Florida Statute 741.211

“Common-law marriages void”

What it means

Section 741.211 provides that no common-law marriage entered into after January 1, 1968, is valid.

The section has an exception: it does not affect a marriage that, though otherwise defective, was entered into by the party asserting the marriage in good faith and in substantial compliance with chapter 741.

The section speaks only to common-law marriages entered into after January 1, 1968. It does not address marriages entered into on or before that date or marriages entered into in other states.

Text of the statute (2026)

Excerpts are the subsections the summary relies on. Read the full official text of § 741.211.

History. s. 1, ch. 67-571.

How it applies

The section's rule is that a common-law marriage entered into after January 1, 1968 is not valid. Whether a particular relationship began as a common-law marriage after that date is a question of fact the section does not itself answer.

The exception covers a marriage that, though otherwise defective, was entered into by the party asserting it in good faith and in substantial compliance with chapter 741. Marriages entered into before 1968 or in other states fall outside what this section says.

Where this shows up

Pages on this site where § 741.211 does real work:

• Stieg Larsson

Related sections

Questions people ask

Sources

• Florida Statutes (2026), s. 741.211 (“No common-law marriage entered into after January 1, 1968, shall be valid”)

Last checked: October 17, 2026