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Marriage License Information

A marriage license can be obtained by visiting the Clerk & Recorder's office at any of our three locations. Both the bride and groom must be present (see below for information on how to apply if both parties cannot be present), and provide valid identification.

To help reduce waiting time, you may now fill out your marriage application online! Be sure to fill out this form completely and click "Submit" at the end to proceed. Once the online form is completed, the bride and groom must finalize their application by visiting any of the following Clerk & Recorder's Office locations and presenting valid identification:

Clerk & Recorder's Office
Citizen Information Center
200 West Oak Street
Fort Collins, CO 80521
970-498-7860
Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Clerk & Recorder's Office
205 E 6th Street, 1st Floor
Loveland, CO 80537
970-679-4526
Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Clerk & Recorder's Office
1601 Brodie Ave
Estes Park, CO 80517
970-577-2027
Hours: 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Apply online!

Before the Marriage

Prior to your ceremony, both the Bride and the Groom must come to our office to complete and sign the license application. If one of the parties cannot appear in person, he or she must complete a marriage license absentee affidavit and sign it before a notary public, before it can be accepted in our office. You do not have to be a Colorado resident to apply for a marriage license.

If either party has been married previously, we will require the date, place and type of court if divorced. Widows/widowers need to supply the date and place of death of their former spouse.

Restrictions

A couple is prohibited from marrying when one of the parties is still married to another person. Divorces must be final! Marriages are also prohibited between ancestor and descendant, brother and sister, uncle and niece, or aunt and nephew, whether the relationship is by half or whole blood. Marriage between cousins is permitted in the State of Colorado.

Same sex marriages are not recognized in the State of Colorado; therefore, we can only issue marriage licenses to male-female couples.

Age Requirement

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

Blood Test

As of July 1, 1989, blood tests are no longer required for either party in the State of Colorado.

Marriage License Application Process

You may obtain a license at any one of the locations listed above during business hours. The cost of license is $30.00 and it is valid for 30 days-including the date of issue-anywhere in the State of Colorado.

The Marriage

Ceremony

Couples themselves may solemnize their own marriage (C.R.S. 14-2-109). Others who can solemnize a marriage are judges, retired judges, magistrates, Indian tribe officials and clergy. Not anyone can solemnize a marriage. Although the couple may solemnize their own marriage, that does not mean a friend or relative can also solemnize their marriage. Clergy from out-of-state need not be registered in Colorado.

License

The person solemnizing the marriage shall complete the marriage certificate form and forward it to the county clerk & recorder within sixty days after solemnizing. Any person who fails to forward the marriage certificate to the county clerk and recorder's office shall be required to pay a $20 late fee and an additional five dollar late fee may be assessed for each additional day of failure up to a maximum of $50.

After the Marriage

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 is says "Bride" & "Groom" at the lower right corner of the license.
Once the license has been returned, it will be recorded and filmed in our Fort Collins office. The original license must be kept for at least 3-4 weeks for the recording process to be complete.
You may obtain a certified copy of the license immediately upon return to the Fort Collins office or within 3 days after the license is returned to our satellite offices for $1.25.
If you haven't received your marriage license back from us within a month after it has been filed with our office you may call 498-7860 to inquire.
According to state statute (C.R.S.) the license must be recorded within 60 days of marriage date or a fine will be imposed when recorded.

Notice to Person Performing Marriage Ceremony

The license must be returned to the Clerk & Recorder's office within 60 days after the marriage ceremony.
Be sure the certificate's bottom portion of the license is filled out entirely, including county, date of marriage, place of ceremony, and that your signature appears at the bottom.
A witness is not required, if you choose to have a witness there is no age limit on that witness.

Common Law Marriage Information

Colorado has recognized common law marriage as legal and binding since 1877, and is one of twelve states to do so. A common law marriage is established when the parties mutually consent to be husband and wife. Same sex marriage is currently not recognized in the State of Colorado.

Common law marriage does not require any license, ceremony or documentation to be legal. Parties to a common law marriage are entitled to all rights, privileges and responsibilities of a legal and binding marriage. If the parties need documentation of a marriage, it is recommended that they file a signed, notarized affidavit, attesting to the marriage, with the county clerk and recorder in the county where they reside. This affidavit will be filed as a document, not as a marriage record. Only legal divorce or death of one of the parties may terminate common law marriage.

The following are the only two requirements for common law marriage:

The parties are free to enter into a marriage. Neither is married to another person.
Both parties are of legal age (18). If between the ages of 16 and 18, they have obtained appropriate parental or guardian consent.

The following are examples of what constitutes a common law marriage:

The parties hold themselves out to the public as husband and wife.
Maintenance of a joint checking and/or savings account.
Joint ownership of property.
Mutual financial support
Filing of joint income tax returns
Registration as husband and wife on applications, leases, contracts, registers, etc.
Use of the man's surname by the woman

Periods of cohabitation, without the aforementioned, do not constitute a common law marriage.