PORTLAND, Ore.—Couples exchanged rings, toasted each other and broke into cheers Feb. 4 as other same-sex pairs emerged from the red brick Multnomah County Building waving certificates declaring them newly registered domestic partners.

It was the first day of registration in Oregon after U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman lifted a temporary injunction imposed pending resolution of an argument over petition signatures.

The ruling made Oregon the ninth state to approve spousal rights in some form for gay couples.

Couples who pay the $60 registration fee can now file joint state tax returns, inherit each other’s property and make medical choices on each other’s behalf, among other benefits married Oregonians have.

In 2004, Multnomah County passed a law authorizing same-sex marriages and about 3,000 couples took advantage. The law later was ruled unconstitutional and the marriages voided. Voters passed a state constitutional ban on gay marriages that year.