President Droupadi Murmu has given assent to the Gujarat Uniform Civil Code, 2026, clearing the final constitutional hurdle for the law. The assent makes Gujarat the second state after Uttarakhand to enact a Uniform Civil Code, according to the Gujarat Government Gazette.
President Murmu gave her assent to the legislation on September 17, according to the Gujarat Government Gazette Extraordinary published on October 1. The law has been notified as Gujarat Act No. 15 of 2026.
The Act establishes a common legal framework covering marriage, divorce, succession and live-in relationships for all residents, irrespective of religion. It extends across Gujarat and also applies to residents of the state living outside its territorial limits.
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However, Scheduled Tribes and groups whose customary rights are protected under the Constitution have been exempted from its provisions.
The new legislation makes registration of marriages mandatory within 60 days. Failure to register a marriage can attract a penalty of up to Rs 10,000. It also prohibits bigamy and provides equal inheritance rights for sons and daughters across religions.
Live-in relationships will also come under a formal regulatory framework. Such relationships will have to be registered, with the Act laying down a process for their termination and provisions concerning related rights.
The Gujarat Assembly passed the Bill on March 24 following a debate lasting more than seven hours.
The legislation was drafted on the basis of a report by a committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai.
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The Gujarat government had first approved a committee in 2022 to examine the need and feasibility of implementing a Uniform Civil Code. It subsequently constituted a five-member panel headed by Justice Desai to prepare the draft.
Uttarakhand was the first state to bring in a Uniform Civil Code after Independence. Its UCC Act was passed in 2024 and came into force in January 2025. It provides common rules relating to marriage, divorce, inheritance and other personal matters, while exempting Scheduled Tribes.
The Gujarat law is not yet in force. It will take effect from a date to be separately appointed by the state government through a notification in the official Gazette.
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