D.C. Marriage/Relationship Recognition Law
Licenses marriages for same-sex couples? No.
Honors marriages of same-sex couples from other jurisdictions? No explicit prohibition.
Any form of statewide relationship recognition for same-sex couples? Yes.
In 1992 the District of Columbia City Council passed a law that allows unmarried couples to register as domestic partners. Since that time, several rights have been added, including hospital visitation, the right to make medical decisions, the right to control the remains of a deceased partner, the right to take sick leave to take care of a partner and the right to sue for the wrongful death of a partner.
Citations: D.C. Code §1-307.68; §1-612.31, 32(b); §3-413; §16-1001; §5-113.31, 33; §21-2210; §32-501, 701, 704, 705(a), 705(b), 705(c), 705(d), 706; §42-1102, 3404.02(b)(c), 3651.05(c)(3); §47-858.03; §47-902; §50-1501.02(e)(4) and various other section of the D.C. Code.
District of Columbia Domestic Partners
After a 10-year battle, Congress passed and President George W. Bush signed a law July 8, 2002, that established a domestic partner registry for unmarried couples and extended benefits to district government employees and their domestic partners, including health insurance coverage.
Benefits
To take advantage of the benefits, a couple must first register their domestic partnership with the District of Columbia Department of Health before completing the relevant affidavit from the Office of Tax and Revenue Recorder of Deeds.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- be 18 years old or older;
- be unmarried;
- share a permanent residence;
- be competent to enter into a domestic partnership; and
- not be in another domestic partnership.
To register as domestic partners, both partners must go in person to the District of Columbia Department of Health, Vital Records Division, at 825 North Capitol St., N.E., Washington, D.C. 20002.
To establish proof of your shared residence, bring one of the following documents:
- a current residential lease or rental agreement naming both applicants as occupants;
- a current residential mortgage that names both applicants as mortgagors;
- a deed for residential property stating that both applicants share title to the premises;
- a current residential property utility bill naming both partners; or
- an affidavit executed within the previous six months in which both parties state, under penalty of perjury, that they share the same residence.
The fee is $45.
Learn more at the District of Columbia Department of Health website.
The legal information provided on this page is provided as a courtesy to the public. It is not designed to serve as legal advice. HRC does not warrant that this information is current or comprehensive.
Last Updated: 3/8/2007