In Colorado, the people who can officiate a wedding include judges, retired judges, court magistrates, public officials whose duties include performing marriages, and anyone acting according to the traditions of a religious denomination or an Indian nation or tribe. The state also lets the couple marry themselves, with no officiant at all. There is no state registration, licensing, or approved list of officiants.1Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 – Section 14-2-109
Who the Statute Authorizes
Colorado Revised Statutes Section 14-2-109 sets the rules. A marriage may be solemnized by a judge, a retired judge, a court magistrate, or a public official whose duties include performing marriages. It may also be solemnized in any ceremony performed according to the practices of a religious denomination or an Indian nation or tribe.1Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 – Section 14-2-109
That religious language is doing a lot of work. Ordained ministers, priests, rabbis, and other religious leaders can all officiate without any separate approval from the state. Colorado does not maintain a list of approved officiants, and there is no registration process. If you fall into one of the authorized categories, you can perform weddings anywhere in the state.
Marrying Yourselves Without an Officiant
Colorado is one of the few states that allows self-solemnization. The statute explicitly says a marriage may be solemnized “by the parties to the marriage.” You and your partner can sign the license yourselves and skip the officiant entirely.1Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 – Section 14-2-109
You can still hold a full ceremony with readings, vows, and anyone you want standing up front. The legal difference is simply that nobody else needs to sign the license as the officiant. On the license, you would select “self” as the ceremony type rather than “religious” or “civil.”2Douglas County Colorado Website. Marriage / Civil Union Licenses This is often the simplest route when you want a close friend to lead the ceremony but do not want to deal with ordination logistics.
Having a Friend or Family Member Officiate
If you want a friend or relative to actually sign the license as the officiant, the usual path is ordination through a religious organization. Online ordinations through groups such as the Universal Life Church and American Marriage Ministries are often free and take a few minutes. Because Colorado recognizes ceremonies performed according to the practices of any religious denomination, those ordinations are legally sufficient in the state.1Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 – Section 14-2-109
Nothing has to be filed with the state or county before the wedding. Once ordained, your friend shows up, performs the ceremony, and signs the license. On the license itself, an ordained friend would typically list their title as “Minister,” the ceremony type as “Religious,” and the denomination as the ordaining organization. First-time officiants trip up on those fields most often, so look them over before the license goes back to the clerk.
One limit matters here. An unordained friend or family member cannot sign the license as the officiant simply because you asked them to. If you want a specific person to make it official and they are not a judge or clergy member, they either need to get ordained or you should self-solemnize and let them lead the ceremony unofficially.
What the Officiant Signs
The officiant’s legal responsibility is not really the ceremony. It is completing and returning the marriage license. After the vows, the officiant signs the license and fills in their title, the type of ceremony, and their denomination or organization. The couple signs too. Colorado does not require witnesses, so no additional signatures are needed.2Douglas County Colorado Website. Marriage / Civil Union Licenses
The signed license then has to be returned to the county clerk and recorder’s office for recording. It can be submitted in person, by mail, or in some counties through a drop box.3City and County of Denver. Marriages and Civil Unions If you self-solemnized, this step is on you. A ceremony without a recorded license leaves the marriage unregistered.
The 63-Day Return Deadline
The completed license must be returned for recording within 63 days of the ceremony.3City and County of Denver. Marriages and Civil Unions Miss that deadline and whoever was responsible for returning it owes a late fee of at least $20, with an additional $5 per day after that, up to a maximum of $50.1Justia. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 – Section 14-2-109 For mailed returns, the postmark date counts.
This is the step that catches people out. The ceremony ends, everyone celebrates, and the license sits on a kitchen counter for two months. If you are officiating, set a reminder for the week after the wedding. The fee itself is not large, but an unrecorded marriage can create real problems later when you need proof of it for insurance, taxes, or a name change.
Civil Unions Work the Same Way
Everything above applies equally to civil unions in Colorado. The same categories of officiants, the same self-solemnization option, the same license process, and the same deadlines all carry over.2Douglas County Colorado Website. Marriage / Civil Union Licenses An ordained friend who can officiate a wedding can officiate a civil union without any additional steps.
A Note on Common Law Marriage
Colorado also recognizes common law marriage, which does not involve an officiant, a license, or a ceremony at all. The Colorado Department of Revenue describes the requirements as both parties being free to marry, cohabiting at the same address, holding themselves out as spouses, having a reputation in the community as married, and mutually consenting to be spouses.4Colorado Department of Revenue. Common-Law Marriage A common law marriage carries the same legal weight as a ceremonial one, but proving it later can be hard because nothing is on file. Couples who want the legal result without a formal ceremony are usually better off self-solemnizing with a recorded license.