Washington Domestic Partnership Laws

Statutes

Washington Revised Code:

• Section 26.60.030 (requirements)
• Section 26.60.090 (reciprocity)
• Section 26.60.100 (application for marriage/dissolution of partnership by marriage)

Requirements

To establish a domestic partnership, both individuals must satisfy the following requirements:

• They share a common residence;
• They are at least 18 years old and at least one of the individuals is 62 years of old or older;
• Neither is married to someone other than the party to the domestic partnership and neither is in a state registered domestic partnership with another person;
• Both are capable of consenting to the domestic partnership with another person;
• The individuals aren't nearer of kin to each other than second cousins; and
• Neither is a sibling, child, grandchild, aunt, uncle, niece, or nephew to the other person.

Reciprocity

If a couple is in a legal union (other than marriage) that was validly formed in another jurisdiction that is substantially equivalent to the Washington State domestic partnership definition, then the union is recognized in Washington even if it isn't referred to as a "domestic partnership."

Dissolution of Domestic Partnership; Merger to Marriage

Partners in a state-registered (not city or county) domestic partnerships may apply for and receive a marriage license and have the partnership converted to marriage. This is valid if the following conditions exist:

• The parties are eligible to marry; and
• The parties to the marriage are the same as the parties to the state registered domestic partnership.

Dissolution

A state registered domestic partnership is dissolved by marriage of the same parties to each other, as of the date of the marriage.

Merger to Marriage

Any state registered domestic partnership where the parties are of the same sex and neither party is 62 years or older that hasn't been dissolved or converted into marriage by June 30, 2014 is automatically merged into marriage.