(a) A person commits bigamy who:

Attorney's Note

Under the Tennessee Code, punishments for crimes depend on the classification. In the case of this section:
ClassPrisonFine
class A misdemeanorup to 11 monthsup to $2,500
For details, see Tenn. Code § 40-35-111
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 39-15-301

  • Person: includes the singular and the plural and means and includes any individual, firm, partnership, copartnership, association, corporation, governmental subdivision or agency, or other organization or other legal entity, or any agent or servant thereof. See Tennessee Code 39-11-106
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(1) Is married and purports to marry or be married to a person other than the person’s spouse in this state under circumstances that would, but for the person’s existing marriage, constitute a marriage; or
(2) Knows that a person other than the person’s spouse is married and purports to marry or be married to the person in this state under circumstances that would, but for the person’s existing marriage, constitute a marriage.
(b) It is a defense to prosecution under subdivision (a)(1) that the person reasonably believed that the person’s marriage had been dissolved by death, divorce or annulment.
(c) For purposes of determining when prosecution for this offense must begin under § 40-2-101:

(1) A violation of this section is a continuing offense; and
(2) Nothing in this section shall be construed as limiting the applicability of § 40-2-103.
(d) Bigamy is a Class A misdemeanor and, in addition to the authorized term of imprisonment, shall be punishable by a fine not to exceed five thousand dollars ($5,000).
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