Domestic Partnership Registry

The City of Columbia maintains a domestic partnership registry for the purposes of allowing persons to declare a domestic partnership. The information on this page is intended to provide an overview of the City of Columbia Domestic Partnership Registry. For more detailed information about the registry, please refer to the City Code of Ordinance creating the registry and/or the Policy Guidance.

Location

The registry is located at and maintained by the Department of Public Health and Human Services:

1005 W. Worley St.

Columbia, MO 65203

v (573) 874-7488

f (573) 874-7756

tty (573) 874-7356

ocs@gocolumbiamo.com

Eligibility

To establish a domestic partnership, two individuals must affirm that they:

• have resided together for at least six months,
• each intends to reside with the other and share the common necessities of life,
• are each 18 years of age or older,
• are mentally competent to contract,
• are not related by blood closer than would bar marriage in the State of Missouri,
• are not married to any person other than their domestic partner,
• are each other's sole domestic partner, and
• neither has a current declaration of domestic partnership on file in this city.

Declaring or Terminating a Domestic Partnership

Persons wishing to declare or terminate domestic partnership should print and complete the corresponding form below:

• Declaration of Domestic Partnership
• Termination of Domestic Partnership

Completed forms should be submitted by mail or in person to the Department of Public Health and Human Services. We cannot accept faxed copies of either from as we must retain an original copy of the form for our records.

There is a fee of $25.00 for each declaration and termination, payable by cash or check to the City of Columbia.

Upon receipt of completed forms and payment, the city will register the declaration or termination of domestic partnership submitted by the partners and provide or mail a copy of the declaration or termination from to the domestic partners.

Rights of Registered Domestic Partnership

All facilities owned and operated by the city, including but not limited to recreational facilities, shall allow the registered domestic partner of a user, and his or her dependents, to be included in any rights and privileges accorded a spouse and children for purposes of use and access to city facilities.

Potential Uses of the Registry

The ordinance does not impose any obligations on employers or businesses but does state that employers may use the registry as proof of relationship for benefit plans and health care and nursing home facilities may use the registry as proof of relationship for their visitation policies:

• Employer benefit plans.  Employers of registered domestic partners may use the registry as proof of relationship for their employee benefit plans.
• Health care visitation.  Operators of health care facilities may use the registry as proof of relationship for their visitation policies.
• Nursing homes.  Operators of nursing  home facilities may use the registry as proof of relationship for their visitation policies.