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 Virginia, both bigamy and polygamy are prohibited by law. Under Virginia Code Section 18.2-362, bigamy is defined as the act of marrying someone while already being lawfully married to another person. This offense is classified as a Class 4 felony, which can result in severe penalties including imprisonment and fines. The law does not recognize any form of marriage that involves more than two people, which means that polygamous marriages are also not legally valid in Virginia. It is important for individuals to dissolve any previous marriage through a legal divorce before entering into a new marriage to avoid the criminal charge of bigamy.