City and County of Denver marriage license
To marry in City and County of Denver, you apply to the Denver Clerk and Recorder, Recording Division. There, both applicants must appear together and the license is valid throughout the state.
- Fee
- $30
- Waiting period
- NoneMarry the same day
- License valid
- 35 daysFrom issuance
- Both must appear
- YesTogether, at the same time
Reviewed July 26, 20266 official sourcesSee sources
Where to apply
- Apply online
- Yes
This is genuine remote issuance, not just an online form. The license is issued during a Microsoft Teams appointment, but both parties must be together in one room on one screen, physically inside Colorado, and the license is then posted to a Colorado address. Complete the online application before booking; appointments can be made up to seven days ahead.
Official requirementYou must be within the State of Colorado, and both parties must be in the same room, on the same screen, at the same time.
- Apply in person
- Yes
In-person marriage appointments are the office's standard channel but were suspended when this record was checked. A construction notice on the page says licenses are being issued by virtual appointment only, and the In-Person section says in-person marriage appointments are not being offered. Neither notice gives a year, and the page sidebar simultaneously advertises in-person marriage services by appointment. Check the page before planning a visit.
Applies in some casesPLEASE NOTE: Due to ongoing construction at the DCR Building, we will not be offering in-person marriage appointments.
When to apply
We will work out when you can apply. We never ask for names, dates of birth or any other personal detail.
Who must appear
- Both applicants
- Yes
Both parties appear together — in the office, or together on camera for a virtual appointment. One documented exception: a partner who cannot attend may file a notarised Absentee Affidavit, which must be used within 30 days of being notarised, and the attending party must bring a clear, legible photocopy of the absent partner's valid ID showing month, day and year of birth. Faxes are not accepted.
Official requirementArrive at your scheduled appointment time with your partner, valid identification, and a form of payment (cash, check or credit card) to complete the process.
- Residency
- Colorado residency is not required. Applicants who obtain the license through an online appointment must have a Colorado address, because the application and license are posted there, and both parties must be physically inside Colorado during the appointment.
The residency condition attaches to the online route only, not to the license itself.
Applies in some casesApplicants 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.
Identification and personal information
We list what the office says it may ask for. We never collect any of it.
- 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
Each party presents one of these. Birth certificates, baptismal certificates and foreign consular IDs are not accepted as identification; a birth certificate may only be used to confirm a date of birth alongside one of the accepted forms. The name on the license is printed exactly as it appears on the identification provided.
Official requirementBoth you and your intended spouse must present one of these valid forms of identification:
- Social Security number
- You must provide a Social Security number if you have one. An applicant who does not have one is not required to obtain one; a notarised Affidavit to Accompany Marriage License is filed instead.Official requirement
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.
- Age
- Both applicants must be 18 or older, unless a juvenile court has approved a 16- or 17-year-old applicant.
Marriage between first cousins is permitted in Colorado. Marriage between an ancestor and descendant, siblings, or an uncle and niece or aunt and nephew is prohibited, as is marriage entered into before an earlier marriage is dissolved.
Official requirementYou must be 18 years of age or older to marry in Colorado, with the following exception:
- Applicants under 18
- A person aged 16 or 17 may obtain a marriage license only if a juvenile court determines they are capable of assuming the responsibilities of marriage and that the marriage serves their best interests. The court must first appoint a guardian ad litem to investigate and file a report. A person under 16 cannot obtain a marriage license at all.
Parental consent alone is not a route in Colorado — a court order is required. Civil unions are barred outright where either partner is under 18.
Applies in some casesA person under the age of 16 is prohibited from obtaining a marriage license.
Prior-marriage documents
- If a marriage ended
- You must give the exact date — month, day and year — and the location of the divorce, or of the previous spouse's or partner's death, and for a divorce also the type of court that handled it. A certified copy of the divorce decree is required only if the divorce became final within the 30 days before you apply. A civil union with a different person must be dissolved before you can marry.
Both parties must be able to supply this information. A civil union with the same person you are marrying does not need to be dissolved first. The 30-day threshold is specific to Denver and differs from other jurisdictions.
Applies in some casesa certified copy of your divorce decree if your divorce was final within 30 days preceding the date you apply for a marriage license.
Fee and payment
- Fee
- $30
A 2.5% service fee is added to credit and debit card transactions. Recording the completed certificate is free within 63 days; after that a $20 late fee applies plus $5 for each additional day, up to $50. Certified copies are $1.25 for the first page and $0.25 for each additional page.
Official requirementMarriage or Civil Union license: $30
- Payment methods
- Cash
- Check payable to Manager of Finance — temporary checks are not accepted
- Debit or credit card (MasterCard, Visa or Discover), with a 2.5% service fee
- Virtual appointments must pay by debit or credit card
Card details cannot be taken over the phone.
Official requirementPayment is accepted in cash, check or debit/credit card (MasterCard, Visa or Discover). Couples utilizing online appointments must use a debit/credit card.
Waiting period and expiration
- Waiting period
- No waiting period
The license is valid from the date it is issued, so the ceremony can take place the same day.
Official requirementBlood tests are not required in Colorado, and there is no waiting period.
- Waiver
This does not apply here.
There is no waiting period to waive.
Not applicable here- License expires
- 35 days
A license not used within 35 days is void and must be returned to the Clerk and Recorder for cancellation. This window is far shorter than most states, so do not apply months ahead.
Official requirementYour license certificate is valid upon the date issued and must be signed in Colorado within 35 days from the date of issue.
- Where it is valid
- Valid anywhere in Colorado and nowhere else. The ceremony must take place inside the state; a Denver license may be used in any Colorado county.
Colorado statute is explicit that the license has no force outside the state.
Official requirementWhere you are marrying (license only valid in Colorado)
Witness and ceremony notes
- Witnesses
- No witnesses are required. Colorado does not require a witness to a marriage, and a self-solemnized marriage is valid with neither witnesses nor an officiant. Denver allows up to two guests to accompany you to the appointment if you want them there.
This is a genuine difference from most states, which require one or two witnesses to sign.
Official requirementAlthough witnesses are not needed in Colorado, two witnesses are allowed to accompany you to your appointment (as we are an office, please limit your guests to two).
- Officiant
- Colorado permits self-solemnization: the two parties may solemnize their own marriage by signing the certificate themselves, with no officiant and no witnesses. A proxy marriage may not be self-solemnized. If you prefer an officiant, a marriage may be solemnized by an officiant ordained or recognised by a religious denomination, a judge, retired judge or court magistrate, a public official whose powers include solemnizing marriages, a Native American tribal official, or an ordained friend or relative. Clergy ordained out of state do not need to register in Colorado.
Self-solemnization is unusual — most states require an authorised or registered officiant. Denver County Court also publishes a list of judges who perform weddings on weekdays, weekends and evenings.
Official requirementYou 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.
Returning and recording the license
- After the ceremony
- After the ceremony the completed marriage certificate — printed on the same form as the license and never to be separated from it — is signed and returned to the Denver Clerk and Recorder by mail or in the drop box outside the office. It must be recorded within 63 days of solemnization or late fees apply: $20, plus $5 for each additional day, up to a $50 maximum.
Where the couple self-solemnized, one of the parties is responsible for completing and forwarding the certificate. The postmark date counts for the late-fee deadline.
Official requirementThe 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.
- Processing
- The license is issued at the appointment and is valid from that date. A license issued at a virtual appointment is posted to your Colorado address by U.S. Mail, so the office advises booking an in-person appointment if the wedding is within two weeks. Appointments can be booked up to seven days in advance and fill quickly.
Arriving more than 10 minutes late requires rescheduling.
Official requirementIf your wedding ceremony is within two weeks, please book an in-person appointment as our team uses the United States Postal Service to mail out virtual licenses, and therefore we cannot guarantee delivery in time.
Ordering the certified record afterwards is a separate request: official certified copy page
Access and language
- Published notes
- Official requirement
- Denver states it aims to comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA and voluntarily adopts Section 508 standards
- Oral and written language assistance, sign language interpretation, real-time CART captioning and disability-related accommodations are available at no cost on request via disabilityaccess@denvergov.org
- The marriages page is offered in Spanish, Vietnamese, Amharic, Chinese (Simplified), Arabic, Russian, French, Burmese, Nepali, Persian, Somali and Pashto
- The marriage license guide and the marriage certificate example are also published in Spanish
The City and County of Denver aims to comply with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA, which sets the standard for website accessibility.
Common questions
- How much does a marriage license cost in City and County of Denver?
- The fee is $30, set by the Denver Clerk and Recorder, Recording Division.
- Is there a waiting period for a marriage license in City and County of Denver?
- No. There is no waiting period — the license can be used as soon as it is issued.
- How long is a City and County of Denver marriage license valid?
- The license is valid for 35 days from issuance. A ceremony after that date requires a new license.
- Do both partners have to appear in person in City and County of Denver?
- Yes. Both applicants must appear together to complete the application.
- Do we have to be residents to marry in City and County of Denver?
- Colorado residency is not required. Applicants who obtain the license through an online appointment must have a Colorado address, because the application and license are posted there, and both parties must be physically inside Colorado during the appointment.
Each answer restates the verified rule above; the official wording and sources are in the numbered sections.
Sources and reviewed date
Every fact above is quoted from one of these pages. Reviewed July 26, 2026.
- Marriages and Civil UnionsDenver Clerk and Recorder · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Marriages and Civil Unions — Frequently Asked QuestionsDenver Clerk and Recorder · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
- AccessibilityCity and County of Denver · issuing authority · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 14 — § 14-2-107, When licenses to marry issued — validityColorado General Assembly, Office of Legislative Legal Services · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Colorado Revised Statutes 2024, Title 14 — § 14-2-109, Solemnization and registration of marriagesColorado General Assembly, Office of Legislative Legal Services · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Other topics regarding Vital Records — Performing a marriageColorado Department of Public Health and Environment · state-level source · retrieved 2026-07-26
Recorded conflicts
- The marriages page carries a construction notice saying that from 20 July to 2 October marriage and civil union licenses are issued by virtual appointment only, and the In-Person section says in-person marriage appointments are suspended "through late September". Neither notice states a year. The same page's sidebar simultaneously says "In-Person and Virtual marriage services are available by appointment only". In-person availability is therefore recorded as conditional rather than as a flat yes or no.
- The page gives three different drop-box locations for returning a signed license — outside the Webb Municipal Building near 15th Street and Court Place, at the corner of 14th Ave. and Bannock St., and at the corner of 13th Ave. and Bannock St. The office address appears as both 200 W. 14th Ave. and 201 W. Colfax Ave. in different places on the same site.
- The linked "Marriage License Requirements" PDF is dated 8 March 2021 and still prints the superseded 201 W. Colfax Avenue address. The web page is treated as authoritative throughout this record; no fee or deadline was taken from a PDF form.
- Denver's page frames the 35 days as the period within which the certificate must be signed; CRS 14-2-107 frames it as the license being void if not used within thirty-five days of issue. Both give the same 35-day window from the date of issue.
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