Marriage & Civil Union License
Brief Directions
General Requirements
Schedule your appointment online. Appointments fill up quickly, please schedule your appt 2-3 weeks before your ceremony. Appointments are mandatory, no exceptions. Failure to schedule an appointment may result in refusal of service.
Follow the instructions below carefully to be prepared when applying for your marriage or civil union license.
You will receive a confirmation email outlining the process for the issuance of your license.
- Fill out the online application. All fields MUST be completed, including parents’ information. This is a non-negotiable requirement by the State of Colorado.
- A 7-digit Order/Transaction # will generate; this number is required to schedule your appointment.
- Schedule your appointment online. You will receive a confirmation email outlining the process for the issuance of your license. For the Bennett location call 720.523.6020 for appointments and information.
- Both applicants must appear in person at the Government Center on time for the appointment.
- Both parties must have government-issued IDs.
Attention:
- We do not perform ceremonies in our office – Please refer to this list of judges.
- Domestic Partnership: Adams County does not perform Domestic Partnerships. Please contact surrounding counties for this type of service.
General Requirements
- Marriage and Civil Union Licenses may be issued by any county you choose and be used anywhere in the State of Colorado.
- Colorado Marriage and Civil Union Licenses are not valid if used or signed outside of the state.
- The license and the certificate appear together on the document. Please do not separate them for any reason.
- Once issued, the certificate portion must be filled out within 35 days. Once the certificate is filled out, you then have 63 days to return it to our office for recording.
- Applicants do not need to be residents of Colorado to obtain the Marriage or Civil Union License.
- Applicants are required to swear and sign under oath that all information on the application is true and correct to the best of their knowledge.
Identification Requirements
- Applicants must provide proof of identity and date of birth. Acceptable forms of I.D. include:
- Current Drivers’ License
- Passport
- Military Identification
- State-issued I.D.
- If one or both parties don’t have a social security number, an affidavit will need to be signed at the time of application.
Age Requirements
- According to statute 14-2-106 (I), a person who is over 16 but not yet 18 years old requires a court order to obtain a marriage license, regardless of parental consent.
- Due to the passing of HB19-1316, persons under 16 cannot obtain a marriage license.
- The legal age to get married or to obtain a civil union license is 18 years of age.
Absent Party Requirements
- If one party cannot appear in person, they must fill out an Absentee Affidavit (marriage license absentee affidavit or civil union absentee affidavit) and have it notarized. The party who does appear must bring the completed affidavit and either the absent parties ID or a copy of the ID.
Previous Marriage or Civil Union Requirements
- If either person was previously married or in a civil union, they must provide the date, city, and state where it ended. If you don’t know this information, you can call the Adams County Courts at 303.629.1161 for that information. If the divorce or dissolution took place in another county or out of state, you will need to contact that court to get the date.
- If the party to the previous marriage was widowed, the applicant must provide the date, city, and state where the decedent passed.
- Please note: If either applicant was previously in a civil union, the name of the previous spouse/partner is required.
Legal Ceremony Types
There are three types of ceremonies that are legal in Colorado.
- Religious: A marriage solemnized by a religious officiant or Indian Nation or Tribe.
- Civil: A marriage solemnized by a judge of the court, a court magistrate, a retired judge of the court, or a public official whose powers include solemnization of a marriage. Click here to find a list of judges and their contact information.
- Self-solemnization: A marriage may be solemnized by the parties to the marriage.
Forms & Resources
Social Security Affidavit for Civil Union License
Social Security Affidavit for Marriage License
Civil Union Absentee Affidavit
Marriage License Absentee Affidavit
Marriage License Information Guide
Marriage License Application
More questions?
Licenses are $30; certified copies are $1.25 each.
We recommend coming in to get the license approximately 2 to 3 weeks before your wedding date. Once issued, you have 35 days to fill it out.
The Colorado marriage license can be used anywhere within the state.
You may pick up your marriage license in whatever county is most convenient for the two of you. Keep in mind that once the document is filled out, you will need to return it to the county of issue for recording.
18 years old is the current legal age; 16- and 17-year-olds will need a court order to get married.
No, you will not need a blood test.
- Social Security Number
- Parents’ names and current address (required regardless of the applicants’ ages)
- Any previous marriage or civil union information (dates, location)
No, you don’t. The three ways to get married in Colorado are:
- Religious Ceremony performed by a religious officiant
- Civil Ceremony performed by a judge, magistrate, or other public official authorized to perform a marriage
- Self-solemnization, where a couple declares themselves as married and signs as their own officiant
A self-solemnization is a ceremony in which the couple declares themselves married/joined in union by signing the certificate. This is a legally binding marriage just like in a religious or civil ceremony.
A common-law marriage is when a couple has presented themselves and been acknowledged as a married couple, even though no ceremony or marriage license has been obtained.
No, there is not. However, if a couple is to be common-law, they may apply for a Marriage or Civil Union License and then choose to self-solemnize so that they have an official license.
No, you are not required to have witnesses; however, there is no age limit to sign as a witness. If you have kids, they are welcome to sign if you would like them to.
Once filled out, please return the license to the Recording Department in the provided envelope or bring it in person to the office. If you mail it in, we will record it and print out any pre-purchased certified copies and mail your original and certified copies back to you. If you prefer to bring it back in person to our office, we will record it, print out any certified copies, and return it to you over the counter.
Access to these documents is restricted. You will need to fill out a “Request for Copy or Inspection of a Marriage or Civil Union Application.” These forms are available in our office. We will need a photo I.D. to process this form.
Once the marriage license has been recorded, take one of your certified copies to the Social Security Office to change your name with them first. After you do that, you will need to wait 24 hours for the system to update. After 24 hours, you may then go get your drivers’ license updated. We suggest setting appointments at both places to help you get through faster.
Once you change your name with those two entities, you can then change your name with other places (e.g. work, insurance, bank, passport, etc.)
Depending on where you live, you can reach out to the judges and magistrates in your city or county to find out if they perform ceremonies.
Please call us at 720.523.6020; we are here to help!