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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:

Acceptable ID includes:
  1. Birth Certificate
  2. Valid Driver’s License (or temporary issued with voided previous license)
  3. Passport (both expired and valid)
  4. Valid state identification card (or temporary issued with voided previous ID)
  5. Military identification
  6. Alien Registration Card (“Green” card)
  7. Any government issued identification containing a photo, date of birth, issue date, and expiration date
Unacceptable ID includes:
  1. Matricula Consular cards
  2. Expired drivers licenses
  3. Voter registration cards
  4. Social security cards

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. Please note that the Loveland and Estes Park locations serve as Motor Vehicle branch offices. Applying for a marriage license at these offices may mean longer wait times, especially on the first and last days of any month.

Our offices are located at:

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, and include a copy of the non-appearing applicant’s identification, 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 or party to a civil union previously, we require the date, place and type of court where the divorce/dissolution took place. 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/Dissolutions 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.

Currently under Colorado law, same sex marriages are not recognized; 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.

Ages 16 or 17, ONE of the following documents is required:

  1. Completed and notarized/acknowledged Consent Form
  2. A certified copy of a judicial order showing permission to marry

Ages 15 and under, BOTH of the following documents are required:

  1. Completed and notarized/acknowledged Consent Form
  2. A certified copy of a judicial order showing permission to marry
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 must be used within 35 days of issuance.

The Marriage

Ceremony

Marriage licenses issued in the State of Colorado cannot be used in any other state or country. 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. Although the couple may solemnize their own marriage, that does not mean a friend or relative can sign as an officiant on a marriage certificate. Clergy or judges from out-of-state need not be registered in Colorado.


License

The person solemnizing the marriage shall complete the marriage certificate and return it to the County Clerk & Recorder within sixty-three days after the ceremony. Any person who fails to return 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 to comply up to a maximum of $50.

Be sure the certificate is filled out entirely, including county, date of marriage, physical location of ceremony, the officiant signature, the officiant's title, and the signature of both the bride and groom.

Witnesses are not required in the State of Colorado. If you choose to have a witness, there are no restrictions on the age of your witnesses. Feel free to have children sign!

After the Marriage

Once the license has been returned to the Clerk and Recorder's office, it will be recorded and imaged by our Fort Collins office. The original license will be retained for 7-10 days for the recording process to be complete. If you haven't received your marriage license back from us within a month after it has been recorded with our office, please call (970) 498-7860 to inquire.

You may obtain a certified copy of the license immediately upon its return to the Fort Collins office or within 3 days after the license is returned to one of our satellite offices. The cost for a certified copy of a marriage license is $1.25 each.

You may also request certified copies of your license via the mail. Submit your request, along with payment, to:

Larimer County Clerk and Recorder
Attn: Copies
PO Box 1280
Fort Collins, CO 80522

Obtaining Copies

You may obtain a certified copy of the license immediately upon its return to the Fort Collins office or within 3 days after the license is returned to one of our satellite offices. To obtain certified copies of your marriage license/certificate or application, please use the following procedures:

To request via mail:

  • Submit a written request to our office stating the following:
    • Full names of both parties
    • Date of ceremony
  • Please provide a mailing address where we can return your copies
  • Please include payment
    • Certified copies of the marriage license/certificate are $1.25 each
    • Sealed copies of the marriage application are $0.25 each
  • PLEASE NOTE: Generally marriage applications are not available for public inspection. If you are not a party to the union and require access to this information, please call our office at (970) 498-7860.
  • Mail your request to:
  • Larimer County Clerk and Recorder
    Attn: Copies
    PO Box 1280
    Fort Collins, CO 80522

To request via phone:

  • Please call 970.498.7860
    • Please note: Payments made via credit card or electronic check over the phone are subject to a third party administrative fee. Please contact our office for more details.

To request in person:

  • Please visit any one of our three office locations:
    • Fort Collins - 200 W. Oak Street, Suite 1000
    • Loveland - 205 E. 6th Street, 1st Floor
    • Estes Park - 1601 Brodie Avenue