oBTAINING YOUR COLORADO MARRIAGE LICENSE

Marriage license Laws in the state of Colorado

Marry Me In Colorado is please to provide this helpful guide on how to apply for and process your Colorado Marriage License.  Below you will learn about what you will need to bring with you, and what you need to know about the Colorado marriage laws before filling out the Colorado marriage license form.

In order to get married in Colorado, you need to apply and receive a marriage license. This is the document in that officially records that you have legally married within the state of Colorado.  You may obtain your license from any county clerk and recorder’s office in the state of Colorado – it is not required your license is issued from the county in which you will be married.   Both parties should be present and provide valid identification.  If one of the parties cannot appear in person, he or she must complete a marriage license absentee affidavit and sign it before a notary public, before it can be accepted in an official office.

RESIDENCY: You do not have to be a Colorado resident to apply for a marriage license.

DIVORCED/WIDOWED APPLICANTS:  A couple is prohibited from marrying when one of the parties is still married to another person.  If either party has been married previously, you will need to provide the date, place and type of court if divorced.   In some cases, the clerk may ask for a copy of your divorce decree so it will be a good idea to bring a certified copy with you.  Widows/widowers need to supply the date and place of death of their former spouse.

TIME RESTRICTIONS AND REQUIREMENTS - There is no waiting period after your license is issued to use it – you may use it immediately.  You can apply for your license up to 30 days prior to the date of your wedding ceremony.  Once signed by your licensed Officiant/Pastor, your license must be returned within 60 days in order to be filed with the county clerk and recorder’s office in which you received your license.
 

IDENTIFICATION - You will need two (2) forms of proof of citizenship, identification and age.  Ideally, your birth certificates, driver’s license, passport, or military ID.  

FEE - Marriage license is $30.00 in cash or credit/debit card with a fee.

BLOOD TEST - Blood tests are not required to obtain a marriage license.

AGE REQUIREMENTS -  The legal age without parental consent is 18 years of age. Applicants who are 16 and 17 years of age must have parental consent from both parents. A parent who has sole custody of a minor will be required to sign a statement to this fact. If one or both of the parents cannot appear at the time of applying for the license, an absentee application may be completed and notarized ahead of time. This is to be presented when the marriage license is issued. Applicants 16 years of age or younger, must obtain a court order granting judicial approval as well as complying with the above requirements. The court order must be obtained in the county where judicial approval has been granted.

SAME SEX MARRIAGES -  Same sex marriages are fully recognized in the State of Colorado.  Licensing requirements are the same for same sex marriages as above.

WITNESSES – The state of Colorado does not require a witness.  If you choose to have a witness, there is no age limit on the witness.

PRE-APPLY ONLINE PRIOR TO ARRIVAL AT THE CLERK’S OFFICE -  For those getting your license in the Estes Park or Larimer County areas - To help reduce waiting time, you may now fill out your marriage application online! Be sure to fill out this form completely and click "Submit" at the end to proceed. Once the online form is completed, the couple must finalize their application by visiting any of the following Clerk & Recorder's Office locations and presenting valid identification.

Colorado Larimer County Clerk's Office Clerk & Recorder's Office Citizen Information Center 200 West Oak Street Fort Collins, CO 80521 970-498-7860 Hours: 8am - 5pm  

Clerk & Recorder's Office 205 E 6th Street, 1st Floor Loveland, CO 80537 970-679-4526 Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Estes Park Office for the Larimer County Clerk and Recorder's Office  1601 Brodie Ave Estes Park, CO 80517 970-577-2027 Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

The person solemnizing the marriage or, in some cases, the couple themselves, shall complete the marriage certificate form and forward it to the county clerk & recorder within sixty days after solemnizing. Any person who fails to forward the marriage certificate to the county clerk and recorder's office shall be required to pay a $20 late fee and an additional five dollar late fee may be assessed for each additional day of failure up to a maximum of $50.-  You both need to sign where is says "Bride" & "Groom" at the lower right corner of the license.-    Once the license has been returned, it will be recorded and filmed in our Fort Collins office. The original license must be kept for at least 3-4 weeks for the recording process to be complete.  -  You may obtain a certified copy of the license immediately upon return to the Fort Collins office or within 3 days after the license is returned to our satellite offices for $1.25.-     If you haven't received your marriage license back from us within a month after it has been filed with our office you may call to inquire.  -    According to state statute (C.R.S.) the license must be recorded within 60 days of marriage date or a fine will be imposed when recorded. 

A couple is prohibited from marrying when one of the parties is still married to another person. Divorces must be final! Marriages are also prohibited between ancestor and descendant, brother and sister, uncle and niece, or aunt and nephew, whether the relationship is by half or whole blood. Marriage between cousins is permitted in the State of Colorado.

If either one of you is on probation or parole, you will may require special authorization.

If a party to a marriage is unable to be present at solemnization, he may authorize in writing a third person to act as his proxy. ( See Sec. 14-2-109(2).