Does the state of Massachusetts recognize New Jersey state registered domestic partnerships?

Answer 1

Not likely, since a Wisconsin state registered domestic partnership is not "comprehensive" in that it only offers limited rights and responsibilities and is not substantially equivalent to marriage. The ACLU says:

Comprehensive domestic partnerships, such as those from California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, are also likely to be recognized as civil unions in Vermont, though this has not been conclusively determined. Consult a lawyer for more information.

Answer 2

The answer is likely no. Since May 17, 2004, Massachusetts has permitted same-sex marriage and recognized same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions. However, a New Jersey domestic partnership provides only limited rights and is clearly not equivalent to marriage. Massachusetts has never had a statewide domestic partnership registry, so there is likely no legal definition of "domestic partnership" in Massachusetts state law.

Incidentally, since Civil Unions were legalized in New Jersey on February 19, 2007, that state no longer issues new domestic partnerships certificates, except to couples (same-sex or opposite-sex) where both partners are age 62 or older. The reason for this is to provide some state recognition of seniors who live together but who do not want to marry because one of them would lose their Social Security Survivor Benefits if they did. The federal government does not recognize domestic partnerships and would treat the couple as two single individuals.

The ACLU says that the legal recognition of out-of-state civil unions and domestic partnerships in Massachusetts has not been determined.