---
kind: "section"
citation: "20 C.F.R. § 222.14"
title: "20"
number: "222.14"
heading: "Deemed marriage relationship."
url: "https://uscodex.org/cfr/20/222.14"
---

# §222.14. Deemed marriage relationship.


If a ceremonial or common-law marriage relationship cannot be established under State law, a claimant may still be found to have the relationship as spouse of an employee based upon a deemed marriage. A claimant is deemed to be the wife, husband, or widow(er) of the employee if the person's marriage to the employee would have been valid under State law except for a legal impediment, and all of the following requirements are met:

- (a) **The claimant married the employee in a civil or religious ceremony.**
- (b) **The claimant went through the marriage ceremony in good faith.** Good faith means that at the time of the ceremony the claimant did not know that a legal impediment existed, or if the claimant did know, he or she thought that it would not prevent a valid marriage.
- (c) The claimant was living in the same household as the employee (see [§ 222.16](/cfr/20/222.16.md)) when he or she applied for the spouse annuity or when the employee died.

## Notes

### Amendments

[54 FR 42949, Oct. 19, 1989, as amended at 65 FR 20726, Apr. 18, 2000]

### Authority

Authority: 45 U.S.C. 231f.

### Source

Source: 54 FR 42949, Oct. 19, 1989, unless otherwise noted.

### Amendments

[54 FR 42949, Oct. 19, 1989, as amended at 65 FR 20726, Apr. 18, 2000]