How to Get A Colorado Marriage License

It’s important to know that you can only get your Marriage License within 35 days of the ceremony. So make your plan to get it sometime in the four weeks before the big day. There is no waiting period, so you can get it same day of the ceremony, but we would recommend giving yourself a little buffer just in case something doesn’t go according to plan.

To get a Colorado Marriage License, you both will need to apply in person for it at a Colorado County Clerk and Recorder Office. It doesn’t matter where you live or where you plan to do your ceremony, any Colorado County’s Clerk and Recorder Office can issue you a Marriage License. So just find one that’s convenient for you. You can browse the map below or if you’d like to type in a zip code or address and zoom out on the map, this link will allow you to do that: Colorado County Clerk & Recorder Offices.

Prior to COVID, you could simply walk-in and get a Marriage License. But since COVID hit, most Clerk and Recorders are accessible by appointment only. As COVID restrictions wind down, each county will likely have it’s own process. We recommend you check out the website or call your chosen Clerk and Recorder to see how they are issuing Marriage Licenses. For information about what to present to the Clerk & Recorder to apply for the license, see the sections below.

Colorado Marriage License Information & Requirements

Age Requirements

  • Applicants for a marriage license must be 18 years of age or older.
  • Applicants who are 16 or 17 years of age require consent from one of the following categories:
    • Both parents (or parent with legal custody)
    • Guardian
    • Judicial approval
  • Applicants 15 years of age and under require a Court Order and consent of both parents (or parent/guardian with legal custody)

Restrictions

  • Marriages are prohibited if an applicant is already married or between the following:
    • Ancestor and descendant
    • Brother and sister
    • Uncle and niece
    • Aunt and nephew
  • Marriage License applications issued by another state are not valid for solemnization in Colorado.
  • Marriage Licenses may be obtained in any county, regardless of where the ceremony will take place as long as it takes place in Colorado
  • Blood tests are not required

Apply in Person

You must both apply in person for a Marriage License at your local Colorado County Clerk and Recorder Office. For more information about each office (location, hours, etc.), please see the links at the bottom of this page. 

If one of the two of you cannot appear in person, the other applicant must apply in person and provide the following:

  • Absentee application completed, signed and notarized (ask your local Clerk and Recorder’s office for this form)
  • Copy of the absent party’s ID (see Acceptable ID below)

Please note that applying in this way is unusual and some County Clerk and Recorders may not only be unfamiliar with this process, they may be outright unwilling to do it. Please check in advance with your chosen Country Clerk and Recorder.

What to Bring to Apply

Both applicants must provide the following to obtain a Marriage License:

  • Proof of ID with date of birth
    • Acceptable ID
      • Birth Certificate, State issued Driver’s License or ID, Military ID, Alien Registration Card, Passport, VISA, Certificate of Naturalization, Department of Corrections ID and Inmate ID.
      • All these forms of ID must be current/valid and include a date of birth to verify that the applicant is of legal age to enter into a marriage.
      • Acceptable ID’s that are not in English must be accompanied with a certified translation.
      • Applicant must complete the Sworn Statement Affidavit, if they do not have a Social Security Number.
  • Unacceptable ID
    • Consular Matricula Card, Foreign Voter Registration Card, Foreign Driver’s License, Expired document of any type
  • $30.00 fee for the license (check with the Clerk and Recorder’s office for acceptable payment types as some will take cash, check or card, but others may find some of those types unacceptable)

Divorced Applicants

If either applicant is divorced, the following information is needed

  • Date of Divorce (month/day/year)
  • Place of Divorce (County and State)
  • Type of court for the divorce

Widowed Applicants

If either applicant is widowed, the following information is needed

  • Date of death (month/day/year)
  • Place of death (City and State)

Ceremony & Solemnization

Marriage licenses must be solemnized with a ceremony within 35 days from the date of issue otherwise the license is void and a new license must be acquired. Solemnization comes in three types with the marriage officiated by one of the following:

  • Self-Solemnization
    • by the individuals getting married 
  • Civil Solemnization
    • by Judge, Court Magistrate or other public official authorized to perform a ceremony
  • Religious Solemnization
    • by a religious or tribal official authorized to perform a ceremony

Witnesses are not required in Colorado. Clergy from out-of-state need not be registered in Colorado

Recording

The marriage certificate must include the county and location where the marriage took place, the date of the marriage, the officiating party’s signature and the title along with the bride and groom’s signatures.

The completed Marriage Certificate and Marriage License must be returned within 60 days of the ceremony to County Clerk and Recorder’s office from which it was obtained. Otherwise, late fees up to $50 may apply.

Marriage By Proxy

Individuals can appoint another party to act as their proxy and complete the marriage process.

A proxy marriage may be performed if:

  • One party to the proxy marriage is a Colorado resident, and
  • One party is a member of the armed forces of the United States who is stationed in another country or in another state in support of combat or another military operation, or is a government contractor, or an employee of a government contractor, working in support of the armed forces of the United States or in support of United States military operations in another country or in another state.

If the parties to the marriage plan on having a proxy marriage, one of the applicants must apply in person and provide the following:

  • Absentee application completed, signed and notarized
  • Applicant must complete the Sworn Statement Affidavit if they do not have a Social Security Number
  • Copy of the absent party’s ID used for notarizing the affidavit
  • Authorization of Proxy Marriage completed, signed and notarized
  • Copy of the military or contractor ID        

Colorado Marriage License Information by County

Adams County

Serves the northeast Denver Metro area.

Alamosa County

Serves Alamosa and the southern part of the Great Sand Dunes.

Arapahoe County

Serves the southeast Denver Metro area.

Archuleta County

Serves the Pagosa Springs area.

Baca County

Serves Springfield and the southeastern most region of Colorado.

Bent County

Serves Las Animas and the John Martin Reservoir State Park.

Boulder County

Serves Boulder, Lyons, Longmont, Allenspark, Nederland and the Northwest Denver Metro Area.

Broomfield County

Serves Broomfield.

Chaffee County

Serves Buena Vista, Salida and the Collegiate Peaks area.

Cheyenne County

Serves Kit Carson & Cheyenne Wells.

Clear Creek County

Serves Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Mt. Evans, Guanella Pass and Loveland Ski Area.

Conejos County

Serves Antonito and the La Jara Reservoir in Southern Colorado.

Costilla County

Crowley County

Serves Ordway and Lake Meredith Reservoir.

Custer County

Serves Westcliffe, DeWeese Reservoir, and the Wet Mountain Valley between the northeastern Sangre De Cristo Mountain Range and the Wet Mountains.

Delta County

Serves Delta, Grand Mesa and Gunnison Gorge.

Denver County

Serves the Denver Metro Area.

Dolores County

Serves Dove Creek, Rico and Lone Mesa State Park in Western Colorado.

Douglas County

Serves the Castle Rock, Larkspur, Roxborough Park and the Southern Denver Metro Area.

Eagle County

Serves Vail, Beaver Creek, Eagle and parts of White River National Forest.

El Paso County

Serves Colorado Springs, Monument and Pikes Peak.

Elbert County

Serves Elizabeth and the area East in-between Denver and Colorado Springs.

Fremont County

Serves Cañon City, Royal Gorge Mountain Park and the Beaver Creek State Wildlife Area.

Garfield County

Serves Glenwood Springs and Rifle.

Gilpin County

Serves Black Hawk, Central City and the West half of Golden Gate Canyon State Park, 

Grand County

Serves Winter Park, Lake Grandby, Grand Lake, Kremmling, Eastern Rocky Mountain National Park, the Wolford Mountain Reservoir and parts of the Arapahoe National Forest.

Gunnison County

Serves Crested Butte, Gunnison, The Curecanti National Recreation Area and the Gunnison National Forest.

Hinsdale County

Serves Lake City, the western part of the Rio Grande National Forest and the Uncompahgre Wilderness.

Huerfano County

Serves Walsenburg and the southern end of the Wet Mountain Range.

Jackson County

Serves Walden and the Arapaho National Wildlife Refuge.

Jefferson County

Serves Golden, Evergreen, Eastern parts of Golden Gate Canyon State Park, parts of Pike-San Isabel National Forest and most of the Western Denver Metro Area.

Kiowa County

Serves Eads and the area east of Pueblo.

Kit Carson County

Serves Burlington, Flagler and the I-70 corridor in eastern Colorado.

La Plata County

Serves Durango, Lemon Reservoir, Vallecito Reservoir and parts of the San Juan National Forest.

Lake County

Serves Leadville, Twin Lakes and Turquoise Lake.

Larimer County

Serves Fort Collins, Loveland, Estes Park, the western side of the Rocky Mountain National Park and parts of the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests.

Las Animas County

Serves Trinidad, Comanche National Grassland and the Spanish Peaks Wildlife Area.

Lincoln County

Serves Limon, Hugo and East Central Colorado.

Logan County

Serves Stirling, North Sterling State Park and the Tamarack Ranch State Wildlife Area.

Mesa County

Serves Grand Junction, McInnis Canyons National Conservation Area and Grand Mesa National Forest.

Mineral County

Serves Creede and parts of the Rio Grande National Forest.

Moffat County

Serves Craig and Dinosaur National Monument.

Montezuma County

Serves Cortez, the McPhee Recreation Area and Canyons of the Ancients National Monument.

Montrose County

Serves Montrose, Nucla, Black Canyon and Uncompahgre Nation Forest.

Morgan County

Serves Fort Morgan, Brush, Wiggins and Jackson Lake.

Otero County

Serves La Junta, Rocky Ford and Vogel Canyon.

Ouray County

Serves Ouray, parts of the Uncompahgre Wilderness and Ridgway State Park.

Park County

Serves Fairplay, Bailey, Kenosha Pass and Eleven Mile State Park.

Phillips County

Serves Holyoke, Haxtun and Frenchman Creek State Wildlife Area.

Pitkin County

Serves Aspen, Snowmass, Independence Pass and the Maroon Bells-Snowmass Wilderness.

Prowers County

Serves Lamar, Holly and the Midwestern Farms State Wildlife Area.

Pueblo County

Serves Pueblo, Colorado City and Lake Pueblo State Park.

Rio Blanco County

Serves Meeker, Rangely and parts of White River National Forest.

Rio Grande County

Serves Del Norte, South Fork, Monte Vista and the Monte Vista National Wildlife Refuge.

Routt County

Serves Steamboat Springs, parts of Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Steamboat Lake State Park.

Saguache County

Serves Saguache, the northern part of the Great Sand Dunes and parts of the Rio Grande National Forest.

San Juan County

Serves Silverton, parts of the San Juan National Forest and parts of the Weminuche Wilderness.

San Miguel County

Serves Telluride and and parts of Grand Mesa & Uncompahgre National Forests.

Sedgewick County

Serves Sedgewick and Julesburg in Northeast Colorado. 

Summit County

Serves Dillon, Silverthrone, Frisco, Breckenridge, Keystone, Green Mountain Reservoir and Lake Dillon.

Teller County

Serves Woodland Park, Cripple Creek, Mueller State Park and Parts of Pike and San Isabel National Forests.

Washington County

Serves Cope and Akron.

Weld County

Serves Greeley, Fort Lupton, eastern Longmont, eastern Loveland and the Pawnee National Grassland.

Yuma County

Serves Yuma, Eckley & Wray.