Until today, unmarried couples were legally barred from living together in Florida

Florida repeals law that disallows unmarried men and women to live together.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

For the last 148 years it has been illegal for unwed couples to live together in the state of Florida — on Wednesday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott finally repealed the law. While it was rarely enforced, violators of the law technically could have gotten hit with a second-degree misdemeanor resulting in 60 days jail time or a $500 fine, Newsweek reports.

The law dated back to 1868 and a statute that was aimed at "engaging in open behavior that is gross lewdness and lascivious." The law, however, did not apply to same-sex couples living together because of its specification that, "If any man and woman, not being married to each other, lewdly and lasciviously associate and cohabit together... they shall be guilty of a second degree misdemeanor."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.