Gujarat notifies UCC, mandates live-in relation registration

GANDHINAGAR: Gujarat has become the second state in India to introduce a Uniform Civil Code, with the state government notifying the law after getting the presidential assent.

The Gujarat Uniform Civil Code, 2026, will "govern and regulate the laws relating to marriage and divorce, succession, live-in relationships and matters related thereto" in the state, the government said in a gazette notification published on Thursday. The legislation received President Droupadi Murmu's assent on September 17, the notification said.

The Act makes marriage registrations mandatory, bans polygamy, and takes a tougher view on child marriages, with penal provisions for non-compliance.


Also Read: Opposition reaches Jantar Mantar, demands CEC resignation

It also mandates equal rights for women in matters of succession and property.

Uttarakhand is the only other state that introduced a uniform civil code.

The Gujarat government had appointed a five-member committee under the chairmanship of retired Supreme Court judge Ranjana Desai in February 2025 to study the subject and draft the Code. Chief minister Bhupendra Patel introduced the 209-page Gujarat Uniform Civil Code Bill, 2026 in March and the assembly passed it the same month.

Also Read: CJP begins protest 2.0 in Mumbai, calls it 'trailer'

The law prohibits filing of divorce within one year of marriage and mandates registration of live-in relationships. In case either of the live-in partners is aged less than 21 years, the guardian or the parents of the person would be notified. It has penal provisions - up to '10,000 fine or three-month jail term - for non-registration of live-in relationships. The Code excludes scheduled tribes of the state, whose rights and customs are protected by the Constitution of India, from its purview.