Apply for Marriage License

The Recording Division physical office is closed to the public. Online/phone services are available Monday-Thursday from 7:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Limited in-person services are available by appointment.

Apply for Marriage License

The Boulder County Recording Division is closed to the public and uses a remote process for obtaining a Marriage License.

Marriage License Requirements

To obtain a marriage license remotely, you will need the following:

  • Access to the internet on a computer (for application)
  • Video chat capability (for appointment)
  • Required ID (scroll down for checklist)
  • Payment (credit, debit or e-check, to be processed during appointment)
  • Both parties are present, together in the same room, and in Colorado to apply for the license
  • Plan to marry is within the State of Colorado
  • We cannot mail an issued license outside the state of Colorado.
    • If you are coming from out-of-state, please contact the Recording office for pickup options.
    • Same-day pickup is required for out-of-state applicants by the actual applicants to ensure you are present in Colorado.

Once the online appointment is completed, your marriage license will be mailed to you. The completed license must be returned to our office to be considered valid.

Note: Applicants requiring an Absentee Affidavit cannot be done remotely. Please contact the office for details.

Recording Division

Marriage License Details

  • Marriage licenses must be used within 35 days from the date of issue, anywhere in Colorado
  • Marriage licenses may be obtained in any county, regardless of where the ceremony will take place in Colorado
  • Witnesses are not required
  • Blood tests are not required

Applying for Marriage License – Key Steps

  1. Complete the online application.
  2. Schedule an appointment for a video call for ID verification. Appointments with Spanish-speaking staff members are available.
  3. Download Microsoft Teams in advance of your appointment. Application is free and available for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices.
  4. Look for 2 emails: First, an automatic email will be sent confirming your appointment time. A second email will be sent separately by a staff member with a Teams Meeting invitation. When it is time for your appointment, click on the link in the second email that says “Join the meeting now.” Both parties must be present in the same room and have IDs and payment ready.
    • E-Signatures: During your virtual appointment, you will be sent invites to virtually sign your marriage application. After reviewing your application, the invite will come through your email and provide you steps to sign. Applicant 1 signs and then chooses the “Next Signer” button. The screen will refresh and be ready for Applicant 2 to sign.
  5. After your appointment, the license will be mailed to you via USPS. Once you receive this, you must:
    1. Complete the certificate portion of the license on your wedding day.
    2. Return the completed license to the Recording office. A pre-addressed envelope will be provided. You will need postage unless you choose to use our drop box in Boulder or Longmont.

Please note your license will not be recorded and will not be considered valid if the signed document is not returned.

Statement: Pursuant to C.R.S. 14-2.106.5 (3) the Recording Division staff has completed the required training and curricula developed by the Human Trafficking Council created in section 18-3-505.

Filling Out the Marriage Certificate when Self-Solemnizing

See the sample image for assistance.

  1. Enter the Colorado county where the ceremony is taking place
  2. Enter day, month, year, time, and location of ceremony – City and State is enough for location of ceremony
  3. Signatures of Parties One and Two – sign your names here as the “Officiating Party”
  4. The Parties to the Marriage – Use the exact verbiage as show on the sample image as your title: The Parties to the Marriage
  5. Party One Signature – Party One signs here (match the signature on your ID)
  6. Party Two Signature – Party Two signs here (match the signature on your ID)
  7. Witness signatures not required
Marriage Certificate Sample for Self Solemnizing
Click on the image to expand and see a larger version

Checklist

Both applicants must provide the following to obtain a marriage license:

  • ID (Please have one of the following ready during the video meeting):
    • Current U.S. driver’s license
      • Colorado licenses with the black strip that reads, “Not valid for federal identification…” are not accepted
    • Passport
    • Original or certified copy of birth certificate
  • Social Security number (if a foreign applicant doesn’t have a Social Security number they must complete a Sworn Statement Affidavit, which will be virtually signed at the same time as the application)
  • $30 fee for the license (e-check and credit card accepted; minimal fee for using a credit card of $0.75 + 2.26% of the total)

Recording a Marriage License

Licenses may be submitted by mail or placed in one or our drop boxes in Boulder or Longmont. It will be returned within two weeks from the time we received it. To record the license:

  • Complete the ‘marriage certificate’ portion of the license
  • Signatures of witnesses are not required
  • Put in provided envelope or a blank one marked “Recording” and place in our drop box OR mail the license to 1750 33rd St., Suite 201, Boulder, CO 80301

Please note your license will not be recorded and will not be considered valid if the signed document is not returned. If a marriage license is not returned to the parties one month after the ceremony, contact the office. The Recording Division may not have received the license from the officiating party.

Other Requirements and Restrictions

Divorced Applicants

If either applicant is divorced, provide the following in addition to the items listed above:

  • Date of divorce (month/day/year)
  • Place of divorce (city and state)
  • Type of court for the divorce

Widowed Applicants

If either applicant is widowed, provide the following in addition to the items detailed above:

  • Date of death (month/day/year)
  • Place of death (city and state)

Age Requirements

Applicants for a marriage license must be 18 years of age or older. Applicants who are 16 and 17 years of age require judicial approval.

Other Restrictions

Marriages are prohibited between the following:

  • Ancestor and descendant
  • Brother and sister
  • Uncle and niece
  • Aunt and nephew

Officiants

A marriage may be performed by the following:

  • The couple themselves (self-solemnization)
  • Judge or court magistrate
  • Religious or tribal official authorized to perform a ceremony
  • Other public official authorized to perform a ceremony

Find judges and magistrates who perform ceremonies in Boulder County.

Proxy Marriages

A proxy marriage may be performed if:

  • One party to the proxy marriage is a Colorado resident, and
  • One party is a member of the armed forces of the United States who is stationed in another country or in another state in support of combat or another military operation, or is a government contractor, or an employee of a government contractor, working in support of the armed forces of the United States or in support of United States military operations in another country or in another state.

If the parties to the marriage plan on having a proxy marriage, one of the applicants must apply in person and provide the following:

Contact Us

Recording Division

7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Monday - Thursday
Closed Fridays

Recording Homepage
recording@bouldercounty.gov

Phone: 303-413-7770

24-Hour Drop Box Locations

Please place documents in a folder or envelope marked “Recording” and include your contact information.

1750 33rd Street, Boulder
Stand-alone box outside doors on parking lot side (Directions)

1755 S. Public Road, Lafayette
Slot on exterior wall to the right of the main doors (Directions)

529 Coffman Street, Longmont
Stand-alone box at the northeast corner of the building (Directions)

Office Location and Mailing Address

1750 33rd Street, Suite 201
Boulder, CO 80301

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