Live-in registration, polygamy ban, ₹25,000 fine: Key provisions in Rajasthan UCC Bill 2026
Under the proposed Rajasthan Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026, marriage registration will be mandatory within 60 days of marriage once the law comes into force. However, failure to register a marriage within the stipulated period will not make the marriage invalid.
The Rajasthan Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma, approved the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) Bill, 2026 on 13 August. The Bill, aimed at regulating marriage, divorce, succession, and live-in relationships, will be introduced in the upcoming Assembly session.
The UCC Bill proposes a common set of laws governing personal matters such as marriage, divorce, inheritance and adoption, replacing separate religious personal laws.
Rajasthan has become the fifth state to come up with a UCC Bill. So far, it has been introduced in four other states: Madhya Pradesh (July 2026), Uttarakhand (March 2026), Gujarat (March 2026), and Assam (May 2026).
In a press statement, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Jogaram Patel said the UCC draft was prepared on the recommendations of an expert committee headed by former Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai.
A committee was constituted to study the implementation of similar laws in Gujarat, Uttarakhand and Assam. After examining the provisions in these states, the committee recently submitted its report to the state government, based on which the Bill has been brought, the minister said.
Patel clarified that the law will not apply to tribal communities.
Under the proposed Rajasthan Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026, marriage registration will be mandatory within 60 days of marriage once the law comes into force. However, failure to register a marriage within the stipulated period will not make the marriage invalid.
Government employees will also be required to submit a marriage registration certificate in their service documents. Action will be taken against those who delay registration, Patel said.
The Bill also proposes a ban on polygamy, news agency ANI said.
What does the bill propose?
Under the proposed law, registration of all marriages solemnised after its implementation would be mandatory within 60 days and polygamy would be prohibited, Patel said.
While all religions and communities will have complete freedom to solemnise marriages according to their own customs, registration would be mandatory, according to the proposed law.
Registeration of live-in relationships
The Bill also proposes registration or written intimation of the commencement and termination of live-in relationships, aimed at protecting the rights of the parties, Patel said. The Bill has a provision for written notice or registration of the beginning and end of live-in relationships, “which will protect the rights of both parties”.
Minister Patel said in the statement that the Registrar must issue a certificate within 15 days of receiving the memorandum for registration of marriage or divorce, or reject the application in writing.
If the Registrar rejects the application, an appeal may be filed within 30 days before the Registrar General, which must be resolved within 60 days, as per the proposed law.
₹25,000 fine for failure to register marriage
A marriage will not be considered invalid in case of failure or delay in registration. However, failure to register will result in a fine of up to ₹10,000, and failure to register even after receiving a notice will result in a fine of up to ₹25,000. The Registrar General can also impose a fine of up to ₹25,000 on any Registrar who “deliberately delays or neglects the registration process”.
The proposed lawl establishes a clear judicial process for resolving disputes arising after marriage, according to Patel.
“Clear provisions have been made for the court to declare a marriage void based on reasons including violation of the Code, forced or fraudulent consent, or impotence,” he said in the statement.
The provisions of the proposed UCC would not apply to Scheduled Tribes and classes, which have constitutionally protected customary rights, the minister said.
The proposed law provides for equal inheritance rights for sons and daughters, and lays down a priority order for succession in cases where a person dies without a will, according to the statement.
(With agency inputs)
About the Author
Gulam Jeelani is Political Desk Editor at LiveMint with over 16 years of experience covering national and international politics. Based in New Delhi, Jeelani delivers impactful political narratives through breaking stories, in-depth interviews, and analytical pieces at LiveMint since February 2024. The expertise in video production fuels his current responsibilities, which include curating content and conducting video interviews for an expanding digital audience.<br><br> Jeelani also travels during elections and key political events and has covered assembly elections in key states apart from national elections. He has previously worked with The Pioneer, Network18, India Today, News9Plus and Hindustan Times.<br><br> Jeelani’s tenure at LiveMint and previous experience at print and digital newsrooms have honed his skills in creating compelling text and video stories, explainers, and analysis that resonate with a diverse viewership.<br><br> Before moving to New Delhi in 2015, Jeelani was based in Uttar Pradesh, where he worked for five years as a reporter. In 2018, Jeelani was one of the two Indian journalists selected for the Alfred Friendly Fellowship in the US. There, he attended training workshops on reporting and data journalism, and he was attached to the Minneapolis Star Tribune in Minnesota, where he worked as a reporter.<br><br> Jeelani is a Bachelor's in Chemistry and holds a Masters Degree in journalism and mass communication from Aligarh Muslim University. Outside work, he enjoys poetry, cricket and movies.
Wait for it…
Oops! Looks like you have exceeded the limit to bookmark the image. Remove some to bookmark this image.