West Hollywood has become the first city in Los Angeles County to allow polyamorous relationships to register as domestic partners. The City Council unanimously approved the ordinance Tuesday, which was introduced by Mayor John Heilman.
The measure permits individuals in relationships involving three or more partners to officially register with the city. This registration grants certain rights, including hospital visitation and additional tenant protections. However, the ordinance does not extend the same legal rights afforded to married couples or traditional domestic partners.
Supporters of the ordinance view it as a significant step toward addressing the challenges faced by individuals in non-traditional relationships. These challenges can arise in areas such as housing, healthcare, and education, where existing policies often cater to two-person partnerships.
The idea for polyamory protections was first proposed to West Hollywood Councilmember Chelsea Lee Byers in early 2025 by Christina Fialho, an attorney and founder of the advocacy group Rewrite the BiLine. Fialho stated that this law is "just the beginning" and allows people to "dream about a future they once thought was out of reach."
To qualify for registration, participants must provide mutual consent and demonstrate no blood relation. The ordinance also applies to non-city residents. The city had previously advanced a plan for recognizing multi-partner partnerships in March and approved an anti-discrimination ordinance that added "family or relationship structure" as a protected class, aiming to shield people in polyamorous and other nontraditional households from discrimination.
West Hollywood Councilmember Chelsea Lee Byers has called these protections "long overdue," citing rising costs and pressures affecting access to services. The city had also established a task force to determine the operational details of the multi-partner domestic partnership registry.
Similar measures have been enacted in other municipalities, with some Massachusetts cities recognizing multi-partner domestic partnerships and cities like Berkeley and Oakland taking steps to ban discrimination based on family structure. However, the concept has faced criticism from groups like the California Family Council, which has opposed recognizing polyamorous relationships.