Utah's 1973 Fornication Law and Its 2019 Repeal
In short
Utah repealed Code § 76-7-104, its 1973 law making sex between unmarried people a class B misdemeanor, through Senate Bill 43 in 2019. The House passed it 41-32 and Governor Gary Herbert signed it in March 2019; the repeal took effect May 14, 2019. A separate earlier bill had already decriminalized adultery and sodomy between consenting adults.
What the full article will cover
- What did Utah Code 76-7-104 say?
- Why did Utah pass a fornication law in 1973?
- How did Senate Bill 43 get through the legislature?
- What did the repeal change in practice?
- How does Utah compare with other states?
Frequently asked questions
- What was the penalty for fornication in Utah?
- Is adultery still illegal in Utah?
- Who sponsored the repeal?
Sources
- le.utah.gov — https://le.utah.gov/xcode/Title76/Chapter7/C76-7-S104_1800010118000101.pdf
- wskg.org — https://www.wskg.org/npr-news/2019-03-29/utah-repeals-1973-law-that-criminalized-sex-outside-of-marriage
- fox13now.com — https://www.fox13now.com/2019/03/06/fornication-will-no-longer-be-illegal-in-utah
General information, not legal or religious advice.