Colorado Ceremony & Marriage License Info

Who can legally "marry" you in Colorado?

This has been a confusing question since 1993 when the law was changed. Here is the Colorado State Statue answering this question, which also appears on all Colorado County websites:

Per Colorado Statute 14-2-109 (1993) Stated on Denver County Clerk’s Website:
Solemnization

"Your marriage may be solemnized by a judge of a court, a retired judge, a court magistrate, a public official whose powers include solemnization of marriages, a Native-American tribe official, clergy recognized by a religious denomination; or you and your intended spouse. Clergy from out-of-state do not need to be registered in Colorado. The solemnizing official, or you and your spouse in case of self-solemnization, will complete your marriage certificate, attesting that your marriage solemnization has been performed lawfully. The type of ceremony and words exchanged (if any) are their choice.(Note: The marriage license and marriage certificate are two distinct instruments that appear on the single form.)"

In other words, just about anyone (friend, family, or other can perform/read the words of a ceremony because it is a cultural and/or religious celebration, rite-of-passage, ritual. Only the categories mentioned above can SIGN (solemnize) the license, making it legal. Many active officiants purchased their instantaneous ordination on line through Universal Life Church, which makes them clergy with Universal Life Church only. However, Universal Life does not license anyone, they only ordain, contrary to some wedding websites. 

By the way, “non-denominational” is an oxymoron. It is not a religious denomination (as stated in statute 14-2-109). One may write, provide or perform non-denominational ceremonies, but there is not a religious ordination nor licensing body for a “non-denominational” denomination. To advertise oneself as a licensed non-denominational minister or pastor is a misnomer.

Obtaining A Marriage License

APPLICATION

Both the Bride and the Groom must complete and sign the license application form. At least one of the parties must apply in person and bring an absentee affidavit for the other party, along with a copy of the ID showing proof of age of the absent party.  If one of the parties cannot appear in person, he or she must complete an absentee affidavit and sign it before a notary public before it can be accepted by the marriage clerk. A copy of the ID showing proof of age of the absent party must also be presented with the affidavit to the marriage clerk.  Applicants for a marriage license need not be Colorado residents. 
Click here for an absentee application (PDF)

If either party has been married previously, we will require the date, place and type of court if divorced. Those who have been widowed will need to supply the date and place of death of their deceased spouse.

A marriage license may be obtained in any county in Colorado and used within the state.  A couple does not have to apply for a license in the county where the ceremony will take place nor in the county where they reside.

RESTRICTIONS

Marriages are prohibited when one of the parties is still married to another person. They are also prohibited between ancestor and descendant, brother and sister, uncle and niece, aunt and nephew.

LICENSE

The license may be issued only during normal working hours of the office of the County Clerk and Recorder, Monday - Friday (except for legal holidays), 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Applicants must be in the office by 4:15 PM to allow time for issuance of the license.

The license is valid for 31 days--including the date of issue--anywhere in the State of Colorado.

The Recording Division Office is located at 1750 33rd Street, Suite 201 in Boulder.  Marriage licenses are also issued in our branch offices in Longmont, 529 Coffman Street, 303-413-7776; and Louisville, 722 Main Street, 303-413-7776.

The license fee is $10.00.

For further information about obtaining a marriage license, call our 24-hour line at 303-413-7776.

AGE

The age requirements for both the Bride and Groom are the same - for ages 18 and older, no parental consent is required. For marriages at ages of 16 and 17, consent of both parents (or parent having legal custody), or guardian, or judicial approval is required.

Each applicant must bring proof of identity and birth date, such as a current US driver's license or a current passport.

BLOOD TEST

Blood tests are NOT required for either the male or female applicant.

Requirements After the Marriage

Notice to Applicants:

• The license must be used within 30 days from the date of issue and used only in the State of Colorado.

• You both need to sign where it says "Bride" & "Groom" at the lower right corner of the license.

• The officiating party is responsible for returning the license to the Clerk & Recorder's office.

• Once the license has been returned, it will be recorded and imaged in our Boulder office. The original license must be kept for at least three working days for imaging.

• If a certified copy of the license is needed immediately, the officiating party may let you bring the license in yourself to the Boulder office to be recorded. We can then issue a certified copy of the marriage license without the application, as required by most agencies, for $1.25 either the same day or the following workday. The original is kept for imaging.  Note:  The cost of a certified copy of a marriage license with an application, as requested by Social Security for name changing purposes, is $1.50.  It requires a notarized request form provided by the Clerk and Recorder's Office signed by either the bride or groom or an immediate family member.  Certified copies of a marriage license with the application can only be issued after the marriage application has been received and processed in the Boulder office, and the marriage license has been received and recorded.  The application may not be available until at least two working days after the issuance of the license.

• If you haven't received your marriage license from us a month after the ceremony, you should call our Boulder office, at 303-413-7770. We may not have received it from the officiating party.

• If for some reason the license is not used, it must be returned to our office. In this case, please send it to:

Boulder County Clerk & Recorder
Recording Division
1750 33rd. Street, Suite 201
Boulder, CO 80301-2549

Notice to Person Performing Marriage Ceremony:

• The license must be returned to the Clerk & Recorder's office promptly after the marriage ceremony.

• Be sure the bottom portion of the license is filled out entirely, and your signature appears at the bottom.

• Signatures of witnesses are not required in the State of Colorado.

To Obtain a Certified Copy of a Marriage License:

Your license will be recorded in the county in which you applied for the license, not necessarily the county in which the marriage took place. If the license was issued and recorded in Boulder County, you may obtain a certified copy either in person or by mail. The cost is $1.25 per certified copy of a marriage license without the application, as requested by most agencies.    If requesting by mail, submit the names of both bride and groom, the date of the ceremony, the address to which the copy should be mailed, and a check, payable to the Boulder County Clerk, for the amount due.  The mailing address is Boulder County Clerk & Recorder, 1750 33rd Street, Suite 201, Boulder, CO 80301-2549. 

The cost is $1.50 for a certified copy of a marriage license with the marriage application, as requested by Social Security for name change purposes, and requires a notarized request form signed by either party to the marriage or an immediate family member.  The form is available at http://www.co.boulder.co.us/clerk/recording/forms/recording.htm.  Click on Request for a Certified Copy of a Marriage License with a Copy of the Marriage Application.

Name Changes:

• The Bride can change her name any time after the ceremony. This decision doesn't need to be made when she signs the license.

• To change her name, the bride will need to contact Social Security and Driver's License Bureau.

• She will need proof of identity under both the old name and the new name. A certified copy of the marriage license and application is required by Social Security to change a name.   

• Social Security does not charge a fee for changing your name. Any solicitation to change your name that requests a fee is not from Social Security.

Social Security offices in the Denver Area:

Denver 1845 Sherman St., 5th floor, Columbine Bldg., Denver, CO 80203

Englewood 888 West Ithaca, Englewood, CO 80150

Lakewood 8585 West 14th Ave., Lakewood, CO 80215

Boulder 4949 Pearl East Cir #101, Boulder, CO 80301

Driver's License Bureau:

Diagonal Plaza, 28th & Iris, Boulder, CO 80301 

For further Marriage License information, call 303-413-7776.