Apply for a Marriage or Civil Union License

How to Apply For a Marriage or Civil Union License

To apply for a license, both you and your partner must appear in person at the Office of the Clerk and Recorder, located on the first floor of the Webb Municipal Office Building, 201 W. Colfax Ave., Denver.

Save time by applying online. Check out this guide(PDF, 500KB) (en español(PDF, 475KB)) to help you sail through the application process.

Our office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Our office is closed on municipal holidays.

Questions you will be asked

• The date that you are getting married
• Where you are marrying (license only valid in Colorado) 
• The exact date and location of your divorce or previous spouse's death. Both parties must be able to provide this information. If you were previously in a civil union and are marrying someone else, you must provide the name of your partner in the civil union.
• Know your relationship if related by blood
• The city and state where parents of both parties were born

Things to know

• The marriage license fee is $30, payable by cash, check or credit card (Visa, MasterCard or Discover). A list of fees can be found here.
• You may marry in front of a judge, through a religious ceremony, or by self-solemnizing (this means you marry by signing the certificate yourselves) 
• The certificate must be signed in Colorado within 35 days from the date the license was issued
• The completed marriage certificate (and attached license) must be returned to the Clerk and Recorder for recording within 63 days after solemnization. After that date, late fees will apply
• Blood tests are not required in Colorado, and there is no waiting period
• Applicants need not be Colorado residents

You and your intended spouse each must present one of these valid forms of identification

• U.S. state-issued driver's license or permit
• U.S. state-issued ID
• U.S. military ID
• Passport that is bilingual or multilingual and includes English or passport with a certified English language translation if non-English

The name on the license will appear exactly as it is on the IDs provided to us.

You are required to provide a Social Security number if you have one. If one of the parties does not have a Social Security number (they are from another country or they are in the process of obtaining U.S. citizenship), they are not required to have one to get married.

Please Note: Birth certificates, baptismal certificates and Foreign Consular IDs are not acceptable forms of identification for marriage or civil union licenses. A birth certificate may be used to confirm date of birth when presented along with one of the valid forms of identification listed above. 

Your marriage must be solemnized; then the marriage application and certificate must be recorded.

A marriage may be solemnized by an officiant who has been ordained or recognized by a religious denomination, a judge of a court, a retired judge, a court magistrate, a public official whose powers include solemnization of marriages, a Native American tribal official or a friend or relative who is ordained.

Clergy ordained out of state do not need to be registered in Colorado to perform a wedding. 

Denver County Court maintains a list of judges(PDF, 49KB) who perform weddings during the week, on weekends, and in the evenings.

The solemnizing official will complete your marriage certificate.

Self Solemnization

You and your intended spouse may solemnize your own marriage. Neither witnesses nor officiant are required for a valid self solemnization. Proxy marriages may not be self solemnized.

Other Important Information

The marriage license and marriage certificate(PDF, 500KB) (en español(PDF, 475KB)) are two distinct instruments that appear on the single form. Please do not separate them.  The marriage certificate must be recorded no later than 63 days from the date of solemnization or late fees apply.

The license and the certificate are on the same document. These should not be separated. The license gives the couple permission to marry. The certificate documents when and where the couple married. See an example(PDF, 500KB) (en español(PDF, 475KB)) of how to fill out the marriage certificate.

La licencia matrimonial y el certificado están en el mismo documento. Estos no deben ser separados. La licencia matrimonial le da permiso a la pareja para casarse. El certificado registra cuándo y dónde se casó la pareja. Vea un ejemplo(PDF, 475KB) de como llenar el certificado.  

We hope this guide(PDF, 115KB) (en español(PDF, 115KB)) helps you navigate changing your name more easily. Certified copies of the marriage certificate are helpful. They can be purchased at our office or through the mail. Certified copies cost $1.25 each.

If you are widowed or divorced (or your civil union has been dissolved) and wish to apply for a new marriage license, you must provide the exact date (month, day and year) and location of your spouse's/partner's death or of your divorce. If you were in a civil union with another person, you must have dissolved that civil union to marry a different person. You will need to provide the name of the person on the marriage application.

If you are divorced you also must provide:

• the location (city and state) of your divorce;
• the type (district, superior, circuit, etc.) of court in which your divorce proceeding occurred; and
• a certified copy of your divorce decree if your divorce was final within 30 days preceding the date you apply for a marriage license.
• A copy of your divorce decree can be obtained at the Office of Vital Record

PLEASE NOTE:  If you obtained a Civil Union License and wish to be married, please apply online for a marriage license. Bring your application and IDs into the office and pay $30 for your license.

Colorado recognizes common law marriage as legal and binding. However, cohabitation alone does not constitute common law marriage. For more information on common law marriage or to get a sample Affidavit of Common Law Marriage, see the State of Colorado website concerning marriage law.

 A common law marriage cannot be terminated except by court dissolution (divorce) or death.

The following marriages are prohibited in the State of Colorado:

The following civil unions are prohibited in the State of Colorado:

If either you or your partner cannot appear at the Clerk and Recorder's office in person to apply for your marriage or civil union license, the absent party must complete an absentee affidavit and have it notarized. The notarized absentee affidavit must be used within 30 days from the date it was notarized.
 
The party appearing in person must present, on the behalf of the absent partner:

• the completed and notarized absentee affidavit, and
• a clear and legible photocopy of a valid form of identification of the absent intended spouse (faxes not accepted)
• the identification of the absent intended spouse must have the month, day and year of birth 
• If the absent party does not have a social security number, an affidavit to accompany the marriage license form must be completed and notarized.
• The absent party's name written on the forms must match exactly to the ID provided.

The absentee application and affidavit to accompany marriage license may be found on the forms page.

The completed license and certificate must be returned to the Office of the Clerk and Recorder within 63 days after the ceremony for recording.

Please do not separate the certificate from the license. You may use the return envelope given to you at the time of application or return the certificate in person.

Recording enters your license and certificate into the official record. After recording, the original form will be returned to you by mail at the return address you supplied at the time of application.

There is no fee for recording your license and certificate.  However, if you return your civil union certificate for recording later than 63 days after certification, late fees will apply.  Please see our fees page for more information.

A proxy marriage license may be granted to an absent person who 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 military operation; or
• A government contractor, or an employee of a government contractor, working or in support of US military operations in another country or in another state

Requirements for applying for a marriage license for a proxy marriage are:

• One party is a resident of Colorado;
• One party appears in person to apply for the marriage license and pays the required fees;
• The signatures of both parties to the proxy marriage are required, and the party present shall sign the marriage license application and provide an absentee affidavit form containing the notarized signature of the absent party, along with proper identification  documents required for a marriage license for the absent party; and
• Both parties (and the proxy) are 18 years of age or older.
• The proxy for the absent spouse must be the person named on the Power of Attorney form, must have a valid ID and must be present to apply for the marriage license.

Self-solemnization is not allowed in a marriage by proxy.

You must have a notarized Marriage Ceremony Proxy Power of Attorney form(PDF, 121KB). The spouse who can be present and the proxy must both present a valid ID when applying for the license.

Frequently asked questions about Marriage by Proxy

Q. What documents can I use to prove Colorado residency?

A. Colorado driver’s license, lease agreement, utility bill, or a voter registration card are all acceptable forms of ID. Only one of these documents is necessary.

Q. What documents can I use to prove active duty military status and deployment?

A. Your Orders (a copy of the written document) will be proof. Still have questions? Please email marriages@denvergov.org.

You must be 18 years of age or older to marry in Colorado, with the following exception:

· A person who is 16 or 17 years of age may obtain a marriage license if a juvenile court determines that the underage party is capable of assuming the responsibilities of marriage and the marriage would serve the underage party's best interests. Prior to making a determination, the court shall appoint a guardian ad litem for the underage party to investigate the underage party's circumstances and best interests and to file a report with the court stating the issuance of a marriage license is in the underage party's best interests.

· A person under the age of 16 is prohibited from obtaining a marriage license.

For additional information please refer to HB19-1316.