(1) Any married person who, while still married, marries, enters into a civil union, or cohabits in this state with another person commits bigamy, unless as an affirmative defense it appears that at the time of the cohabitation, subsequent marriage, or subsequent civil union:
The accused reasonably believed the prior spouse to be dead; or
The prior spouse had been continually absent for a period of five years during whichtime the accused did not know the prior spouse to be alive; or
The accused reasonably believed that he or she was legally eligible to remarry orlegally eligible to enter into a civil union.
(1.5) Any person who is a partner in a civil union, while still legally in a civil union, who marries, enters into another civil union, or cohabits in the state with another person other than a current partner in a civil union, commits bigamy, unless as an affirmative defense it appears that at the time of the cohabitation or subsequent marriage or subsequent civil union:
The accused reasonably believed the prior partner to be dead; or
The prior partner had been continually absent for a period of five years during whichtime the accused did not know the prior partner to be alive; or
The accused reasonably believed that he or she was legally eligible to marry or legally eligible to enter into a civil union.
(2) Bigamy is a class 6 felony.
Source: L. 71: R&RE, p. 447, § 1. C.R.S. 1963: § 40-6-201. L. 89: (2) amended, p. 839, § 76, effective July 1. L. 2016: Entire section amended, (SB 16-150), ch. 263, p. 1081, § 7, effective July 1.
Cross references: (1) For the "Uniform Marriage Act", see article 2 of title 14; for the "Uniform Dissolution of Marriage Act", see article 10 of title 14.
(2) For the legislative declaration in SB 16-150, see section 1 of chapter 263, Session Laws of Colorado 2016.