Marriage & Civil Union License

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.
• To ensure the privacy of our customers and due to the sensitive nature of the documents in our office, we do not allow ceremonies to be performed or photos taken in our office and/or lobby.

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

• The legal age to get married or to obtain a civil union license is 18 years of age.
• Due to the passing of HB19-1316, persons under 16 cannot obtain a marriage license.
• A person who is 16 or 17 years old can only obtain a marriage license with a court order. Parental consent is no longer accepted.

Absent Party Requirements

• Both parties must appear in person to complete and sign the Marriage or Civil Union License application.
• If one party is unable to appear in person, they must complete an Absentee Affidavit (marriage license absentee affidavit or civil union absentee affidavit) and have their signature notarized on the document. The party who can show up in person must bring in the completed Absentee Affidavit along with the I.D. (or a copy of the I.D.) of the absent party.

Previous Marriage or Civil Union Requirements

• If either party has previously been married or in a civil union, they must provide the date, city, and state where the marriage or civil union was absolved. If this information is not known, our clerks will attempt to look it up. If the divorce or dissolution took place in a different state, you may have to contact the court where it took place to obtain 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.

After our clerk verifies all the information on the application, they will print the application. Applicants are required to swear and sign under oath that all the information contained in the document is true and correct to the best of their knowledge.

Legal Ceremony Types

There are three types of ceremonies that are legal in Colorado.

1. Religious: A marriage solemnized by a religious officiant or Indian Nation or Tribe.
2. 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. Find a list of judges and their contact information here.
3. Self-solemnization: A marriage may be solemnized by the parties to the marriage.