Are civil unions recognized on passport applications?

In California, civil unions are not officially recognized by the U.S. government under federal law and therefore cannot be marked as such on a passport application. Civil unions are a state-level legal recognition of a same-sex relationship, granting certain rights to both parties. However, since the U.S. government does not recognize same-sex marriage, and since a civil union is not a marriage, it is not valid for the purpose of a passport application and cannot be marked as such. California does offer some legal rights to the partners within a civil union, including the right to make medical decisions for each other, the right to start a family, and the right to jointly own property. However, while many states have recognized same-sex marriage, California has not done so, meaning that civil unions are the only legal recognition available to same-sex couples in the state. Therefore, California civil unions are not legally recognized by the U.S. government for the purposes of a passport application and so cannot be marked as such. It is important to keep this in mind when filling out a passport application, as any incorrect information could lead to delays or even rejection of the application.

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Are civil unions recognized on passport applications?

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