Colorado marriage laws let any two adults marry with a $30 license from any county clerk’s office, no waiting period, no blood test, and the option to solemnize the marriage yourselves without an officiant.1Jefferson County, CO. Marriage Licenses and Civil Unions The state is also one of a few that still recognizes common law marriage, which means a couple can be legally married without ever getting a license.
Who Can Marry in Colorado
Both people must be at least 18.2Justia. Colorado Code 14-2-106 – License to Marry A 16- or 17-year-old can marry only with juvenile court approval, which requires a guardian ad litem investigation into whether the marriage genuinely serves the minor’s best interests; pregnancy alone does not meet that standard.3FindLaw. Colorado Code 14-2-108 – Marriage of Underage Party No one under 16 can legally marry in the state.
Some marriages are void from the start. Colorado prohibits marriage between a parent and child or any ancestor and descendant, between siblings of whole or half blood, and between an uncle and niece or aunt and nephew. First cousins are not on that list, and cousin marriage is legal here. You also cannot marry while a prior marriage or civil union is still active, so a finalized divorce, annulment, or proof of a spouse’s death has to come first.4Justia. Colorado Code 14-2-110 – Prohibited Marriages
Getting the Marriage License
Both applicants bring a valid government-issued photo ID to the County Clerk and Recorder’s office. A driver’s license, passport, state ID card, military ID, or green card all work.5Larimer County. Civil Union and Marriage Licenses You provide your Social Security number on the application; if you don’t have one, you sign a notarized affidavit stating that.6Mineral County CO. Marriage License
If either person was previously married, you’ll need the exact date and the city and state where that marriage ended, whether by divorce, annulment, or death. Many counties offer a preliminary online application to speed the in-person visit.
The fee is $30 statewide.1Jefferson County, CO. Marriage Licenses and Civil Unions Payment methods vary by county. Some take credit cards, often with a surcharge; others take only cash or checks. Check the county website before you go.
At least one party must appear in person before the clerk to sign the application and swear to its accuracy. If one person cannot attend, the absent party can complete a notarized absentee affidavit that the other person brings to the clerk with a copy of the absent party’s ID.7Denver Clerk and Recorder. Absentee Affidavit – Application for Marriage License
Timing: No Wait, But Two Deadlines
Colorado has no waiting period. The license is effective the moment it’s issued, so a same-day ceremony is possible.1Jefferson County, CO. Marriage Licenses and Civil Unions
Two deadlines matter after that. The license itself expires 35 days after issuance; if the ceremony hasn’t happened by then, the license is void and you’ll apply and pay again.6Mineral County CO. Marriage License After the ceremony, the completed marriage certificate must be returned to the County Clerk and Recorder within 63 days. Missing that triggers a late fee of at least $20, with an additional $5 per day up to a $50 maximum.8Justia. Colorado Code 14-2-109 – Solemnization and Registration of Marriages – Proxy Marriage The marriage remains legally valid even if the certificate is filed late, but a missing record causes problems whenever you later need to prove you’re married.
Who Can Perform the Ceremony
Colorado authorizes four categories of solemnizer, and each carries equal legal weight:8Justia. Colorado Code 14-2-109 – Solemnization and Registration of Marriages – Proxy Marriage
- Any Colorado judge, active or retired, and court magistrates.
- Public officials whose powers specifically include performing marriages.
- Any clergy member or official recognized by a religious denomination or Indian nation or tribe.
- The couple themselves, through self-solemnization.
When an officiant leads the ceremony, that person signs the certificate and is responsible for returning it to the county clerk within 63 days. Online ordinations through universal life churches and similar organizations have been widely used in the state; the statute requires only that the officiant be recognized by a religious denomination and does not spell out how rigorous that recognition must be.
Self-Solemnization
Self-solemnization is one of the features that makes Colorado unusual. You don’t need an officiant, and you don’t need witnesses. Both spouses simply sign the marriage certificate themselves. If you want a friend or family member to lead the ceremony for sentimental reasons, they can, but because they aren’t a legal officiant you’re technically self-solemnizing, and the spouses sign the certificate rather than the friend.9Jefferson County, CO. Wedding and Civil Union Ceremonies
Common Law Marriage
Colorado is one of a small number of states where you can be legally married without a license or a ceremony. A common law marriage entered into on or after September 1, 2006, is valid if both parties are at least 18 and the union isn’t otherwise prohibited under the same rules that apply to licensed marriages.10Justia. Colorado Code 14-2-109.5 – Common Law Marriage
There is no minimum time you need to live together. As refined by the Colorado Supreme Court in In re Marriage of Hogsett & Neale (2021), the test focuses on whether the couple mutually agreed to enter a marital relationship, meaning they intended to share a life as spouses in a committed relationship of mutual support and obligation. Without an explicit agreement, courts look at conduct: shared finances, joint tax returns, using the same last name, referring to each other as spouses, and holding themselves out to the community as married. No single factor is decisive; courts weigh the totality of how the couple actually lived.11Justia. In re Marriage of Hogsett and Neale
Once a common law marriage exists, it carries the same legal weight as a ceremonial marriage. The only way to end it is a formal divorce. Moving out and calling it done is not enough, and the divorce involves the same property division, debt allocation, and custody and support decisions as any other.
Proxy Marriage
Marriage by proxy exists in Colorado but is narrow. It’s available only to active-duty military members stationed in another state or country in support of military operations, and to government contractors or their employees working in support of the U.S. military abroad or in another state.8Justia. Colorado Code 14-2-109 – Solemnization and Registration of Marriages – Proxy Marriage Both parties must be 18 or older, and one must be a Colorado resident. The present party applies in person and pays the $30 fee; the absent party provides a notarized absentee affidavit and a copy of their ID. At the ceremony, a third person stands in for the absent party and speaks the vows on their behalf, but only after the officiant is satisfied the absent party has genuinely consented. The resulting certificate has the same legal standing as any other.
After the Wedding
Once the certificate is filed with the county clerk, the marriage is on record. If you plan to change your name, start with the Social Security Administration; the SSA typically processes the change within one business day.12El Paso County Clerk and Recorder. Name Change After that, update your Colorado driver’s license or state ID at the DMV, which verifies the change through the SSA’s database before issuing a new card. Banks, employers, and insurance companies come next.
You’ll likely need certified copies of your marriage certificate. The County Clerk and Recorder where the certificate was filed can provide them, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment also issues certified copies through its vital records office.13Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Order Certificate Now Ordering a few extras up front saves you from requesting one every time an institution asks.