Guide to Colorado Marriage Records

A marriage record is a legal document maintained by a government authority that establishes the marriage of two people. It contains information such as the couple's full names, their ages or dates of birth, the date of their marriage, and the county where the marriage was performed.

Although “marriage records,” “marriage licenses,” and “marriage certificates” are often used interchangeably, they are not the same. A marriage license is a legal document that must be obtained by the couple to perform the wedding ceremony. A marriage certificate is a document signed by the couple or the officiating party that provides evidence of their official marriage. In certain counties in Colorado, such as Boulder County, a marriage license is the same document as a marriage certificate. The term “marriage record” is broad and includes marriage applications, marriage licenses, marriage certificates, and marriage-related indexes.

Colorado residents may need to obtain marriage records to file for a name change due to marriage, perform genealogical research, or establish marriage status for divorce or probate purposes.

Types of Marriage Records in Colorado

Marriage records in Colorado are available in the following forms:

Marriage Certificates

A marriage certificate records that a marriage took place. This document is completed when the marriage is solemnized and returned for registration with the appropriate authority. A marriage certificate may include the spouses' names, the marriage date and location, county information, the license number, signatures, and details on how or by whom the marriage was solemnized.

A certified copy of a Colorado marriage certificate is appropriate when an agency requires proof of marriage, including for name changes, identification, benefits, and other legal purposes.

Certified copies of the original marriage certificate are issued by the county clerk and recorder who recorded the marriage.

Marriage Licenses

A marriage license in Colorado is a legal document issued by a county clerk and recorder that authorizes the couple to conduct the marriage ceremony within the state. It is valid for 35 days.

Marriage Record Verifications

A marriage verification is a document issued at the state level that confirms the existence of a marriage entry within the state's vital-record files. However, it is not a copy of the original marriage license or certificate. Marriage verifications are issued by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).

Are Marriage Records Public in Colorado?

Although under C.R.S. § 25-2-117, vital-statistics records held by CDPHE are confidential, marriage licenses and marriage certificates are public records since they are held at the county level. Colorado's public-records statute provides that the restriction on marriage-license applications does not prohibit inspection of marriage licenses or marriage certificates or change their status as public records.

However, a marriage-license application is restricted from public inspection. Only a person with a tangible interest, including qualifying immediate family members, may obtain access, and disclosure may also be permitted by court order.

What Information Is Included in a Marriage Record?

Depending on the specific marriage document, a Colorado marriage record may include:

• Full names of the spouses
• Marriage date
• City, county, or other marriage location
• The county that issued or recorded the license
• Marriage-license number
• Date the license was issued
• Information or signature relating to solemnization
• Signatures of the spouses
• Recording information

The marriage-license application contains additional information. Under C.R.S. § 14-2-105, these details include identifying and residential information, birth information, the last four digits of Social Security numbers, and information on prior marriages or civil unions.

Since the marriage license application details are protected by state public records laws, information contained only in Colorado marriage-license applications is not generally publicly available.

How to Find Marriage Records in Colorado

Step 1: Identify the Marriage Details

To find marriage records in Colorado, it is important to gather the information needed to perform the search. These include the full names of the couple, date of marriage, county or city where the marriage was held, and the county where the marriage license may have been obtained.

Step 2: Find the Record Custodian

The custodian to be contacted depends on the type of marriage record needed. If you require the original marriage certificate or license, contact the clerk-recorder in the county where it was issued and registered. If you need marriage verification from the state, you may contact the CDPHE Vital Records. To obtain historical records, search the Colorado State Archives.

Step 3: Choose How to Search

Depending on the custodian, requesters may be able to find a marriage record via these options:

• Online: Some counties offer online marriage license searches.
• By mail: County recorders may accept requests for mailed copies. CDPHE accepts marriage-verification applications by mail.
• In person: County clerk and recorder offices issue copies in accordance with their local procedures. CDPHE provides in-person vital record services by appointment.
• Through an authorized service: CDPHE provides online ordering through VitalChek.

Step 4: Submit a Record Request

For a public county marriage license or certificate, requesters must provide enough information for the clerk and recorder to locate the record. Note that identification requirements, application form, fees, and processing times vary by county.

A state marriage verification application requires the completed CDPHE application, identification, proof of eligibility, and payment. The CDPHE's online processing time for a marriage verification request is approximately 30 business days.

How to Get a Certified Marriage Certificate in Colorado

You can request certified copies of a Colorado marriage certificate from the county clerk and recorder where the marriage license was issued. Since marriage certificates are public records, anyone can order copies of marriage records, subject to the county's copy preparation processes.

To get a copy of a marriage certificate, contact the county where the marriage was recorded, obtain the required application, and complete it with the details needed to identify the record. County procedures may require applicants to submit an identification document.

The costs for obtaining a marriage certificate vary from one county to another. For example, Boulder County charges a $1.25 fee to obtain a certified marriage certificate. Processing times for orders also vary from one county to another.

To obtain verification of marriage or civil union in Colorado, complete the Certificate Verification of Marriage Application and submit it alongside an accepted identification document and the required fee. Alternatively, you may schedule an in-person visit to the CDPHE office to complete the process.

Certified copies of Colorado marriage records may be used as legal proof of marriage and may be required in situations such as legal name changes, immigration matters, and other legal circumstances requiring proof of marriage.

How to Get a Marriage License in Colorado

Marriage licenses in Colorado are issued by county clerk and recorder offices. Once obtained, they can be used anywhere within the state. Applicants for marriage licenses must complete an application by providing the information required by C.R.S. § 14-2-105, including identifying, residential, birth, Social Security, and prior-marriage information where applicable. Depending on county procedures, applications may be initiated online or completed through an authorized remote process.

Under state law, applicants aged 18 or older may obtain a marriage license without judicial approval. However, an applicant aged 16 or 17 may marry only after obtaining judicial approval. In such a situation, Colorado requires the juvenile court to determine that the applicant is capable of assuming the responsibilities of marriage and that the marriage would serve the applicant's best interests. No law provides for persons under 16 to obtain a marriage license in Colorado.

When applying for a marriage license, applicants are required to verify their age and identity. Documentation such as a birth certificate, a driver's license, a passport, or other government-issued evidence may be required as proof. There is no general Colorado residency requirement for marriage license applicants.

A standard marriage license fee in Colorado is $30. This fee is typically payable by cash or check. The state has no waiting period; once a marriage license is issued, applicants may get married immediately. However, the validity period for a Colorado marriage license is 35 days. If the marriage does not take place within this window, the license becomes void and must be reissued via a new application.

Colorado permits self-solemnization, meaning couples can marry without an officiant. A marriage may also be solemnized by clergy or recognized religious authority, a judge, an authorized public official, or via other methods stated under C.R.S. § 14-2-109.

After the ceremony concludes, the signed certificate must be returned to the issuing county clerk's office within 63 days. Otherwise, a minimum late fee of $20 plus $5 per day, capped at $50, applies.

Who Can Request Marriage Records?

Due to the distinction between state-maintained and county-maintained marriage records, access to Colorado marriage records depends on the specific record required by a requester:

• Spouses and members of the public: Recorded marriage licenses and certificates are public records and can generally be requested from the county clerk and recorder.
• Immediate family members: May obtain public marriage records and may also qualify as individuals with a tangible interest for purposes of accessing a restricted marriage license application.
• Authorized representatives and attorneys: May request records when acting with appropriate authority. Access to a restricted application requires compliance with Colorado's person-in-interest or court-order rules.
• Government agencies: Agencies may receive information when authorized by law and necessary for official functions.
• Genealogists and researchers: May use public licenses, certificates, indexes, and historical archival collections. Restricted applications remain subject to Colorado's access rules.
• Third-party requests: A third party may obtain a public marriage license or certificate.

Free and Online Marriage Record Searches

Some county clerk and recorder offices provide free online marriage searches. For instance, Boulder County provides a marriage and civil-union license search on its website.

For historical research, the Colorado State Archives holds historical marriage records, including licenses, applications, certificates, and registers. Furthermore, the Denver Public Library's Colorado Marriage and Divorce Records site provides access to historical indexes, including a statewide Colorado marriage index covering 1858-1939 and Denver marriage indexes for later periods.

These online platforms provide free searches that may allow the public to access information about marriage records, such as names, dates, counties, license numbers, or index references. Certified copies of marriage records are available for a fee and may only be obtained from the county clerk and recorder and the CDPHE.

If you do not know the exact county or date of the wedding, start your search with genealogy indexes covering the whole state rather than a single county archive. When searching, use both spouses' names, a range of possible years, and the counties where either spouse lived.

Common-Law Marriage in Colorado

Colorado recognizes common-law marriages as a valid and binding form of matrimony. To establish a valid common-law marriage in the state, both parties must mutually agree that they are married, cohabit in Colorado, and publicly hold themselves out to the community as spouses.

Since the state does not mandate a minimum length of cohabitation, couples may form a common-law marriage within weeks if the intent and conduct are present. Note that cohabitation alone is not sufficient on its own for the state to recognize a common law marriage. Public representation as spouses can be demonstrated by filing joint tax returns, sharing a common surname, or signing joint lease agreements.

The Centennial State also recognizes valid common law marriages that were legally established in another state, as long as the relationship met that state's legal requirements at the time.

Since common-law marriages are not initiated with a standard Colorado county marriage license, they do not automatically generate a public record entry in county and state marriage record databases.

To create a public record for a common-law marriage, couples may choose to sign and notarize a formal affidavit of common law marriage and file it with their local Colorado county clerk and recorder's office.

How to Correct an Error on a Marriage Record

Since marriage licenses and certificates are recorded at the county level, correction applications for errors on Colorado marriage records are handled by the clerk and recorder who issued the license. Common errors on marriage records include incorrect names, marriage dates, marriage locations, and solemnization information.

County procedures for correcting marriage record errors vary from one location to another. Therefore, who may request a correction and what evidence is required depend on the error and county procedure. Typically, one or both spouses named on the record, along with their legal representative, may request corrections with appropriate documentation.

Usually, the completed correction application must be submitted with supporting evidence demonstrating the correct information, such as a birth certificate, Social Security card, government-issued ID, or other legal documentation or affidavit.

Note that correction fees and processing times also vary by county. Hence, requesters must contact the relevant clerk's office to understand specific application procedures, fees, and application timelines.

Marriage Records and Name Changes

A certified marriage certificate or certified recorded marriage license may be used to document a marriage-based legal name change. Several government agencies require this document as proof of a name change.

For example, the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles accepts a certified marriage certificate as evidence supporting a name change. Other government agencies that require a certified copy to update personal profiles include the Social Security Administration and the U.S. Department of State for passport updates.

Note that there is a difference between changing a name and updating a marriage record. Using the certified copy of a marriage certificate to alter your surname on a driver's license updates your current identity records, but it does not alter the information or correct an error on the actual marriage record itself.

Marriage Records for Genealogy and Family History

Genealogy researchers can find old marriage records from county clerk and recorder’s offices, the Colorado State Archives, and historical marriage record indexes. The Colorado State Archives contains records of marriages for many counties, including marriage registers and record books.

Also, the Denver Public Library's historical resources include thousands of marriage records, including the Colorado Marriages Index from 1858 to 1939, which contains over 450,000 indexed marriages. In addition, many historical records have been digitized, and old ledgers are now available on platforms like FamilySearch.

Researchers can browse these historical databases using different identifiers, such as the name of a groom or bride, county, or year. Note that an important drawback of old marriage records is that they often have incomplete information. Early county records often have faded ink, missing pages, or exclude some fields of information, such as the names of the spouses’ parents.

Frequently Asked Questions