It has not been very long ago that civil unions did not exist in New Jersey. Before the Domestic Partnership Act the only option for same sex couples was to create a domestic partnership, but the benefits were limited. One the NJ Domestic Partnership Act passed couples had to option to keep their status as a domestic partnership or convert it to a civil union. In order to convert to a civil union, parties can obtain a civil union license application from the local registrar’s office. When a couple enters into a civil union, the domestic partnership is automatically terminated.