C:24-1, eff. Sept. 1, 1979.
