State Laws: Domestic Partnerships

Several states and municipalities now recognize domestic partnership rights, providing a registry, extension of benefits, or both. Unmarried cohabitants should check with the state and local laws in their jurisdictions to determine what rights may be available to them.

Alabama	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
Alaska	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
Arizona	The cities of Phoenix and Tucson extend benefits to domestic partners.
Arkansas	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
California	The following cities and counties extend benefits to domestic partners: Alameda County, Berkeley, Laguna Beach, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Marin County, Oakland, Petaluma, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, San Francisco County, San Mateo County, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz County, Ventura County, West Hollywood. The following cities and counties offer domestic partner registries: Arcata, Berkeley, Cathedral City, Davis, Laguna Beach, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, Oakland, Palo Alto, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Barbara County, and West Hollywood.
Colorado	The city of Denver extends benefits to domestic partners and provides a domestic partner registry.
Connecticut	The state extends benefits to domestic partners. The city of Hartford extends benefits to domestic partners and provides a domestic partner registry.
Delaware	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
Florida	Broward County extends benefits to domestic partners and provides a domestic partner registry. The city of West Palm Beach extends benefits to domestic partners.
Georgia	The city of Atlanta extends benefits to domestic partners and provides a domestic partner registry.
Hawaii	The state extends benefits to domestic partners and provides a domestic partner registry.
Idaho	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
Illinois	The city of Chicago and Cook County extend benefits to domestic partners. The city of Oak Park extends benefits to domestic partners and provides a domestic partner registry.
Indiana	The city of Bloomington extends benefits to domestic partners.
Iowa	The city of Iowa City extends benefits to domestic partners and provides a domestic partner registry.
Kansas	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
Kentucky	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
Louisiana	The city of New Orleans extends benefits to domestic partners.
Maine	The city of Portland extends benefits to domestic partners and provides a domestic partner registry.
Maryland	The cities of Baltimore and Takoma Park and Montgomery County extend benefits to domestic partners.
Massachusettes	The following cities extend benefits to domestic partners: Boston, Brewster, Brookline, Nantucket, Provincetown, and Springfield. The following cities provide domestic partner registries: Boston, Brewster, Brookline, Cambridge, Nantucket, and Northampton.
Michigan	The city of Kalamazoo, Washtenaw County, and Wayne County extend benefits to domestic partners. The cities of Ann Arbor and East Lansing extend benefits to domestic partners and provide a domestic partner registry.
Minnesota	The city of Minneapolis extends benefits to domestic partners and provides a domestic partner registry.
Mississippi	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
Missouri	The city of St. Louis provides a domestic partner registry.
Montana	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
Nebraska	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
Nevada	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
New Hampshire	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
New Jersey	The city of Delaware extends benefits to domestic partners.
New Mexico	The city of Albuquerque extends benefits to domestic partners.
New York	The following cities and counties extend benefits to domestic partners: Brighton, Eastchester, Ithaca, New York City, Rochester, and West-chester County. The following cities provide domestic partner registries: Albany, Ithaca, New York City, and Rochester.
North Carolina	The city of Chapel Hill extends benefits to domestic partners and provides a domestic partner registry. The city of Carrboro also provides a domestic partner registry.
North Dakota	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
Ohio	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
Oklahoma	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
Oregon	The state extends benefits to domestic partners. The city of Portland and Multnomah County extend benefits to domestic partners. The city of Ashland provides a domestic partner registry.
Pennsylvania	The city of Philadelphia extends benefits to domestic partners.
Rhode Island	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
South Carolina	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
Tennessee	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
Texas	Travis County extends benefits to domestic partners.
Utah	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
Vermont	The state is the first to recognize "civil unions," which extends rights to homosexual partners that are similar to rights granted to married couples. The state also extends benefits to domestic partners.
Virginia	Arlington County extends benefits to domestic partners.
Washington	The state extends benefits to domestic partners. The cities of Olympia and Tumwater and King County extend benefits to domestic partners. The city of Lacey provides a domestic partner registry. The city of Seattle extends benefits to domestic partners and provides a domestic partner registry.
West Virginia	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.
Wisconsin	The city of Madison extends benefits to domestic partners and provides a domestic partner registry. The city of Sherwood Hills Village and Dane County extend benefits to domestic relations. The city of Milwaukee provides a domestic partner registry.
Wyoming	Neither the state nor any municipality in the state provides specific rights to domestic partners.