In Colorado, the people who can officiate a wedding include judges, retired judges, court magistrates, public officials whose duties include performing marriages, and anyone acting under the practices of a religious denomination or an Indian nation or tribe. The couple can also solemnize the marriage themselves. There is no state registration, no approved list, and no licensing process for officiants, which is why an ordained friend can legally perform your ceremony almost anywhere in the state.
Who Colorado Law Authorizes
Colorado Revised Statutes Section 14-2-109 sets out the categories. A marriage may be solemnized by a judge, a retired judge, a court magistrate, or a public official whose duties include performing marriages. The statute also authorizes any ceremony performed according to the traditions of a religious denomination or an Indian nation or tribe, which covers ordained ministers, priests, rabbis, and other religious leaders.1Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 – Section 14-2-109 And the same statute allows the parties to the marriage to solemnize it themselves.
Colorado keeps no approved list of officiants and requires no state-level registration, license, or certification. If you fall into one of the authorized categories, you can officiate anywhere in the state without notifying anyone in advance.
How a Friend or Family Member Can Officiate
An unordained friend cannot sign the license as the officiant just because you asked them to. The most common way around this is ordination through a religious organization. Groups such as the Universal Life Church and American Marriage Ministries offer online ordination, often for free. Because Colorado recognizes ceremonies performed according to the practices of any religious denomination, these ordinations are legally sufficient in the state.1Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 – Section 14-2-109
Once ordained, your friend does not file anything with the state or county beforehand. They show up, perform the ceremony, and sign the license. On the license itself, an ordained friend typically lists their title as “Minister,” the ceremony type as “Religious,” and the denomination as whatever organization ordained them. First-time officiants often stumble on those fields, so it is worth checking them before submitting.
Marrying Yourselves Without an Officiant
Colorado is one of the few states that lets a couple marry themselves. The statute expressly allows solemnization “by the parties to the marriage,” which means you and your partner sign the license and skip the officiant entirely.1Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 – Section 14-2-109 You can still hold a full ceremony with vows, readings, and a reception. The only legal difference is that no one else signs the license.
This is a useful option when you want a specific friend to lead the ceremony but they are not ordained and do not want to be. The friend can run the whole event unofficially while you and your partner handle the paperwork. On the license, you would mark the ceremony type as “self” rather than “religious” or “civil.”2Douglas County Colorado Website. Marriage / Civil Union Licenses Witnesses are not required.
What the Officiant Actually Has to Do
The officiant’s real legal job is not the ceremony itself. It is making sure the license is completed correctly and returned to the county. After the vows, the officiant signs the license and fills in their title, the ceremony type, and their denomination or organization. The couple signs too. Colorado does not require witnesses.2Douglas County Colorado Website. Marriage / Civil Union Licenses
The signed license then has to go back to the county clerk and recorder’s office for recording. It can be submitted in person, by mail, or in some counties through a drop box.3City and County of Denver. Marriages and Civil Unions If you self-solemnized, this falls on you as a couple. A ceremony without a recorded license leaves the marriage unregistered.
The 63-Day Deadline
The completed license must be returned within 63 days of the ceremony date.3City and County of Denver. Marriages and Civil Unions Miss the deadline and whoever was responsible owes a late fee of at least $20, with an additional $5 per day accruing after that, up to a maximum of $50.1Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 – Section 14-2-109 For mailed returns, the postmark counts as the filing date. This is the step that catches people off guard, so if you are the officiant, set a reminder for the week after the wedding.
Civil Unions and a Note on Common Law Marriage
Colorado’s officiant rules apply equally to civil unions. Religious officiants, judges, and self-solemnization all work the same way, and the license timing and return deadlines are identical.2Douglas County Colorado Website. Marriage / Civil Union Licenses If you are cleared to officiate a wedding in Colorado, you can officiate a civil union without any extra step.
One boundary worth flagging: Colorado still recognizes common law marriage, which forms without any officiant, license, or ceremony when a couple lives together, mutually agrees to be spouses, and holds themselves out as married in the community.4Colorado Department of Revenue. Common-Law Marriage That is a separate legal path, not an officiant question. If you want the legal status without a formal ceremony but also want a clear record, self-solemnizing with a recorded license takes only a few minutes and produces an official certificate.