hold themselves out or conduct themselves in public as man and wife, so that they are believed to be married by others in the community and have an intent or agreement that they are in a marital relationship, i.e. are man and wife.
The District of Columbia Declaration of Common Law Marriage is an agreement between two people that establishes them as married without obtaining a marriage license. This type of marriage is recognized in the District of Columbia and is often referred to as a “common law marriage.” This agreement is legally binding and can be used in the same way as a traditional marriage. There are two types of common law marriage in the District of Columbia: the District of Columbia Declaration of Common Law Marriage and the Administrative Common Law Marriage. The District of Columbia Declaration of Common Law Marriage requires both parties to sign a Declaration of Common Law Marriage, which is a legally binding document that declares the couple as married. The Administrative Common Law Marriage is one in which the couple has lived together for a period of at least three years and has held themselves out as a married couple to the public. Both types of common law marriage require that the couple has the mental capacity to enter into the marriage and that the marriage is not prohibited by law.
