Crimes Act 1961

Crimes against the person - Bigamy, and feigned or coerced marriage or civil union

206: Punishment of bigamy

You could also call this:

"Marrying someone when you're already married can lead to up to 7 years in prison."

If you commit bigamy, you can go to prison for up to 7 years. You commit bigamy when you marry someone while you are already married to someone else. The judge decides how long you go to prison for.

If the person you married knew that the marriage would not be valid, you can go to prison for up to 2 years. This means that if the person you married knew you were already married, the punishment is less severe. The law says that the judge must be satisfied that the person knew the marriage would be void.

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This page was last updated on 4 August 2025

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM329765.

Topics:

Crime and justice > Criminal lawFamily and relationships > Marriage and partnerships

205: Bigamy defined, or

"Marrying someone else while still married is called bigamy"

207: Feigned marriage or civil union, or

"It's against the law to pretend to marry or have a civil union with someone when you know it won't be real."

Part 8Crimes against the person
Bigamy, and feigned or coerced marriage or civil union

206Punishment of bigamy

Every one who commits bigamy is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years:

provided that if the Judge is satisfied that the person with whom the offender went through the form of marriage or with whom the offender entered into a civil union, knew, at the time when the offence was committed, that the marriage or civil union would be void, the offender is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years.

Compare

1908 No 32 s 225

Notes

Section 206 proviso: amended, on 26 April 2005, by section 42(a) of the Civil Union Act 2004 (2004 No 102).
Section 206 proviso: amended, on 26 April 2005, by section 42(b) of the Civil Union Act 2004 (2004 No 102).