How to get your marriage license in Colorado
Getting married in Colorado
Anyone can get married in Colorado regardless of your citizenship or residency — just as long as you’re older than 18, can prove your identity and aren’t currently married. There’s no waiting period for your marriage license and no hoops to jump through.
Just a note from experience — it’s not always possible to sign your marriage license on the same day as your ceremony. It’s actually super common and totally ok, so don’t stress if it happens to you! Sometimes filing taxes and buying houses and insurance and flight schedules and holiday closures lead to making it legal on a different date and it’s 100% up to you which date you celebrate!
Preparation
Find the County Clerk of Court that's most convenient to you.
You can visit any county clerk in the state — it doesn’t have to be the county you reside in or the county you’re getting married in. In fact we recommend that you avoid the downtown Denver office unless you’re staying really close by! It tends to be a bit of hassle between parking, traffic, and security.
Make an appointment & apply online, mostly so you can skip the line. And don’t worry! Your application can’t be denied. They just want your info digitally to save paper and time in the office.
Take note of any holidays or other office closures near your wedding date!
Bring your ID, you'll need to show a state ID or passport. No need to bring your birth certificate or social security card.
At the clerk’s office
Both partners need to go in person to snag a license.
If that’s not possible, at least one member of the couple can show up with a notarized power of attorney form authorizing their partner to obtain a license on their behalf. Teamwork!
Once you're at the counter it should be pretty quick since you made an appointment! You and your partner will be asked to show your state ID or passport, raise your right hand to swear you are who you say you are, and pay $30. If you’ve been married before, they’ll ask for proof of the dissolution of your previous marriage.
...and that’s it.
You'll get one ‘ceremonial copy’ of your license. This is the copy you keep forever, so try not to damage it! You have 30 days to sign this copy, and then 60 days from your wedding date to return it or you’ll be assessed a late filing fee.
On your wedding day
Bring your license to the ceremony! Your officiant should fill out the details and sign with their official title.
You’re not required to have witnesses, but if you have guests celebrating with you, it’s a nice gesture to choose two people to sign with you! Colorado is really relaxed about witness so you can have as many people as you want sign the margins or the back of the document.
Your names will be printed on the top of the license and designated as Party 1 and Party 2. It's super important to sign in the correct field.
Changing your name? You can sign with either your new name or your former name. Consider practicing your new signature ahead of time!
After the ceremony
Return your license to the same county clerk. Going in person is recommended, but you can mail it in too (definitely send it certified mail if you do!) They’ll notarize your ceremonial copy and return it to you.
At this point you can request certified copies for $2 each. For a basic name change, I recommend getting 4-6 copies. If you own a business or multiple real estate properties, you should make a list of every account you have and grab one certified copy for each. Extras are good.
Then it’s official!