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 Pennsylvania, both bigamy and polygamy are illegal. Under Pennsylvania law, specifically 18 Pa.C.S. § 1707, bigamy is defined as marrying or cohabitating with more than one person while being bound by law to another spouse. It is a criminal offense and is classified as a felony of the second degree. This means that a person who is already legally married and attempts to marry another person or lives with another person as a spouse while still being married can face serious legal consequences. The law is designed to uphold the principle of monogamy, which is the practice of being married to only one person at a time. The prohibition of bigamy and polygamy in Pennsylvania reflects the state's and the broader United States' legal stance that marriage is a legal contract between two individuals that is exclusive and cannot be legally duplicated while it is in force.