Marriage Licenses

A license to marry in Colorado may be obtained 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday at the Recording Department at the main Clerk & Recorder’s office and at the North Office on Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in accordance with the requirements outlined below. No appointment is necessary to visit our office and complete your license.

The license is valid upon issue and must be used, in Colorado, within 35 days. The fee is $30.00, cash or debit/credit card payment only. Online requests for verification of marriage and divorce records may be made at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. For additional information, please review the Guidelines for Obtaining Marriage Licenses in Colorado below or contact the Recording Department.

For your convenience, the Affidavit Concerning Social Security Number and the Absentee Affidavit are provided in Adobe Acrobat format, which requires you to have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your system for viewing. The forms may be printed out and completed prior to your visit to the Recording Department.

The following guidelines apply to all individuals applying for a marriage license in the state.

Guidelines for Obtaining a Marriage License in Colorado

Same for both parties

  • 18 and older – May apply to obtain a marriage license.
  • 16 and 17 – A juvenile court must make the determination if a marriage license may be obtained. 4th Judicial District Court website.
  • Younger than 16 – Prohibited from obtaining a marriage license.
  • There are NO EXCEPTIONS to these requirements. If your situation is not covered, please call our office at (719) 520-6200 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) to obtain specific instructions on what will be required for your circumstances.
  • The original or certified court order must be presented at the time of applying for a marriage license.

Valid ID must be furnished by both parties
Date of birth must be legible

All are valid forms of ID:

  • Passports
  • Driver’s licenses
  • Birth Certificates (Birth Certificates in a language other than English must be accompanied by a certified translation)
  • Military identification cards

The following are NOT acceptable forms of ID:

  • Consular cards
  • City and county detention center ID cards
  • Novelty ID cards
  • Souvenir birth certificates (issued by hospitals)
  • As of July 1, 1989, blood tests are NOT required for either party in the State of Colorado.
  • The last four digits of the Social Security Numbers are required on marriage license applications. (C.R.S. 14-2-105).
  • 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 Deputy County Clerk at time of application.

Marriage licenses will NOT be issued

  • 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.
  • Marriage license applications issued by another state are NOT valid for solemnization in Colorado.
  • Witnesses are NOT required in Colorado. Some clergy, judges, or public officials may request them.
  • Both parties must complete and sign the marriage application form. If only ONE party can appear in person, before the Recording Staff, the absent party must complete the Marriage License Absentee Affidavit. The Marriage License Absentee Affidavit must be notarized. The party applying in person will need to bring the completed Original Notarized Affidavit along with a printed copy of the valid identification used for Notarization, showing proof of age of the absent party, at the time of applying for the Marriage License.
  • If either party has been divorced, he or 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.
  • Online Marriage Application
  • Couples may solemnize their own marriage (C.R.S. 14-2-109). Others who can solemnize a marriage are judges, retired judges, magistrates, and public officials authorized to perform marriages (civil ceremony). To make arrangements with a judge contact the Colorado Fourth Judicial District. Or, the marriage may be solemnized in accordance with any mode of solemnization recognized by a religious denomination or Indian Tribe or Nation (religious ceremony). Only authorized individuals may solemnize a marriage. Although the couple may solemnize their own marriage, a friend or relative may not solemnize the marriage unless they are authorized to perform marriages. Clergy need not be registered in Colorado.
  • The person solemnizing the marriage shall complete the marriage certificate form and forward it to the Clerk & Recorder’s Office within sixty-three days (63) after solemnizing. 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 completed marriage license/certificate to:

El Paso County Recording Department
P.O. Box 2007
Colorado Springs, CO 80901-2007

  • Marriage certificates must include the county and location where the marriage took place, the date of the marriage, the officiating party’s signature and title and the bride and groom’s signatures.
  • Your marriage license must be returned and recorded before one of the parties can make any name changes.

SOCIAL SECURITY:

  • The Social Security Administration provides information regarding Social Security card name changes.
    Phone: 1-800-772-1213
    Colorado Springs Social Security Office:
    2306 E. Pikes Peak Ave.
    Colorado Springs, CO 80909
    (888) 880-0688

DRIVERS LICENSE:

Colorado Springs Office:

Colorado Department of Revenue
2447 North Union Blvd, 80909
(719) 594-8701
(303) 205-5613