What is a domestic partnership?

A domestic partnership is a relationship that comes with legal recognition in some states but not on the federal level. They are allowed statewide in Connecticut and New Jersey. A few states allow domestic partnerships for state employees. These include Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, New York and Vermont.

Are domestic partnerships recognized?

Domestic partnerships are only recognized at the state level. Some states have never recognized them and are unlikely to do so in the future. Marriage confers many more benefits. While domestic partners have certain rights in states that recognize them, they do not have all the benefits marriage grants.

Is there a national domestic partnership law?

There's no national domestic partnership law—it's up to each individual state to decide whether to recognize them or to provide a formal domestic partnership framework. In most states that offer domestic partnerships, the arrangement involves committed, unmarried couples, same or opposite sex, in a relationship that is like a marriage.