Marriages and Civil Unions

couples at the counter in the clerk and recorder's office

Get important information on how to obtain a marriage license, civil union or committed partnership, schedule an appointment, get answers to frequently asked questions and more. 

The Office of the Clerk and Recorder physical office located in the Wellington Webb building at 201 W. Colfax Ave., Department 101 will go under a large-scale construction project beginning mid-October 2023 which will reduce on-site staff.

In-person marriage and recording services will require an appointment. Alternative options for recording services include USPS or the drop box outside of the Webb building on Court St. between Colfax and 14th St.

Virtual marriage services are available Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and require an appointment.

Public trustee services are available Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and do not require an appointment.

 


Get a marriage or civil union license

In-Person

Step 1.Schedule an in-person appointment 

In-person services at the Office of the Clerk and Recorder are available by appointment only. Make an appointment up to 7 days in advance with the booking calendar.

If you can't find an appointment slot, check back for cancellations or contact a neighboring jurisdiction, such as JeffersonAdamsDouglas, or Arapahoe counties. 

Step 3.Complete the online marriage or civil union application 

Be sure to complete the paperwork prior to scheduling an appointment. You do not need to log in or create an account to complete the application.

Step 4.Get your marriage license

Arrive at your scheduled appointment time with your partner, valid identification, and a form of payment (cash, check or credit card) to complete the process.

Step 5.Sign the license and return it for recording

Once your ceremony is complete, sign your license and send it back via mail, or use the Clerk and Recorder drop box in front of the Webb Municipal Building (near 15th St and Court Pl). This drop box is checked daily during normal business hours.

Plan ahead: Your license certificate is valid upon the date issued and must be signed in Colorado within 35 days from the date of issue. The license must be returned for recording within 63 days of marriage to avoid extra fees. For more information, please check the instructions in the packet you receive at your appointment.

Online

Step 1.Schedule an online appointment

Appointments go quickly. You may make an appointment up to 7 days in advance. If no appointments are available, check back the next day for new times. Once scheduled, you'll receive a confirmation email containing your appointment link.

Step 3.Complete the online marriage or civil union application 

Be sure to complete the paperwork prior to scheduling an appointment. You do not need to log in or create an account to complete the application.

Step 4.Download the Microsoft Teams app

Before your scheduled appointment, download and install the free Teams app. Make sure you have access to a device with internet and video chat capabilities (camera, speakers, and microphone).

Step 5.Attend your online appointment

Find your Teams Meeting link 10 minutes before your appointment. When joining, have your valid IDs and debit or credit card payment ready. You must be within the State of Colorado, and both parties must be in the same room, on the same screen, at the same time

Step 6.Receive your license by mail

Your license will be sent to your Colorado address via U.S. Mail. Sign the document and send it back via mail, or use the Clerk and Recorder drop box in front of the Webb Municipal Building (near 15th St and Court Pl). This drop box is checked daily during normal business hours.

Plan ahead: You must sign the license in Colorado within 35 days from the date of issue. The license must be returned for recording within 63 days of marriage to avoid extra fees. For more information, please check the instructions in the packet you receive during your appointment. 

Committed Partnership

The City and County of Denver allows couples who are not married to recognize their commitment through the Committed Partnership Registry. 

Step 2.Schedule a recording appointment for your committed partnership

Schedule an appointment to record documents or obtain copies. In-person services are available by appointment only. 
Please use the “record documents or obtain copies” service when scheduling your appointment for a committed partnership.

Step 3.Visit the Office of the Clerk and Recorder and fill out a Certificate of Committed Partnership

Note: Both partners must appear together and in the room at the same time. The fee for a committed partnership certification and registry is $25.

Step 4.Present the completed certificate to the clerk

A completed original certificate will be signed and issued to you and your partner. Registration of your committed partnership creates a public record of your relationship.

Find more information about committed partnerships on our Frequently Asked Questions page

What to Know About Getting Your Marriage License

  • You may marry in front of a judge, through a religious ceremony, or by self-solemnizing (signing the certificate yourselves). 
  • The certificate must be signed in Colorado within 35 days from the date the license was issued.
  • The completed marriage certificate (and attached license) must be returned to the Clerk and Recorder for recording within 63 days after solemnization. After that date,  late fees will apply.
  • Blood tests are not required in Colorado, and there is no waiting period.
  • Applicants need not be Colorado residents. However, couples obtaining a marriage license online must have a Colorado address to receive their application and license via mail.
  • Paw prints are not allowed on marriage licenses. 

Questions you will be asked:

  • The date that you are getting married
  • Where you are marrying (license only valid in Colorado) 
  • The exact date and location of your divorce or previous spouse's death, if applicable. Both parties must be able to provide this information. If you were previously in a civil union and are marrying someone else, you must provide the name of your partner in the civil union.
  • Your relationship if related by blood
  • The city and state where parents of both parties were born

Both you and your intended spouse must present one of these valid forms of identification:

  • U.S. state-issued driver's license or permit
  • U.S. state-issued ID
  • U.S. military ID
  • Passport that includes the English language, or passport with a certified English language translation

The name on the license will appear exactly as it is on the identification provided to us.

You are required to provide a Social Security Number if you have one. If one of the parties does not have a Social Security Number, they are not required to have one to get married.

Birth certificates, baptismal certificates and Foreign Consular IDs are not acceptable forms of identification for marriage or civil union licenses. A birth certificate may be used to confirm date of birth when presented along with one of the valid forms of identification listed above. 

Fees

Payment is accepted in cash, check or debit/credit card (MasterCard, Visa or Discover). Couples utilizing online appointments must use a debit/credit card.

Make checks payable to: Manager of Finance

We do not accept temporary checks, and we cannot accept credit card information over the phone.

Marriage & Civil Union Licensing
  • Marriage or Civil Union license: $30
  • Committed Partnership license: $25
  • License or Application copy: $0.25
  • License or Application certified copy: $1.25

Recording
  • Within 63 days: free
  • After 63 days (late fee): $20
  • Each additional day after 63 (up to $50): $5

Certified Copies
  • First page $1.25
  • Each additional page $0.25

Forms

Marriage Licenses

Civil Unions

Committed Partnerships

Designated Beneficiaries

Ceremonies and Self-Solemnization

Solemnization by an Officiant

Your marriage must be solemnized, then the marriage application and certificate must be recorded.

A marriage may be solemnized by an officiant who has been ordained or recognized by a religious denomination, a judge of a court, a retired judge, a court magistrate, a public official whose powers include solemnization of marriages, a Native American tribal official or a friend or relative who is ordained.

Clergy ordained out of state do not need to be registered in Colorado to perform a wedding. 

Denver County Court maintains a list of judges(PDF, 167KB) who perform weddings during the week, on weekends, and in the evenings.

The solemnizing official will complete your marriage certificate.

Self-Solemnization

You and your intended spouse may solemnize your own marriage. Neither witnesses nor officiant are required for a valid self-solemnization. Proxy marriages may not be self solemnized.

Other Important Information

The marriage license and marriage certificate are two distinct instruments that appear on the single form. Please do not separate them. The marriage certificate must be recorded no later than 63 days from the date of solemnization, or late fees will apply.

Use our instruction sheet as a guide for completing the marriage certificate: 
Marriage Certificate Instructions(PDF, 500KB) 
(en español(PDF, 475KB)

Divorced or Widowed?

If you are widowed, divorced, or your civil union has been dissolved, and you wish to apply for a new marriage license, you must provide the exact date (month, day and year) and location of your divorce or spouse's/partner's death. If you were in a civil union with another person, you must have dissolved that civil union to marry a different person. You will need to provide the name of your previous partner on the marriage application.

If you are divorced, you also must provide:

  • the location (city and state) of your divorce;
  • the type (district, superior, circuit, etc.) of court in which your divorce proceeding occurred; and
  • a certified copy of your divorce decree if your divorce was final within 30 days preceding the date you apply for a marriage license.
  • A certified verification of your divorce can be obtained at the Office of Vital Record or the Denver District Court.

Note: If you obtained a civil union license and wish to be married, you must apply for a marriage license, complete the process, and pay the $30 license fee. The civil union does not need to be dissolved if you are marrying the same person. If you wish to marry a different person, the civil union must first be dissolved before the marriage can take place. 

The Office of the Clerk and Recorder does not process dissolutions of marriages or civil unions and does not keep records of these events. Contact the Denver District Court for information about divorces.

For information about dissolutions of committed partnerships, see our Frequently Asked Questions

Marriage Records

Denver marriage records are available on our county database. Refer to these instructions for finding recordsMarriage records are kept only by the county that issued the license. 

To obtain certified copies of marriage licenses or other recorded documents, use our self-service Online Records Search and follow the prompts to make a certified copy request.

Certified copies of documents are $1 per document, plus $0.25 per page.