TOLEDO, Ohio—The Toledo City Council approved an ordinance Nov. 13 to allow gay or other unmarried couples to register their domestic partnerships as proof of eligibility for benefits such as health care.

Supporters say the ordinance does not violate Ohio’s constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage. It is modeled after the only other one in the state, which voters in Cleveland Heights approved in 2003.

The registry also could provide a basis for people to visit domestic partners in the hospital and pick up children at schools, supporters said, noting that the city has a domestic partnership registry for police officers and firefighters who have negotiated benefits in their collective bargaining agreements.