Florida governor signs bill making cohabitation legal

Cohabitation in Florida, was punishable by a fine of up to $500 and as much as 60 days in jail

Unmarried couples in Florida now can live together without running afoul of the law, after the governor signed a bill Wednesday striking a measure which made cohabitation a crime.

Cohabitation, illegal for a century-and-a-half in Florida, was punishable by a fine of up to $500 and as much as 60 days in jail.



That changed when Governor Rick Scott signed the legislation passed by Florida's House of Representatives revoking the 1868 law.

The law stated that it was illegal for "any man and woman, not being married to each other (to) lewdly and lasciviously associate and cohabit together."

Officials said that the law was rarely enforced, except in cases where other crimes had also been committed.



Several US states have removed cohabitation laws from the books in recent years, but they remain in force in two states -- Mississippi and Michigan.