In some states, a domestic partnership is a legally recognized relationship between members of a same-sex couple, with rights similar to those of a marriage relationship.
In Hawaii, domestic partnerships are not specifically recognized as they are in some other states because Hawaii has legalized same-sex marriage. Since December 2, 2013, same-sex couples have been able to marry in Hawaii, and thus they have access to all the same state-level rights, benefits, and responsibilities as opposite-sex married couples. Prior to the legalization of same-sex marriage, Hawaii had a reciprocal beneficiary relationship system, which provided certain rights and benefits to same-sex couples, but this system is now largely redundant for those who can marry. Couples who are in a domestic partnership or civil union from another state are recognized as married in Hawaii, provided that their relationship meets the eligibility requirements of Hawaii's marriage laws.