Marriage Ceremony Formalities in Colorado
At a glance
| Who may solemnize | Judges, court magistrates, retired judges, empowered public officials, parties, or recognized religious/tribal mode (§ 14-2-109(1)). |
|---|---|
| Appointment or registration route | No general one-day appointment in listed routes; public official must already have solemnization power (§ 14-2-109(1)). |
| License and ceremony timing | License valid only in Colorado for no more than 35 days after issue; unused license returned for cancellation (§ 14-2-107). |
| Required declaration or form | Section 14-2-109 allows party-led and religious/tribal modes without prescribed spoken words. |
| Attending witnesses | Section 14-2-109 sets no general attendee-witness count or witness signature. |
| Religious or self-uniting route | Parties may solemnize themselves; recognized religious denomination or Indian nation/tribe mode also allowed (§ 14-2-109(1)). |
| Proxy or remote presence | Written proxy for absent military member or supporting contractor/employee under residence, application, age, identity and consent conditions (§ 14-2-109(2)). |
| Who signs the certificate | Solemnizer, or party if no person acted alone, completes certificate; statute delegates form and names no witness signer (§§ 14-2-105(2), 14-2-109(1)). |
| Return recipient and deadline | Solemnizer or party forwards certificate to county clerk and recorder within 63 days after ceremony; clerk registers it (§ 14-2-109(1), (3)). |
Requirements one by one
Who may solemnize
A judge, court magistrate, retired judge, or public official whose powers include marriage solemnization may perform it. The parties may also solemnize their own marriage, or use a mode recognized by a religious denomination or Indian nation or tribe (§ 14-2-109(1)). The section does not prescribe a single spoken formula for those different routes.
License and certificate
The license is usable only in Colorado and for no more than 35 days after issue (§ 14-2-107). The person solemnizing, or a party if no one acting alone solemnized, completes the certificate and forwards it to the county clerk and recorder within 63 days after solemnization (§ 14-2-109(1)). The clerk registers the marriage on receipt (§ 14-2-109(3)). The department of public health and environment prescribes the certificate form (§ 14-2-105(2)); § 14-2-109(1) does not name an attending witness or witness signer.
Proxy ceremony
A limited proxy route applies when one party is a Colorado resident, one appears in person to apply, both are at least 18, and the application includes both signatures plus the absent party's notarized affidavit and identification (§ 14-2-109(2)(a)). The absent party must authorize a third person in writing and be a qualifying armed-forces member or supporting government contractor or employee stationed elsewhere (§ 14-2-109(2)(b)). The solemnizer must be satisfied of absence and consent; otherwise the parties may petition the district court (§ 14-2-109(2)(c)).
What trips people up
An unused license becomes void after 35 days and must be returned to the county clerk and recorder for cancellation (§ 14-2-107). A certificate sent late carries a fee of at least $20; the statute permits an additional $5 per day, capped at $50, and uses the postmark to determine forwarding (§ 14-2-109(1)).
Common questions
May the couple perform the ceremony themselves? Yes. Section 14-2-109(1) expressly lists the parties among the solemnizers.
Does the county clerk register the marriage before the certificate is returned? Section 14-2-109(3) directs registration upon receipt of the certificate.
Statutes and sources
The quoted Colo. Rev. Stat. §§ 14-2-105, 14-2-107, and 14-2-109 were checked in the official 2026 Title 14 printout on October 4, 2026. The source URLs and verbatim text appear above.
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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