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GUIDELINES FOR OBTAINING A MARRIAGE LICENSE
AND CIVIL UNION IN COLORADO
A license to marry in Colorado may be obtained during regular business hours, in accordance with the requirements outlined below. The license is valid upon issue and must be used in Colorado within 35 days. The fee is $30.00.
AGE REQUIREMENTS
- 18 and older - No parental consent is required.
- 16 and 17 - Consent of both parents, or parent having legal custody, legal guardian, or judicial approval is required.
- Younger than 16 - Consent as listed above AND judicial approval (court order) are required.
NO EXCEPTIONS.
IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
- Both parties must furnish valid ID.
- Listed are valid forms of ID:
- Passports
- Driver's license
- Birth Certificate
BLOOD TEST REQUIREMENTS
As of July 1, 1989 blood tests are NOT required for either party in the State of Colorado.
SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS
Social Security Numbers ARE required on marriage license applications (C.R.S. 14-14-113).
If a party does not have a Social Security Number, the Affidavit Concerning Social Security Number
must be completed and submitted at time of application for a marriage license. It may be signed and
notarized in advance or signed in front of the County Clerk or Deputy County Clerk at the time of
application.
PROHIBITED MARRIAGES / CIVIL UNIONS
- One of the parties is still married to another person - all divorces must be final.
- Marriage between the following is prohibited regardless of whether the relationship is by half or whole blood:
- ancestor and descendant
- brother and sister
- uncle and niece
- aunt and nephew
- Marriage between cousins IS PERMITTED in Colorado.
- Civil union licenses are issued to male/female couples or couples of the same sex
- Marriage license applications issued by another state are NOT valid for solemnization in Colorado.
WITNESS REQUIREMENTS
Witnesses are NOT required in Colorado. Some clergy, judges, or public officials may request them.
APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
- Both parties must complete and sign the marriage application form. At least ONE of the parties
must apply IN PERSON. If one of the parties cannot appear in person, he/she MUST complete
an Absentee Affidavit with a notarized signature and provide a copy of valid identification
showing proof of age of the absent party.
- If either party has been divorced, he/she must recite the date the divorce was finalized, city and
state divorce took place, and the type of court. A divorce decree is not required at the time of
completing the marriage application.
- A couple already married, who wish to renew their marriage vows may obtain a license by
stating that they are married to each other.
- Applicants for a marriage license need not be Colorado residents.
CEREMONIES
Couples themselves may solemnize their own marriage (C.R.S. 14-2-109). Marriages can also be
solemnized by judges, retired judges, magistrates, public officials authorized to perform marriages, or in
accordance with any mode of solemnization recognized by a religious denomination or Indian Tribe or
Nation. Not anyone can solemnize a marriage. Although the couple may solemnize their own marriage,
that does not mean a friend or relative, who is not otherwise authorized to perform marriages can
solemnize their marriage. Clergy from out-of-state need NOT be registered in Colorado.
CERTIFICATES
The person solemnizing the marriage shall complete the marriage certificate form and forward it to the
Clerk & Recorder's Office within sixty days (60) after solemnizing the marriage. Any person who fails
to forward the marriage certificate to the Clerk & Recorder's Office shall be required to pay a $20.00
LATE FEE AND AN ADDITIONAL $ 5.00 LATE FEE may be assessed for each additional day of
failure up to a maximum of $50.00.
Please return the completed marriage license to:
Custer County Clerk & Recorder
PO Box 150
Westcliffe, CO 81252
The marriage certificate must include the county and location where the marriage took place, the date of
the marriage, the officiating party's signature and the title along with the bride and groom's signatures.
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