How to Get a Marriage License in Larimer County

To get a marriage license in Larimer County, both of you go together to a Clerk and Recorder’s Office, show photo ID, provide your Social Security numbers, and pay $30. There is no waiting period in Colorado, so the license is valid the moment it’s issued. You then have 35 days to hold the ceremony and 63 days after the ceremony to return the signed certificate.

Where to Apply and How to Book

The Larimer County Clerk and Recorder’s Office issues marriage licenses at three locations.¹ The Fort Collins office recommends appointments but accepts walk-ins on a first-come, first-served basis. The Loveland and Estes Park offices are appointment only.

Appointments for all three offices are scheduled through the county’s online booking system at larimer-recording.bookafy.com.² If you’re planning a wedding in Estes Park during peak season, book early; the satellite offices have limited hours.

You can save time at the counter by completing the preliminary application on Larimer County’s online marriage kiosk before your appointment.³ Filling in names, addresses, dates of birth, and marital history in advance cuts counter time and reduces errors on the printed license.

Who Can Apply

Both applicants must be at least 18 to marry without additional approval. Applicants 16 or 17 can obtain a license only with a juvenile court order finding that the minor is capable of assuming the responsibilities of marriage and that the marriage serves their best interests; the court appoints a guardian ad litem to investigate before ruling.¹ No one under 16 can marry in Colorado.

Colorado prohibits marriages between ancestors and descendants, siblings (including half-siblings), and uncle-niece or aunt-nephew pairs.⁴ First cousins are not listed among the prohibitions and are allowed to marry. Neither party can currently be married to someone else. If you were previously married, that marriage must have ended by final divorce decree, annulment, or the death of your former spouse.

What to Bring

Each of you needs a valid photo ID showing name, date of birth, issue date, and expiration date. Accepted forms include:

A valid driver’s license, or a temporary license issued with a voided previous one
A passport, even if expired
A valid state-issued identification card
A military ID
A green card (Alien Registration Card)
Any other U.S. government-issued photo ID with date of birth, issue date, and expiration date

You’ll also need your Social Security number. A physical Social Security card is not accepted as ID, but the number itself goes on the application. If either of you doesn’t have a Social Security number, which is common for foreign nationals, you’ll provide a signed, notarized affidavit stating that instead.¹

If either party was previously married, bring the date, location, and court where the divorce or dissolution was finalized. If a former spouse died, bring the date and place of death. Parental information (names and birthplaces) is required for both applicants, so have that ready too.¹

If any identifying document is in a language other than English, bring a certified English translation. The translator must sign a statement affirming competence in both languages and that the translation is accurate. Notarization of the translation isn’t required, but the original document should accompany it.

If One of You Can’t Appear in Person

The default is that both parties come to the office together. If one person can’t be there, the absent party completes a Marriage License Absentee Affidavit, signs it before a notary public, and includes a copy of their photo ID. The present party brings the notarized affidavit and ID copy to the appointment.¹

What Happens at the Counter

A deputy clerk reviews your IDs, verifies the information from your application, and prepares the physical license. Both of you take an oath affirming that everything provided is truthful. This is a binding legal step, not a formality. After both parties sign and the clerk witnesses the signatures, the license is issued on the spot. Colorado has no waiting period, so the license is valid for use immediately.

Bring the physical license to the ceremony. The officiant, or the couple if self-solemnizing, signs the certificate portion after the marriage takes place.

Who Can Perform the Ceremony

Colorado is more flexible than most states about who can solemnize a marriage. Under state law, a marriage can be solemnized by:

A judge, court magistrate, or retired judge
A public official whose powers include solemnizing marriages
Any person recognized by a religious denomination or Indian nation or tribe
The parties to the marriage themselves, with no officiant at all

Self-solemnization is Colorado’s distinctive option.⁵ The statute specifically says a marriage may be solemnized “by the parties to the marriage.” You don’t need a judge, a minister, or anyone else to make the marriage legal. If you self-solemnize, one of you is responsible for completing the certificate and returning it to the Clerk and Recorder’s Office.

Deadlines After the Ceremony

The license is valid for 35 days from the date it’s issued. If the ceremony doesn’t happen within that window, the license expires and you’ll have to apply and pay the $30 fee again.¹

After the ceremony, the signed certificate must be returned to the county clerk’s office within 63 days. This is where couples trip up most. Missing the deadline triggers a minimum $20 late fee, plus $5 for each additional day, up to a $50 maximum. The postmark date counts as the date of submission, so mailing on day 63 is fine.⁵

You can return the signed certificate in person at any of the three office locations or send it by mail. Once the office records the document, it becomes part of the public record. Certified copies are available for $1.25 each; order several at once, since you’ll need them for Social Security, your driver’s license, a passport update, and other name-change paperwork.¹

1
Larimer County. Civil Union and Marriage Licenses
2
Larimer County. Recording
3
Larimer County. Marriage Kiosk
4
Colorado Public Law. Colorado Code 14-2-110 – Prohibited Marriages
5
FindLaw. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 14 – 14-2-109