A History of Fornication Laws in the United States
In short
There was no single date. Fornication laws came from colonial codes and survived statehood: North Carolina's cohabitation statute dates to 1805, Georgia's to an 1833 code and South Carolina's to 1880. Courts and legislatures dismantled them piecemeal. After Lawrence v. Texas (2003), legal scholars consider the remaining statutes unenforceable against consenting adults.
What the full article will cover
- Where did American fornication laws come from?
- How did 19th-century states write these laws?
- How were the laws enforced in practice?
- How did privacy rulings weaken them?
- Which states still have them today?
Frequently asked questions
- When was fornication legalized in the US?
- Were fornication laws ever enforced in the 20th century?
- Did the federal government ever ban fornication?
Sources
- ncleg.gov — https://www.ncleg.gov/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/byarticle/chapter_14/article_26.html
- law.justia.com — https://law.justia.com/codes/georgia/title-16/chapter-6/section-16-6-18/
- scstatehouse.gov — https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t16c015.php
- law.cornell.edu — https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/fornication
- law.cornell.edu — https://www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/539/558
General information, not legal or religious advice.