# California's domestic partners law, Same sex only? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 5, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/californias-domestic-partners-law-same-sex-only/471188 "2008-11-05T02:31:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/californias-domestic-partners-law-same-sex-only/471188/1 "2008-11-05T02:31:24Z")
Someone on the tube tonight said that same sex partners already had their “own” law, and that other couples weren’t allowed to become domestic partners. I don’t think that’s correct. I believe that any two adults can register. What’s the law say? Peace, mangeorge Pretty exciting election, huh? 🙂 History is being made. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/californias-domestic-partners-law-same-sex-only/471188/2 "2008-11-05T02:40:55Z")
A same-sex couple of any age (above 18) can register as domestic partners. Mixed-sex couples need to be over the age of 62. Full information is at the CA Secretary of State’s [website](http://www.sos.ca.gov/dpregistry/). ---
**Author:** ![mangeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@mangeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mangeorge)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/californias-domestic-partners-law-same-sex-only/471188/3 "2008-11-05T03:26:19Z")
It’s true. From the site linked by **gotpasswords** : > [@](#): > > (A) Both persons are members of the same sex. I wonder what the thinking is? Are they (the writers of the law) afraid that heteros will “Take the easy way” and register instead of marry? So what? Anyway, it’s wrong. Thanks for the link, **gotpasswords**. 🙂 Now I’m going to find out if that law will co-exist with the defeat of prop 8, now that same-sex partners can for sure legally marry. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/californias-domestic-partners-law-same-sex-only/471188/4 "2008-11-05T05:28:35Z")
I’m guessing to get the law passed they had to mollify conservative lawmakers by restricting hetero access to DP as an alternative to marriage. ---
**Author:** ![Laudenum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Laudenum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Laudenum)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/californias-domestic-partners-law-same-sex-only/471188/5 "2008-11-05T19:03:43Z")
> [@mangeorge](#): > > I wonder what the thinking is? Are they (the writers of the law) afraid that heteros will “Take the easy way” and register instead of marry? Happens in Holland all the time. If you are getting divorced amicably, you simply turn your marraige into a partnership, then dissolve it. You can be free and clear in about two weeks. ---
**Author:** ![psycat90](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@psycat90](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psycat90)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2008, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/californias-domestic-partners-law-same-sex-only/471188/6 "2008-11-05T23:08:14Z")
Huh. It’s also relatively new. My husband and I registered with the state as domestic partners in 2001.