Uttarakhand, India’s first state to implement the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) has moved to regulate marriage, divorce and live-in relationships as well as issue guidelines on will under new rules. This law states that if landlords let out properties to live-in couples, then the person who rents out the property must verify their live-in certificate or suffer a fine of up to ₹20,000.
Landlords cannot finalize their rental agreement with a prospective tenant until the state government has seen the certificate issued to the tenant’s live-in partner. The live-in registration certificate or provisional certificate is a requirement under Rule 20 (8) (C) of the UCC, which says the landlords should ask for a copy of the same before signing the agreement. This certificate will become the rental contract part par excellence: legalized. Due to the official notifications, the registrar may impose penalties as per the state government.
Registration Fees and Penalties for Non-Compliance
- It compels live-in couples to register their relationship and pay the registration fee of ₹500.
- If the couple fails to register within a month of getting into a relationship, they will have to fork out a ₹1,000 delay fee.
- At the time of termination, they will charge a ₹500 fee for de-registration.
Additionally, the new UCC rules set fees for marriage, divorce, and will registrations:
- The rate of marriage registration is ₹250: ₹2,500 for tatkal (expedited) service, to be delivered in three days.
- A couple could get fined up to ₹10,000 for not registering a marriage or providing incorrect information.
The UCC is likely to be rolled out across the state of Uttarakhand on January 29, 2024, when Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami launched a dedicated online portal to record marriages, divorces, live-in relationships and wills. This will make personal laws uniform and give legal clarity across communities in the state.
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