How to Get a Marriage License in Colorado

Colorado is one of a handful of states where you can legally marry yourselves. No officiant. No clergy. No judge standing in front of you. Just the two of you, a signed license, and whatever view you chose to stand in front of. We’ll get to that in a minute.

First, the paperwork.

The Marriage License

You can get your license from any county clerk’s office in Colorado. Doesn’t matter which county. Once you have it, you can get married anywhere in the state.

No residency requirement either. You don’t have to live in Colorado to elope here. You just have to be here to apply.

What to bring:

• Valid government-issued photo ID (driver’s license, passport, military ID, or state ID card)
• Your Social Security number
• Both parties’ full names and current addresses
• $30 (most counties accept cash and card)
• If either of you has been previously married: the date, place, and court where the marriage ended

Your license is valid for 35 days from the date of issue. Shorter than most people expect. Plan your application date around your ceremony, not the other way around.

No Waiting Period. At All.

This is the part that surprises most couples.

Colorado has zero mandatory waiting period. You can walk into the clerk’s office in the morning, pick up your license, and get married that same afternoon. There’s no gap between application and ceremony.

One thing to flag: most county offices are open Monday through Friday during business hours only. Appointments are required in many counties and must be made at least 24 hours in advance. Check ahead. Don’t assume you can walk in at 3pm on a Friday.

Some counties, like Boulder County, offer fully remote applications via video call. Convenient if you’re arriving from out of state and want to handle it before you hit the road. Both of you still need to be in Colorado, in the same room, when the appointment happens. Colorado won’t mail a completed license outside the state.

Note: Colorado County clerk’s cannot mail an issued license outside the state of Colorado.

Same-day pickup is required for out-of-state applicants by the actual applicants to ensure you are present in Colorado.

Step-by-Step: How to Actually Do This

1. Lock in your elopement location first. That tells you which county clerk’s office to contact. Still figuring out where to go? Start with How to Elope in Colorado: The 2025 Colorado Elopement Planning Guide and Best National Parks to Elope in 2026 before you do anything else.
2. Check if your county offers an online pre-application or remote appointment. Boulder County does the entire process over video call. Other counties require you in person.
3. Schedule your appointment at least 24 hours in advance. Same-day appointments are rarely available.
4. Show up together with your IDs, Social Security numbers, payment, and any previous marriage information.
5. Walk out with your license in hand. It’s valid immediately. No waiting.
6. Get married anywhere in Colorado within 35 days.
7. Return the completed, signed license to the same county clerk within 63 days of your ceremony date.
8. Request a certified copy once it’s recorded. You’ll need it for name changes and any legal documents you update.

That’s the whole process.

Who Can Marry You? (Including Nobody But the Two of You)

Here’s the Colorado-specific thing worth knowing.

Colorado is one of the very few states that allows self-solemnization. You and your partner can legally marry yourselves. No officiant required. No clergy, no judge, no third party at all. You sign the license as the officiating parties, and it’s done. Completely legal. Fully binding.

For a lot of elopement couples, this is the whole point. Nobody else in the frame. No script someone else wrote. Just the two of you and the moment.

If you’d rather have someone there to lead the ceremony and give it shape, you’ve got options. Ordained ministers, judges, court magistrates, and other authorized public officials can all legally perform the ceremony in Colorado. A friend or family member getting ordained online works too.

Or you can work with an elopement photographer who’s also ordained. I officiate for my couples regularly from behind the camera. One vendor, one contact, one less thing on your list.

Do You Need Witnesses?

No. Colorado doesn’t require witnesses for a legal marriage. The license has space for them if you want to include people, but you can leave it blank entirely. Your dog’s paw print is also, apparently, a valid option.

One Thing to Plan Around: The Weather

This isn’t legal logistics. But it matters for your actual day.

Colorado averages 300 sunny days a year. Sounds perfect until you realize that afternoon thunderstorms in the mountains are basically clockwork from July through early September. If you’re eloping above treeline or anywhere exposed, plan your ceremony for sunrise or early morning. Be headed down before the storms build.

The sweet spot for most Colorado elopements is late May through early October, depending on elevation. Summer is stunning but build in flexibility. Spring and fall are unpredictable but the light and the color can be extraordinary. Winter elopements in the snow are absolutely possible. Just go in with your eyes open.

If you’re thinking Rocky Mountain National Park, Crested Butte, Loveland Pass, or anywhere in the high country, read the location-specific guides before committing to a date. Permits, seasonal access, and altitude all play a role and they’re all handleable. You just need to know what you’re working with.

Ready to Make This Happen?

License sorted. Now for everything else. The permits, the timeline, the location, the backup plan when weather decides to have opinions. That’s what I do.

As a Denver-based Colorado elopement photographer and ordained officiant, I’ve shot elopements across the state. Rocky Mountain National Park, Crested Butte, Loveland Pass, the spots most people never find on their own. I know which locations need permits and how to get them. I know where to be at what time of year. I know how to build a day around the mountain light so you don’t have to think about any of it.

For the full planning picture, How to Elope in Colorado is your next read.

And when you’re ready to stop planning in your head and start making it real, reach out directly. Let’s make your dreams a reality.