When looking to find insurance information for domestic partners, it is important to remember that not every state or insurance company treats domestic partnerships the same way. Of the states that have enacted legislation to allow couples to form a partnership other than marriage, the name given to the status depends on where the individual lives. States on the West coast refer to the arrangement as a domestic partnership, whereas states on the East coast tend to use the term civil union. Both of these titles are generally treated the same way by auto insurance companies. Auto insurance for domestic partners and civil unions is often treated exactly the same way by insurance companies as that for married couples. Many insurance companies will write policies for people who reside at the same address, regardless of the legal status of the relationship. According to the U.S Census Bureau, in 2007, 5.5 million couples and same-sex couples cohabitated. In each state, the domestic partner auto insurance law varies greatly.