Marriage Licenses

Temporary Issuance of Remote Marriage Licenses due to the Presence of COVID-19

The El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Office will temporarily issue remote marriage licenses to couples. Pursuant to Article IV, Section 2 of the Colorado Constitution and the relevant portions of the Colorado Disaster Emergency Act, C.R.S. § 24-33.5-701, Governor Jared Polis issued an Executive Order that temporarily suspends certain requirements for the issuance of marriage licenses during the closure of clerk and recorder offices due to the presence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Colorado.

Please follow these steps to obtain a marriage license remotely.

  1. Couples need to apply for a marriage license using the online application.
  2. Couples need to fill out a marriage affidavit.
    • The couple needs to email the completed marriage affidavit and copies of valid IDs (both sides) to copyrequests@elpasoco.com.
    • Scanned documents in a PDF format are preferred (separate file).
    • Phone photos are strongly discouraged.
    • Actual wet signatures are needed on the affidavit.
  3. Once the Recording Department receives the marriage affidavit and IDs a Clerk will contact the couple to complete the application process and collect payment.
    • Please be ready to give the last four digits of each person’s Social Security number.

The license is valid immediately and must be used only in the State of Colorado. Our office will need a Colorado address where we can send the marriage license. You have until August 30, 2020 in which to use this license before it expires, which is thirty-five (35) days following the expiration of Executive Order D 2020 117, unless further amended by the Governor. For information contact Recording 719-520-6200 or recweb@elpasoco.com.

Marriage Application Affidavit
Please refer to the information at the top of this page for remote marriage license procedures during COVID-19.
A visit to our office to obtain a marriage license is suspended temporarily.

A license to marry in Colorado may be obtained during regular business hours at any of our Clerk & Recorder locations, in accordance with the requirements outlined below. 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.

Effective October 7, 2014, the Colorado Attorney General’s Office issued final clearance for county clerks to begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples. On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court ruled same-sex marriage is legal nationwide.

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

Online Marriage Application

Guidelines for Obtaining a Marriage License in Colorado

Age Requirements

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 5 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.

Identification Requirements

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)

Blood Test Requirements

  • As of July 1, 1989, blood tests are NOT required for either party in the State of Colorado.

Social Security Numbers

  • 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.

Prohibited Marriages

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.

Witness Requirements

  • Witnesses are NOT required in Colorado. Some clergy, judges, or public officials may request them.

Application Requirements

  • Both parties must complete and sign the marriage application form. At least ONE of the parties must apply IN PERSON before the Recording staff. If one of the parties cannot appear in person, he or she MUST complete and submit an original Marriage License Absentee Affidavit with a notarized signature and provide a copy of valid identification showing proof of age of the absent party.
  • 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.
  • On-line Marriage Application

Ceremonies

  • 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). 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.
  • For a list of judges who perform marriages you may access the 4th Judicial District Court website.

Certificates

  • 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.

Marriage Copies

Name Change

  • Your marriage license must be returned and recorded before one of the parties can make any name changes.

Name Change Contact Information

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

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