Bigamy is the act of marrying one person while being legally married to another. Polygamy is the practice or custom (often religious) of having more than one wife or husband at a time. Most states prohibit a party from having more than one marriage license at a time, and in most states bigamy is a crime.
In the state of Georgia, both bigamy and polygamy are illegal. Under Georgia law, bigamy is defined as the offense of marrying a person while being legally married to another individual. This is considered a felony offense under Georgia Code § 16-6-20. A person convicted of bigamy in Georgia can face a prison sentence of one to ten years. Polygamy, which involves having more than one spouse simultaneously, is not legally recognized and is also prohibited by the same statutes that make bigamy a criminal offense. Georgia's laws reflect the general stance in the United States, where all states have laws against bigamy and polygamy, upholding the principle of monogamous marriage.