Recognition of Same-sex Unions in New Jersey

Recognition of same-sex unions in New Jersey is legal in the form of civil unions in that state.

New Jersey was one of the first states to implement a domestic partnerships scheme, after California, in 2003. Gay rights advocates, brought the issues before the New Jersey Supreme Court in Lewis v. Harris in 2006. The judges struck down the domestic partnership arrangement, and split four to three to allow the legislature to pass civil unions instead of allowing gay marriage. In December 2006, the New Jersey Legislature passed a bill providing for civil unions and recognizing other states' civil unions.

Reports by the New Jersey State Bar Association and local newspapers have found that civil unions are not widely recognized and fail to provide equal treatment. The Civil Union Review Commission created by the Civil Union Act has also found this, and recommends gender-neutral marriage laws as a remedy.

In late 2009, Lame duck Governor Jon Corzine stated that he would sign a bill legalizing same-sex marriage if it came to his desk before he left office, while his newly elected Republican successor Chris Christie said that he would promote a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage. The current political situation makes such an amendment unlikely.

A same-sex marriage bill was introduced to the legislature but was defeated in the Senate on January 7, 2010. A similar bill passed both houses of the legislature in February 2012 but was vetoed by Christie.