Linn and Benton counties, along with the rest of Oregon, are getting ready to carry out the domestic partnership law enacted by the 2007 legislature.

Starting Jan. 1, when the Family Fairness Act goes into effect, same-sex couples will have the option to register as legally recognized domestic partners in Oregon.

Forms will be available at county clerks offices throughout the state as well as online at the Oregon DHS website, and on some county sites.

The Oregon Department of Human Services defines domestic partnership as “the civil contract entered into in person between two individuals of the same sex who are at least 18 years of age, who are otherwise capable, and at least one of which is a resident of Oregon.”

As of Thursday, the Linn County Clerk’s Office had received no inquiries regarding domestic partnership registration, said John Ramirez, Linn County supervisor of elections. The office has a fact sheet available to the public. It has not yet established fees for domestic partnership registration.

The base registration fee in Benton County is $50. It charges $5 per signature for notary services, raising the total cost to $60. A copy of the declaration and certificate is provided as part of the base fee, but there is a charge for additional certified copies ($3.75).

“As of Jan. 2, the declaration itself that you fill out and the certificate will be online, available to print out,” said Jill Van Buren, Benton County elections supervisor. “You can fill those out and then bring them in and file them. We are trying to make this as comfortable and easy for everybody as we can.”

Benton County has published a “frequently asked questions” page on its website at www.co.benton.or.us/admin/records/faq.

Starting Jan. 2, those with questions may call Benton County Recording at 766-6831.