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Home > I Want To > Apply for a Domestic Partnership

Apply for a Domestic Partnership

City Clerk's Office

The Domestic Partnership Ordinance allows persons in committed relationships who meet the criteria established by the Ordinance as constituting domestic partnerships to register at the office of the City Clerk and obtain a certificate attesting to their status. The ordinance recognizes certain rights of access for domestic partners. This ordinance, in conformance with the Human Rights Ordinance, which bars discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, marital status and family status, also equalizes the treatment of City employees. 

 

Note: This city ordinance does not affect state law in many important areas of property rights, custody and inheritance, if you have questions about these issues you should consult a lawyer.

Request to Update the Domestic Partnership Page of the City’s Website memorandum 

How to Start

  1. Partners must come to the City Clerk’s Office in person to file a Domestic Partner Registration. All partners must sign under the pains and penalties perjury. The Registration can be amended to add or delete dependents or change the household address.
  2. Pay the fee of $35
  3. The City Clerk will mail you a Certificate of Domestic Partnership and wallet-sized cards indicating the existence of the partnership, the names of the domestic partners, and the names of the dependents of the domestic partnership, if any.

 
City Clerk’s Office
Cambridge City Hall
795 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 103
Cambridge, MA 02139
 
Monday: 8:30am-8pm 
Tuesday-Thursday: 8:30am-5pm 
Friday: 8:30am-12pm 

 

Requirements

 

 

Additional Information

 

  • To be domestic partners, you and your partner(s) must be in a relationship of mutual support, caring and commitment, be competent to contract, be 18 or over, and consider yourselves to be a family.
  • You cannot be related to your partner(s) as a parent, stepparent, child, stepchild, sister or brother, aunt, uncle, niece, nephew, grandparent or grandchild, or any other relationship that would bar marriage in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
  • If any member of the domestic partnership is married or in another domestic partnership, notice of the registration of this domestic partnership and/or of the addition of new partner(s) to this domestic partnership must be given, by certified mail, to any marital or domestic partners outside of this domestic partnership.
 
Page was last modified on 7/24/2023 8:11 PM
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