Residency refers to where you currently live, while domicile refers to the place you intend to return to after a temporary absence. Having a CA domicile makes a person a CA tax resident, until she acquires a new domicile or is "absent for a longterm purpose.Domiciled in California, but outside California for a temporary or transitory purpose. See Section L, Meaning of Domicile. The way to avoid becoming a resident of California is to spend less than six months in the state during any calendar year. Right? Domicile requires both general physical presence in a particular location and the intent to remain there indefinitely. Do you need to be California residents to register as domestic partners? There is no California residency requirement in the law.