Chastity Rules at Religious Colleges: BYU's Honor Code and Beyond

What does the BYU Honor Code require?

The Honor Code requires everyone at BYU to live a chaste and virtuous life, which the policy spells out as abstaining from sexual relations outside marriage between a man and a woman ^[1]. A second sentence adds that living a chaste and virtuous life includes abstaining from same-sex romantic behavior ^[1]. The current text was approved on August 30, 2023, and revised on December 5, 2025; it replaced a version dated February 12, 2020 ^[1].

Chastity is one of eight principles. The others ask members to maintain an ecclesiastical endorsement, be honest, abstain from alcohol, tobacco, tea, coffee, vaping, marijuana and other substance abuse, participate regularly in Church services, respect others and avoid profane or vulgar language, obey the law and campus policies including the dress and grooming principles, and encourage others to comply ^[1]. Chastity therefore sits inside a wider code of conduct rather than standing alone as a separate rule.

The code applies to all members of the university community, not just undergraduates. Students, faculty and staff each answer to a different office, and the Honor Code Office handles students ^[1]. Members commit to the principles voluntarily by accepting appointment, continuing employment, being admitted or continuing enrollment ^[1]. In other words, the commitment is a condition of joining and of remaining.

The policy text is short and does not define "sexual relations" or "romantic behavior" in detail. It leaves the elaboration to the Church's teachings and to the university's procedures. Related rules fill in some practical points, notably the student housing policy described below ^[4].

Conduct rules on sex outside marriage at three religious colleges

Institution	Tradition	What the rule covers	Source
Brigham Young University (CES Honor Code, revised Dec. 5, 2025)	Latter-day Saint	Abstain from sexual relations outside marriage between a man and a woman; housing limits on opposite-sex visitors and roommates	BYU policy office
Wheaton College	Evangelical Protestant	Abstain from unmarried cohabitation, premarital sexual intimacy, extramarital behavior and same-sex sexual behavior	Wheaton student handbook
Baylor University (policy approved May 15, 2015)	Baptist	General principle that sexual intimacy is expressed in marital fidelity; no acts listed	Christian Century

How is the Honor Code linked to the law of chastity?

The Honor Code's chastity principle applies, on campus, the Latter-day Saint law of chastity. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints defines chastity as having no sexual relations outside a legal marriage between a man and a woman, and teaches that chaste people also aim for appropriate thoughts, words and actions and for full loyalty to a spouse ^[2]. Its Gospel Topics page lists adultery, fornication and same-sex relations among the behaviors the law excludes ^[2].

The Church frames the standard in religious terms, with scripture references that include Exodus 20:14 on adultery and 1 Thessalonians 4:3 on abstaining from fornication ^[2]. It also describes a path of repentance for serious sins: confessing to a bishop or stake president, who is said to help the person heal and return to the gospel path ^[2]. Repentance, the page adds, takes patience and a change of heart ^[2]. The Church states as well that victims of sexual abuse are not responsible for it and have not broken the law of chastity ^[2].

BYU is owned and operated by the Church, so its code and the Church's moral teaching overlap by design. The Honor Code's requirement of an ecclesiastical endorsement, which includes striving to deepen faith and maintain gospel standards, ties the university rule to religious practice ^[1]. For students who have never been Latter-day Saints, the Honor Code Office describes a two-step process: an interview with a local bishop or another denominational leader, then one with a non-denominational BYU chaplain ^[11].

The wording of the code has changed over time without altering the Church's stated standard. In February 2020, the Church announced updated Honor Code language aligned with its new General Handbook, released on February 19, and the revision dropped a separate section on same-sex behavior ^[7]. On March 4, 2020, the Church Educational System commissioner, Elder Paul V. Johnson, wrote to students, faculty and staff that the moral standards had not changed ^[7]. The letter said that same-sex romantic behavior cannot lead to eternal marriage and is incompatible with the Honor Code's principles ^[7].

How is the code enforced?

The Honor Code Office investigates reports, and anyone may refer a student, whether the conduct occurred on or off campus ^[3]. The office asks reporters to identify themselves, though it may act on an anonymous report at its discretion ^[3]. When it finds sufficient, credible information, it interviews the student and witnesses, notifies the student in writing of the alleged violations and invites a written response ^[3].

The standard of proof is a preponderance of the information, meaning that the misconduct more likely than not occurred ^[3]. The university can proceed independently of any civil, criminal or church process, and it may take interim action such as holding registration while a case is open ^[3]. Outcomes range across eight levels: no action, counsel and education, referral, warning, probation, suspension withheld, suspension and dismissal ^[3].

The first four outcomes keep the student in good standing and are not reportable disciplinary actions, while the last four are reportable and cost the student good standing until the matter is resolved ^[3]. Probation requires the director's approval, and the three most serious outcomes require approval from both the director and the associate dean of students ^[3]. A student may ask for administrative review within five business days of the written decision, and the reviewer's written decision is generally final ^[3]. The process document was approved on October 28, 2019, and last revised on December 26, 2024 ^[3].

Housing rules reinforce the code in everyday life. Under the student housing policy, visitors of the opposite sex are limited to living rooms and kitchens and may not enter bedrooms or private hallways, with visiting hours from 9:00 a.m. to midnight, extended to 1:30 a.m. on Friday nights ^[4]. Single students who do not live with qualifying family members must live only with persons of the same sex, and violating the Honor Code or the housing policy can lead to eviction and loss of eligibility for BYU-contracted housing ^[4]. The policy was last revised on March 2, 2026 ^[4].

Do other religious colleges have similar rules?

Yes. Many religiously affiliated colleges ask students to abstain from sex outside marriage, though the wording, scope and enforcement vary. Wheaton College in Illinois, an evangelical Christian college, publishes a sexual behavior policy that treats sexual intimacy as belonging to a lifelong marriage between a woman and a man ^[8]. It asks students of all ages and residency types to abstain from unmarried cohabitation with someone of the opposite sex, premarital sexual intimacy, extramarital behavior and same-sex sexual behavior, including same-sex dating relationships ^[8].

Wheaton's policy also reaches conduct wherever it occurs or is reported, including on social media, and it handles alleged violations through its student conduct policy, with what it calls a focus on grace-filled correction and spiritual accountability ^[8]. The page consulted does not list specific sanctions ^[8]. Its text treats sexual assault, harassment and stalking as separate matters under the Title IX coordinator, not under the behavior policy ^[8].

Baylor University, a Baptist institution in Texas, shows a different drafting choice. Its 2007 sexual misconduct policy listed fornication, adultery and same-sex sexual acts among behaviors subject to discipline ^[9]. On May 15, 2015, the board of regents approved a new policy that names no specific acts and states that physical sexual intimacy is "to be expressed in the context of marital fidelity" ^[9]. The new text is to be read in line with the 1963 Baptist Faith and Message, which defines marriage as between one man and one woman ^[9].

The three examples suggest a spectrum: a detailed behavioral covenant at Wheaton, a short chastity principle backed by Church doctrine at BYU, and a general statement of principle at Baylor. They are samples, not a survey, and this article does not claim to describe every religious college. Our overview of Latter-day Saint teaching on chastity explains the doctrine behind the BYU code.

How have students responded to the rules?

Student reaction has been mixed and, at times, public. The most prominent controversy involved the treatment of students who reported sexual assault. In April 2016, a student, Madi Barney, criticized how Title IX staff handled such reports and began an online petition for an amnesty policy; on April 20, 2016, protesters delivered 60,000 names to the administration building, when the online petition had more than 92,000 signatures, according to BYU's student newspaper ^[12]. The Salt Lake Tribune said it had heard from more than 50 current or former students who described assaults, a dozen of whom said they were investigated or punished under the Honor Code after reporting ^[5].

An advisory council issued 23 recommendations in October 2016, and BYU announced an amnesty policy on July 14, 2017 ^[5]. Under it, victims and witnesses are not referred to the Honor Code Office, are not disciplined for related violations at or near the time of the reported conduct unless health or safety is at risk, and the policy states that being a victim is never itself an Honor Code violation ^[5]. Barney said the language was loose enough that it "could hypothetically not change anything" ^[5].

Protest continued. In April 2019, about 300 people gathered at the Provo campus to challenge the Honor Code Office, alleging that it mistreated victims, women and LGBTQ students ^[6]. The office's director said it had met with more than 200 concerned students and that about a dozen of the university's 33,000 students are expelled each year for Honor Code violations ^[6]. BYU pointed to its 2016 decision to separate the Honor Code Office from the Title IX office and to the amnesty policy ^[6].

Students who support the code point to the voluntary nature of the commitment: they sign on knowing the standards ^[1]. Critics argue that enforcement by reports from other students can feel intrusive ^[6]. Both positions appear in the sources, and this article takes neither side.

Are such rules legal at private colleges?

Generally yes, because the rules come from private institutions rather than from the state. A criminal fornication statute is government action, and courts have limited what governments may punish in private adult conduct (see our page on Lawrence v. Texas and fornication laws). A private religious college that sets conduct rules as a condition of admission or employment is in a different position, and nothing in the sources consulted suggests that the BYU code is unlawful. This article describes the rules and does not offer legal advice.

Federal education law also carves out room for religious schools. Title IX bars sex discrimination in federally funded education, but its subsection (a)(3) says the section does not apply to an educational institution controlled by a religious organization, where compliance would conflict with the organization's religious tenets ^[10]. The Department of Education's page on religious exemptions could not be opened for this article, so which schools hold formal exemptions is a point to verify.

The law of the university's own contract still matters. BYU's process documents promise written notice, an opportunity to respond and an administrative review ^[3], and its 2017 amnesty policy shows that a private university can change its enforcement choices in response to public criticism ^[5]. Those are internal protections rather than constitutional ones. À vérifier: whether any court has ruled on a challenge to an Honor Code sanction for premarital sex, which the sources consulted do not address.

Frequently asked questions

Can BYU students live with a partner?

Not an unmarried partner of the opposite sex. BYU's housing policy requires single students who do not live with qualifying family members to live only with persons of the same sex, and a student whose opposite-sex roommate moves in must find other housing. Violating the housing policy or the Honor Code can lead to eviction from BYU-contracted housing.

Do non-member students follow the Honor Code?

Yes. The code applies to all members of the university community, and every student needs an ecclesiastical endorsement. Students who have never been Latter-day Saints obtain one through an interview with a local bishop or another denominational leader and a second with the non-denominational BYU chaplain.

Are such rules legal at private colleges?

Generally yes. They are conditions set by private institutions, not criminal statutes, and Title IX's religious exemption covers schools controlled by a religious organization. This is general information rather than legal advice, and this article found no court ruling on a challenge to an Honor Code sanction for premarital sex.

What happens if a BYU student breaks the chastity rule?

The Honor Code Office investigates, and outcomes range from no action or counseling to warning, probation, suspension and dismissal. The standard is a preponderance of the information. A student facing probation or a more serious outcome may request administrative review within five business days of written notice.

Does the Honor Code apply off campus?

Yes. Anyone may refer a student to the Honor Code Office whether the conduct occurred on or off campus. The office may also act on an anonymous report at its discretion.

Can a victim of sexual assault be punished under the Honor Code?

Under the amnesty policy BYU announced on July 14, 2017, victims and witnesses are not referred to the Honor Code Office and are not disciplined for related violations unless health or safety is at risk. The student who led the 2016 petition said the wording was loose enough that it might change nothing.

Is BYU the only school with chastity rules?

No. Wheaton College asks students to abstain from unmarried cohabitation and premarital sexual intimacy, among other things, while Baylor's 2015 policy states a principle of marital fidelity without listing acts. These are examples, not a survey of all religious colleges.