[Rev. 6/29/2024 3:03:18 PM--2023]

CHAPTER 122A - DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS

GENERAL PROVISIONS

NRS 122A.010        Short title.

NRS 122A.020        Definitions.

NRS 122A.030        “Domestic partners” defined.

NRS 122A.040        “Domestic partnership” defined.

NRS 122A.090        Construction of chapter.

ENTERING INTO DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS

NRS 122A.100        Registration: Procedure; fees; eligibility; issuance of certificate.

NRS 122A.110        Solemnization ceremony not required for domestic partnership; religious faiths free to choose whether to grant religious status to domestic partnership under own rules of practice.

RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF DOMESTIC PARTNERS

NRS 122A.200        Rights and duties of domestic partners, former domestic partners and surviving domestic partners.

NRS 122A.210        Public and private employers not required to offer, and not prohibited from offering, health care benefits to or for domestic partner of officer or employee.

TERMINATION OF DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS

NRS 122A.300        General requirements and procedures; requirements and procedure for simplified termination proceedings; fees.

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

NRS 122A.500        Recognition of similar legal unions of persons from other jurisdictions as domestic partnerships in Nevada.

NRS 122A.510        Domestic partnership not marriage for purposes of certain provisions of Nevada Constitution.

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GENERAL PROVISIONS

NRS 122A.010  Short title.  This chapter may be cited as the Nevada Domestic Partnership Act.

      (Added to NRS by 2009, 2183)

NRS 122A.020  Definitions.  As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, the words and terms defined in NRS 122A.030 and 122A.040 have the meanings ascribed to them in those sections.

      (Added to NRS by 2009, 2183)

NRS 122A.030  “Domestic partners” defined.  “Domestic partners” means persons who:

      1.  Have registered a valid domestic partnership pursuant to NRS 122A.100 or have a recognized domestic partnership pursuant to NRS 122A.500; and

      2.  Have not terminated that domestic partnership pursuant to NRS 122A.300.

      (Added to NRS by 2009, 2183; A 2017, 288)

NRS 122A.040  “Domestic partnership” defined.  “Domestic partnership” means the social contract between two persons that is described in NRS 122A.100 or is recognized pursuant to NRS 122A.500.

      (Added to NRS by 2009, 2184; A 2017, 288)

NRS 122A.090  Construction of chapter.  The provisions of this chapter must be construed liberally to the effect of resolving any doubt or question in favor of finding that a domestic partnership is a valid civil contract entitled to be treated in all respects under the laws of this State as any other civil contract created pursuant to title 11 of NRS would be treated.

      (Added to NRS by 2009, 2187)

ENTERING INTO DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS

NRS 122A.100  Registration: Procedure; fees; eligibility; issuance of certificate.

      1.  A valid domestic partnership is registered in the State of Nevada when two persons who satisfy the requirements of subsection 2:

      (a) File with the Office of the Secretary of State, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State, a signed and notarized statement declaring that both persons:

             (1) Have chosen to share one another’s lives in an intimate and committed relationship of mutual caring; and

             (2) Desire of their own free will to enter into a domestic partnership; and

      (b) Pay to the Office of the Secretary of State a reasonable filing fee established by the Secretary of State, which filing fee must not exceed the total of an amount set by the Secretary of State to estimate:

             (1) The cost incurred by the Secretary of State to issue the Certificate described in subsection 3; and

             (2) Any other associated administrative costs incurred by the Secretary of State.

Ê The Office of the Secretary of State shall account for the fees received pursuant to paragraph (b) separately, and use those fees, and any interest and income earned on those fees, solely to pay for expenses related to administering the registration of domestic partnerships pursuant to this chapter, including, without limitation, the cost of materials and technology necessary to process and record the filing. At the end of each fiscal year, the Secretary of State shall reconcile the amount of the fees received pursuant to paragraph (b) and the expenses related to administering the registration of domestic partnerships pursuant to this chapter and deposit any excess fees received with the State Treasurer for credit to the State General Fund.

      2.  To be eligible to register pursuant to subsection 1, two persons desiring to enter into a domestic partnership must furnish proof satisfactory to the Office of the Secretary of State that:

      (a) Both persons have a common residence;

      (b) Neither person is married or a member of another domestic partnership;

      (c) The two persons are not related by blood in a way that would prevent them from being married to each other in this State;

      (d) Both persons are at least 18 years of age; and

      (e) Both persons are competent to consent to the domestic partnership.

      3.  The Office of the Secretary of State shall issue a Certificate of Registered Domestic Partnership to persons who satisfy the applicable requirements of this section.

      4.  As used in this section:

      (a) “Common residence” means a residence shared by both domestic partners on at least a part-time basis, irrespective of whether:

             (1) Ownership of the residence or the right to occupy the residence is in the name of only one of the domestic partners; and

             (2) One or both of the domestic partners owns or occupies an additional residence.

      (b) “Residence” means any house, room, apartment, tenement or other building, vehicle, vehicle trailer, semitrailer, house trailer or boat designed or intended for occupancy as a residence.

      (Added to NRS by 2009, 2184; A 2010, 26th Special Session, 80; 2011, 114; 2017, 288)

NRS 122A.110  Solemnization ceremony not required for domestic partnership; religious faiths free to choose whether to grant religious status to domestic partnership under own rules of practice.  The provisions of this chapter do not require the performance of any solemnization ceremony to enter into a binding domestic partnership contract. It is left to the dictates and conscience of partners entering into a domestic partnership to determine whether to seek a ceremony or blessing over the domestic partnership and to the dictates of each religious faith to determine whether to offer or allow a ceremony or blessing of domestic partnerships. Providing recognition to partnerships through a domestic partnership system in no way interferes with the right of each religious faith to choose freely to whom to grant the religious status, sacrament or blessing of marriage under the rules or practices of that faith.

      (Added to NRS by 2009, 2187)

RIGHTS AND DUTIES OF DOMESTIC PARTNERS

NRS 122A.200  Rights and duties of domestic partners, former domestic partners and surviving domestic partners.

      1.  Except as otherwise provided in NRS 122A.210:

      (a) Domestic partners have the same rights, protections and benefits, and are subject to the same responsibilities, obligations and duties under law, whether derived from statutes, administrative regulations, court rules, government policies, common law or any other provisions or sources of law, as are granted to and imposed upon spouses.

      (b) Former domestic partners have the same rights, protections and benefits, and are subject to the same responsibilities, obligations and duties under law, whether derived from statutes, administrative regulations, court rules, government policies, common law or any other provisions or sources of law, as are granted to and imposed upon former spouses.

      (c) A surviving domestic partner, following the death of the other partner, has the same rights, protections and benefits, and is subject to the same responsibilities, obligations and duties under law, whether derived from statutes, administrative regulations, court rules, government policies, common law or any other provisions or sources of law, as are granted to and imposed upon a widow or a widower.

      (d) The rights and obligations of domestic partners with respect to a child of either of them are the same as those of spouses. The rights and obligations of former or surviving domestic partners with respect to a child of either of them are the same as those of former or surviving spouses.

      (e) To the extent that provisions of Nevada law adopt, refer to or rely upon provisions of federal law in a way that otherwise would cause domestic partners to be treated differently from spouses, domestic partners must be treated by Nevada law as if federal law recognized a domestic partnership in the same manner as Nevada law.

      (f) Domestic partners have the same right to nondiscriminatory treatment as that provided to spouses.

      (g) A public agency in this State shall not discriminate against any person or couple on the basis or ground that the person is a domestic partner rather than a spouse or that the couple are domestic partners rather than spouses.

      (h) The provisions of this chapter do not preclude a public agency from exercising its regulatory authority to carry out laws providing rights to, or imposing responsibilities upon, domestic partners.

      (i) Where necessary to protect the rights of domestic partners pursuant to this chapter, gender-specific terms referring to spouses must be construed to include domestic partners.

      (j) For the purposes of the statutes, administrative regulations, court rules, government policies, common law and any other provision or source of law governing the rights, protections and benefits, and the responsibilities, obligations and duties of domestic partners in this State, as effectuated by the provisions of this chapter, with respect to:

             (1) Community property;

             (2) Mutual responsibility for debts to third parties;

             (3) The right in particular circumstances of either partner to seek financial support from the other following the dissolution of the partnership; and

             (4) Other rights and duties as between the partners concerning ownership of property,

Ê any reference to the date of a marriage shall be deemed to refer to the date of registration of the domestic partnership pursuant to NRS 122A.100 or, if the domestic partnership is recognized pursuant to NRS 122A.500, the date on which the legal union of the domestic partnership was validly formed in the other jurisdiction.

      2.  As used in this section, “public agency” means an agency, bureau, board, commission, department or division of the State of Nevada or a political subdivision of the State of Nevada.

      (Added to NRS by 2009, 2184; A 2017, 289)

NRS 122A.210  Public and private employers not required to offer, and not prohibited from offering, health care benefits to or for domestic partner of officer or employee.

      1.  The provisions of this chapter do not require a public or private employer in this State to provide health care benefits to or for the domestic partner of an officer or employee.

      2.  Subsection 1 does not prohibit any public or private employer from voluntarily providing health care benefits to or for the domestic partner of an officer or employee upon such terms and conditions as the affected parties may deem appropriate.

      (Added to NRS by 2009, 2186)

TERMINATION OF DOMESTIC PARTNERSHIPS

NRS 122A.300  General requirements and procedures; requirements and procedure for simplified termination proceedings; fees.

      1.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 2, domestic partners who wish to terminate a domestic partnership registered pursuant to NRS 122A.100 or recognized pursuant to NRS 122A.500 must follow the procedures set forth in chapter 125 of NRS.

      2.  If a domestic partnership meets the criteria specified in subsection 3, domestic partners in a domestic partnership registered pursuant to NRS 122A.100 may terminate the domestic partnership by:

      (a) Filing with the Office of the Secretary of State, on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State, a signed and notarized statement declaring that both persons have chosen of their own free will to terminate the domestic partnership; and

      (b) Paying to the Office of the Secretary of State a reasonable filing fee established by the Secretary of State, which filing fee must not exceed the total of any administrative costs incurred by the Secretary of State.

      3.  For a domestic partnership to qualify for the simplified termination proceedings set forth in subsection 2, all of the following conditions must exist at the time of the filing pursuant to that subsection:

      (a) The domestic partnership has been registered for 5 years or less.

      (b) There are no minor children of the relationship of the parties born before or during the domestic partnership or adopted by the parties during the domestic partnership and no female member of the domestic partnership, to her knowledge, is pregnant, or the parties have executed an agreement as to the custody of any children and setting forth the amount and manner of their support.

      (c) There is no community or joint property or the parties have executed an agreement setting forth the division of community property and the assumption of liabilities of the community, if any, and have executed any deeds, certificates of title, bills of sale or other evidence of transfer necessary to effectuate the agreement.

      (d) The parties waive any rights to support or the parties have executed an agreement setting forth the amount and manner of support.

      (e) The parties waive any right to the conduct of more comprehensive proceedings pursuant to chapter 125 of NRS.

      (Added to NRS by 2009, 2186; A 2017, 290)

MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

NRS 122A.500  Recognition of similar legal unions of persons from other jurisdictions as domestic partnerships in Nevada.  A legal union of two persons, other than a marriage as recognized by the Nevada Constitution, that was validly formed in another jurisdiction, and that is substantially equivalent to a domestic partnership as defined in this chapter, must be recognized as a valid domestic partnership in this State regardless of whether the union bears the name of a domestic partnership or is registered in this State.

      (Added to NRS by 2009, 2186; A 2011, 115; 2017, 291)

NRS 122A.510  Domestic partnership not marriage for purposes of certain provisions of Nevada Constitution.  A domestic partnership is not a marriage for the purposes of Section 21 of Article 1 of the Nevada Constitution.

      (Added to NRS by 2009, 2186)