The ordinance, introduced by Mayor John Heilman, was approved by the city council on Tuesday and provides a formal registration framework for three or more adults in committed relationships.
Under the new measure, registered partners will enjoy certain protections and recognition in areas including hospital visitation, healthcare services and city-operated correctional facilities.
The ordinance also provides additional housing protections, preventing landlords from terminating a tenancy or refusing to renew a rental agreement simply because a registered domestic partner continues to live in the property.
However, the measure does not confer on multi-partner relationships the full legal rights and benefits available to married couples or conventional two-person domestic partnerships.
To qualify for registration, all participants must willingly consent to the relationship and must not be related by blood. The arrangement is also open to people who do not reside in West Hollywood, meaning applicants are not required to be residents of the city.
The development follows advocacy efforts by Christina Fialho, an attorney and founder of the organisation Rewrite the BiLine, who first proposed the introduction of such protections in 2025.
Fialho welcomed the council’s decision, describing it as an important development in the recognition and protection of people in nontraditional family arrangements.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times, she said, “This law is just the beginning.”
She added, “I think it makes it possible for people to dream about a future they once thought was out of reach.”
Supporters of the ordinance argue that people in polyamorous relationships often encounter discrimination and practical difficulties when dealing with housing providers, hospitals, schools and other institutions.
They maintain that the new measure will provide greater recognition and help protect individuals in multi-partner households from certain forms of discrimination, particularly in situations involving healthcare access, accommodation and family responsibilities.
The ordinance has nevertheless attracted criticism from opponents who disagree with the city’s decision to recognise polyamorous domestic partnerships.
Among the critics is the conservative California Family Council, which had previously described efforts to promote legal recognition of polyamorous relationships as “cultural suicide”.
The council’s position reflects broader objections from conservative groups concerned about the implications of expanding the traditional understanding of family and domestic partnerships.
West Hollywood’s decision marks a notable development in local efforts to extend certain municipal protections to people in nontraditional relationships.
While the ordinance does not establish marriage rights or grant registered partners the full legal status of married couples, it creates a formal recognition system that allows three or more consenting adults to access specific protections under city law.
