Marriage and Civil Union Licenses

Colorado Revised Statute 14-2-107 states that a license shall be obtained only during the hours the Clerk and Recorder’s Office is open. The license is valid upon issuance and must be used within 35 days in Colorado. The fee is $30.00 and acceptable payment is as follows: Cash, Certified Funds, or Credit/Debit Card (a surcharge for use of a card may apply).

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Complete a Marriage License Application

• All Applications are processed and verified between 7am-4pm Monday thru Thursday
• To complete a Marriage License Application please go to the following link: https://www.fremontco.com/clerk-and-recorder/public-record-search
• After you have completed your online application, a clerk will contact you to verify your information and schedule an appointment for you to come in, sign the application and pay for the Marriage License

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Complete a Civil Union Application

• All Applications are processed and verified between 7am-4pm Monday thru Thursday
• Please come to the office to fill this application out. All applications MUST be filled out in person. 615 Macon Ave, Room 102, Cañon City, CO 81212.
• After the application is completed, a clerk will verify your information.  Once the office has collected payment, we can issue the Civil Union License.
• For additional information, please review the Guidelines for Obtaining a License in Colorado below or contacting the Recording Department.

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Civil Union and Marriage License Application Checklists

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Marriage and Civil Union Requirements

• Age Requirements for both Parties
  • 18 years of age or older (both parties)
  • 16 and 17 years of age a court order is required
• ID Requirements (Secured and Verifiable Identification)
  • Common Primary Forms Approved
    • Any Valid Federal or State Issued Photo ID
    • Colorado Temporary ID’s (expired less than 60 days)
    • Current Passport
    • Valid Military ID (Active or Inactive duty)
    • Tribal Identification Card with intact photo (US or Canadian)
    • Certificate of Naturalization with intact photo
    • Certificate of (US) Citizenship with intact photo
  • Common Forms not Approved
    • Consular cards
    • City and county detention center ID cards
    • Novelty ID cards
    • Souvenir birth certificates (issued by hospitals)
    • Social Security cards

For a full List of Primary Forms, Secondary Forms, and Non-approved, please refer to one of the check lists above.

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Prohibited Marriages

• If one of the parties is still married to another person.
  • All divorces must be final. Proof of divorce must be provided if finalized in the last 60 days.
• Half Blood and Whole Blood relations of the following:
  • ancestor and descendant
  • brother and sister
  • uncle and niece
  • aunt and nephew
  • Marriage/Civil Unions between cousins is permitted in Colorado.
• Marriage/Civil Union licenses licenses issued by other states
  • Marriage/Civil Union licenses from Colorado must be used in Colorado.
  • Marriage/Civil Union licenses from other states are NOT valid for solemnization in Colorado.
• An incarcerated individual is not valid proof of Colorado Residency and the in-person applicant is not a resident of Colorado.
  • Proof of Colorado Residency of the incarcerated individual must be provided.

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Social Security Numbers

• The last four digits of your Social Security Number (SSN) is required on all applications. (C.R.S. 14-15-109). If a party does not have a SSN, the party must complete a No SSN Affidavit.  This Affidavit can be found in the checklist packets above.  The form maybe signed and notarized in advance or signed in front of the Deputy County Clerk at the time of application.

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Witness Requirements on Marriage/Civil Union Licenses

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

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Ceremonies

• Couples may self-solemnize their own Marriage/Civil Union License
• Marriage/Civil Union Licenses can also be solemnized by judges, retired judges, magistrates, authorized public officials or in accordance with any mode of solemnization recognized by a religious affiliation
• Couples who solemnize their own Marriage/Civil Union license must:
  • Complete the bottom portion
  • Both parties must sign as the officiating party and as party 1 and party 2
• Clergy from out-of-state need not be registered in Colorado

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Licenses

• The person certifying a license shall complete the license form and forward it to the Clerk & Recorder's Office within sixty-three days (63) after certifying.
• Any person who fails to forward the license 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 license to:

Fremont County Clerk & Recorder
615 Macon Avenue Room 102
Canon City, CO 81212

• Licenses must include the county and location where the union took place, the date the union was certified, the officiating party’s signature and title and both parties’ signatures.

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Common Law Marriages

• Colorado has recognized common law marriage as legal and binding since 1877, and is one of twelve states to do so. A common law marriage is established when the parties mutually consent to be husband and wife. Common law marriage does not require any license, ceremony or documentation to be legal. Parties to a common law marriage are entitled to all rights, privileges and responsibilities of a legal and binding marriage. If the parties need documentation of a marriage, it is recommended that they file a signed, notarized affidavit, attesting to the marriage, with the county clerk and recorder in the county where they reside. This affidavit will be filed as a document, not as a marriage record. Only legal divorce or death of one of the parties may terminate common law marriage.

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Affidavit of Common Law Marriage

• The following are the only two requirements for common law marriage:
  • The parties are free to enter into a marriage. Neither is married to another person.
  • Both parties are of legal age (18). If between the ages of 16 and 18, they have obtained a court order.
• The following are examples of what constitutes a common law marriage:
  • The parties hold themselves out to the public as husband and wife.
  • Maintenance of a joint checking and/or savings account.
  • Joint ownership of property.
  • Mutual financial support.
  • Filing of joint income tax returns.
  • Registration as husband and wife on applications, leases, contracts, registers, etc.
  • Use of the man's surname by the woman.
• Periods of cohabitation, without the aforementioned, do not constitute a common law marriage.

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Copies

• Copies and certified copies can be requested at https://www.fremontco.com/clerk-and-recorder/public-record-search

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