A civil union is a legally recognized relationship between members of a same-sex couple, with rights similar to those of a marriage relationship.
In North Carolina, civil unions are not legally recognized. The state has a constitutional amendment that defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman, effectively prohibiting the legal recognition of same-sex civil unions. However, following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015, same-sex marriage became legal across the entire United States, including North Carolina. This means that while civil unions per se are not recognized, same-sex couples have the right to marry and thereby obtain the same legal rights and benefits as opposite-sex married couples. Therefore, in North Carolina, same-sex couples looking for legal recognition of their relationship would need to pursue marriage rather than a civil union.