The City Council of West Hollywood, California, has unanimously approved an ordinance allowing three or more consenting adults to formally register their committed relationships with the city.
The city council unanimously passed the ordinance on Tuesday following its introduction by Mayor John Heilman. The landmark measure, thus recognises multi-partner relationships, including throuples and foursomes, and introduces local protections for people who choose to live in such arrangements.
Under the ordinance, adults who are not related by blood can register their relationships through the city clerk, regardless of whether they reside in West Hollywood.
The registration will grant participants certain local recognition and privileges, including hospital visitation rights and access to partners held in city-operated jails.
The measure also introduces housing protections for registered partners by preventing landlords from refusing to renew or terminate leases solely because tenants belong to a multi-partner household. Local healthcare facilities will also recognise registered relationships under the new arrangement.
However, the ordinance does not grant polyamorous groups the full legal status of marriage or extend state and federal benefits associated with conventional marital or domestic partnerships. It also excludes automatic inheritance rights, federal tax benefits and other legal privileges that apply to recognised marriages.
Christina Fialho, an attorney and founder of the advocacy organisation Rewrite the BiLine, welcomed the development, describing it as an important step towards protecting people in nontraditional relationships.
Fialho, who first proposed the initiative in 2025, told the Los Angeles Times that the new law marked the beginning of broader recognition for polyamorous families.
She said the legislation could encourage people to imagine family arrangements they previously considered legally unattainable.
The council’s decision marks a significant development in local recognition of non-traditional relationships in the United States, although its protections remain limited to matters within the city’s authority.
The ordinance, however, has drawn attention to the legal challenges facing people in multi-partner relationships, particularly regarding housing, healthcare access and recognition during emergencies.
By Musekir Faisat OmolaraÂ
