The Relationship Agreement

Sheldon and AmyThe Relationship Agreement, now known as the Marriage Contract, is a thirty-one page document that "enumerates, iterates and codifies the rights and responsibilities" of Sheldon and Amy in their relationship.

The agreement was originally drafted when they were boyfriend and girlfriend, but has been superceded by a contract as man and wife.

Sheldon and Amy became boyfriend and girlfriend in The Flaming Spittoon Acquisition after Sheldon felt feelings of jealousy when Stuart asked Amy out on a date. Soon after Amy signed the agreement that Sheldon drew up, he called on her to treat his splinter as required under Section 4: "Booboos and Ouchies".

The relationship agreement specifies that the second Thursday of every month, or the third Thursday in a month with five Thursdays, is date night. The agreement also requires that Sheldon take Amy to dinner on the anniversary of their first date, where upon he must ask about her day and engage in casual physical contact that a disinterested onlooker might mistake for intimacy.

Under Section 5, hand holding is only allowed under the following circumstances: a) Either party is in danger of falling off a cliff, precipice or ledge; b) Either party is deserving of a hearty handshake after winning a Nobel prize; c) Moral support during flu shots.

The agreement also requires that either party will take care of the other while they are sick. When Amy had a cold in The Fish Guts Displacement, Sheldon reluctantly took care of Amy as stipulated in their agreement. Amy enjoyed Sheldon taking care of her so much that she pretended to still be ill even as she got better. When Sheldon figured out her deception, he punished Amy by spanking her, which she also seemed to enjoy.

According to Amy in The Mommy Observation, her and Sheldon's relationship agreement covers a wide array of scenarios that might affect their lives or the world, including career changes, financial instability, and intelligent dog uprising. Amy and Sheldon plan on selling out the human race hard in the event of the latter.

Sheldon told Raj in The Gorilla Dissolution that the relationship agreement precludes Amy from physical contact with anybody but him, even though Sheldon did not at that point have physical relations with Amy either.

In The Bachelor Party Corrosion, Amy tells Penny and Bernadette that her relationship agreement prohibits her and Sheldon from having plastic surgery unless it's to look like a Klingon.

When Leonard and Penny's marriage was experiencing some strains in The Romance Recalibration, Sheldon drafted a relationship agreement tailored to their needs. As Amy reminisced about signing their first relationship agreement, Sheldon reminded her of the "no nostalgia" clause in their agreement.

In The Tam Turbulence, Amy remarked that after asking Sheldon about his falling out with his childhood friend, Tam, Sheldon invoked "section three, article five of the Marriage Contract: Beeswax, None of Your" to refuse to talk.

In the first season finale of Young Sheldon, Sheldon's Meemaw was forced to set out some ground rules after he had been getting involved in her relationship. Sheldon then had an epiphany and realized he could "could draw up a contract for any social relationship", describing it as "a helpful way to remove ambiguity in a world that was often hard to understand." Adult Sheldon's voiceover went onto explain that he "would go on to draw up such contracts throughout my life With roommates, with my wife. Even with my own children."

This page has been updated to episode 1204. The Tam Turbulence

Relationship Agreement - Featured in these episodes:

  • Season 5, Episode 10 - The Flaming Spittoon Acquisition

    Sheldon and Amy become boyfriend and girlfriend when Sheldon draws up the Relationship Agreement, a 31 page document that sets out the rights and responsibilities of Sheldon Lee Cooper and Amy Farrah Fowler in their relationship.

    When Sheldon later gets a splinter, Amy is forced to take care of it as required under Section 4, Booboos and Ouchies.

  • Season 5, Episode 12 - The Shiny Trinket Maneuver

    On a date with Sheldon at the Cheesecake Factory, Amy explains to Penny that her relationship agreement with Sheldon specifies that the second Thursday of every month, or the third Thursday in a month of five Thursdays, is date night.

  • Season 5, Episode 19 - The Weekend Vortex

    When Sheldon tries to get out of going to Amy's aunt's 93rd birthday party, Amy reminds Sheldon that she followed all the protocols set forth by him in the relationship agreement. Amy made a written record request 72 hours in advance. She checked the tire pressure on the car. She even contacted the Center for Disease Control to find out what shots they recommend for travel to Orange County (none).

  • Season 6, Episode 1 - The Date Night Variable

    Amy tells Penny that her relationship agreement with Sheldon requires him, on the anniversary of their first date, to take her out to dinner, ask about her day and engage in casual intimacy that a disinterested onlooker might mistake for intimacy.

    According to Sheldon, although he has a contractual obligation to provide Amy with conversation and casual physical contact, it is not specified that he can't outsource that to an Indian (Raj).

  • Season 6, Episode 10 - The Fish Guts Displacement

    Sheldon has to take care of Amy when she's sick as is specified under the relationship agreement.

  • Season 7, Episode 18 - The Mommy Observation

    According to Amy, her relationship agreement with Sheldon covers a wide array of scenarios, including career changes, financial instability and intelligent dog uprising. In the event the latter comes to pass, Amy and Sheldon apparently plan on selling out the human race hard.

  • Season 8, Episode 20 - The Fortification Implementation

    According to Amy, the codicil of the relationship agreement means neither party is allowed to pout or be moody on date night. Sheldon initially claims this doesn't apply to him, as he only put it in there because of "uterus stuff", but Amy insists it applies to him, too.

    Later, Sheldon and Amy agree to suspend the parameters of date night, as defined in the relationship agreement, to allow Amy to stay in the apartment and have their date continue past 10pm. 

  • Season 9, Episode 3 - The Bachelor Party Corrosion

    According to Amy, Sheldon put a clause in the Relationship Agreement forbidding plastic surgery unless it's to look like a Klingon.

  • Season 10, Episode 13 - The Romance Recalibration

    As they try to work through problems in their relationship, Leonard and Penny ask Sheldon to write them up a Relationship Agreement tailored to their needs. The resulting document prohibits Leonard from playing video games in his underwear when Penny's at home, and stops Penny from saying things are "fine" if they're not.

    After Amy comments that she remembers when they first drew up their Relationship Agreement, Sheldon reminds her of the "no nostalgia" clause.

  • Season 12, Episode 4 - The Tam Turbulence

    Amy told the gang that after she asked Sheldon about his falling out with Tam, Sheldon invoked "section three, article five of the Marriage Contract: Beeswax, None of Your" to refuse to talk.