California Form DP-1, the Declaration of Domestic Partnership, is the one-page form filed with the Secretary of State to legally register two people as domestic partners. You complete it with both partners’ full legal names and a shared mailing address, sign it in front of a notary, and submit it by mail or in person with a $33 filing fee (or $10 if either partner is 62 or older). In-person filings at the Sacramento or Los Angeles offices are typically processed within about 30 minutes; mail filings take considerably longer.
Confirm You’re Eligible Before You Fill Anything Out
California Family Code Section 297 sets the requirements both partners must meet at the time of filing. Both people must be at least 18, both must be capable of consenting to the partnership, neither can be married or in another undissolved domestic partnership, and the two cannot be related by blood in a way that would prevent them from marrying under California law.1California Legislative Information. California Family Code 297 – Domestic Partnership Registration The partners must also share a common residence, meaning they live together; the home doesn’t need to be in both names, and one partner can keep additional residences elsewhere.
An underage partner can still register, but only with a court order granting permission and written consent from a parent or guardian. A certified copy of that court order goes in with the DP-1.1California Legislative Information. California Family Code 297 – Domestic Partnership Registration
Where to Get the Form
DP-1 is available as a downloadable PDF on the Secretary of State’s website and at county clerk offices statewide.2California Legislative Information. California Family Code 298 – Declaration of Domestic Partnership You can print it and complete it by hand or fill it in digitally before printing. There is no online-only submission. The physical form, with original notarized signatures, has to reach the Secretary of State’s office one way or another.
What the Form Asks For
DP-1 is a single page with a notary acknowledgment section attached. The fields are straightforward, but the office will reject submissions that don’t line up cleanly.
- Each partner’s full legal first, middle, and last name, matching government-issued identification exactly.
- One mailing address, with the city spelled out (no abbreviations), plus state and zip code.
- An eligibility declaration that prints out the Section 297 requirements; both partners affirm they meet them by signing.
- Consent to jurisdiction: both partners agree that California Superior Courts have jurisdiction over any future dissolution, nullity, or legal separation, even if one or both partners later move out of state.
- An optional name-change section for a new middle or last name. If either partner uses it, that partner must also provide a date of birth. If no one is changing a name, date of birth is not required.3California Secretary of State. Declaration of Domestic Partnership
- Signatures and dates from both partners.
The form does not ask for Social Security numbers, and it does not require dates of any prior marriage or partnership dissolution; the eligibility declaration handles that by having both partners attest they are not currently married or in another partnership.3California Secretary of State. Declaration of Domestic Partnership
Type the form before printing if you can, or write legibly. The Secretary of State’s office rejects forms with white-out, strike-throughs, or visible alterations. If you make a mistake, start over with a fresh copy. Filing an intentionally false declaration is a misdemeanor under Family Code Section 298(c).
Getting the Form Notarized
Both partners must sign the form in front of a notary public, who verifies each signer’s identity and attaches a certificate of acknowledgment. The notary does not verify whether anything on the form is true, only that each signer is who they say they are.3California Secretary of State. Declaration of Domestic Partnership
California caps notary fees for acknowledgments at $15 per signature.4California Legislative Information. California Government Code 8211 – Notary Public Fees With two signatures on DP-1, expect up to $30 in notary fees, though many notaries charge less than the maximum. Mobile notaries who come to you often add a separate travel fee.
Filing Fee and Payment
The filing fee depends on age:
- $33 if both partners are under 62.
- $10 if either partner is 62 or older.
Accepted payment methods depend on how you submit. By mail, the Secretary of State takes checks and money orders made payable to the California Secretary of State. The Sacramento office also accepts cash and Visa or Mastercard in person. The Los Angeles office accepts checks, money orders, and Visa or Mastercard, but not cash.5California Secretary of State. Domestic Partners Registry Forms and Fees The wrong fee amount or a payment that can’t be processed sends the entire package back.
Where and How to Submit
You can file the completed, notarized form by mail or in person at one of two offices:
- By mail: Domestic Partners Registry, P.O. Box 942870, Sacramento, CA 94277-2870. Use a trackable method like certified mail; the envelope contains original signatures and personal information.6California Secretary of State. Contact Information – Domestic Partners Registry
- Sacramento office: 1500 11th Street, 3rd Floor, Sacramento, CA 95814.
- Los Angeles office: 300 South Spring Street, Room 12513, Los Angeles, CA 90013.
In-person filings are processed in about 30 minutes, but you need to arrive by 4:30 p.m. to be seen that day. Mail filings take considerably longer; the Secretary of State posts the current processing date on the Domestic Partners Registry page, and the backlog can run several weeks.7California Secretary of State. Domestic Partners Registry If you need the partnership in place quickly, say for health insurance enrollment, file in person.
If the office spots problems (missing signatures, incorrect fee, illegible entries), the package comes back for correction rather than being processed. The effective date of the partnership is the date the Secretary of State files the form, not the date you signed it or mailed it.
What You Receive After Filing
Once the form is processed, the Secretary of State mails back a Certificate of Registration of Domestic Partnership. That certificate is your official proof of status and the document employers, insurance companies, hospitals, and government agencies will ask to see.
Additional certified copies can be ordered through the Secretary of State. The cost is $1 for the first page, $0.50 for each additional page, and a $5 certification fee per document, which usually keeps a typical order well under $10.5California Secretary of State. Domestic Partners Registry Forms and Fees Order several up front. Employers and insurance carriers almost always want their own certified copy rather than a photocopy, and going back for more later delays access to benefits.
Federal Recognition Is Limited
Registering under DP-1 gives you the rights of a spouse under California law, but federal agencies do not treat registered domestic partners as married. The IRS’s filing status options are single, married filing jointly, married filing separately, head of household, and qualifying surviving spouse; none apply to domestic partners.8Internal Revenue Service. Filing Status The IRS states that domestic partners are “not considered as married or spouses for federal tax purposes,” which also rules out the unlimited federal estate tax marital deduction.9Internal Revenue Service. Answers to Frequently Asked Questions for Registered Domestic Partners and Individuals in Civil Unions USCIS limits family-based green card petitions to spouses, unmarried children under 21, and parents of adult U.S. citizens; domestic partners are not eligible.10U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Green Card for Immediate Relatives of U.S. Citizen Social Security survivor and disability benefits may be available to some same-sex domestic partners on a case-by-case basis, and the SSA encourages applicants to apply even if they’re unsure about eligibility.11Social Security Administration. Do I Qualify for Benefits as a Spouse if I Am Now in, or the Surviving Spouse of, a Civil Union, Domestic Partnership, or Other Non-Marital Legal Relationship? If federal recognition matters for your situation, marriage is the route that guarantees it.