It appears unmarried men and women may now legally cohabit in Florida

A law that has been on the books since 1868 may be repealed by Governor Rick Scott. The old law (Florida Statute 798.02) which made it illegal for unmarried men and women to cohabitate read as follows: “If any man and woman, not being married to each other, lewdly and lasciviously associate and cohabit together, or if any man or woman, married or unmarried, engages in open and gross lewdness and lascivious behavior, they shall be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree. . . .”   The reality is that thousands of unmarried couples in Florida live together and while some consider this to be a moral issue, few were aware that the behavior was actually criminal.  A second-degree misdemeanor in Florida is punishable by up to sixty (60) days in jail and a $500 fine.