Access Free Colorado Marriage Records on Anyone

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Free Colorado Marriage Record Search

Access anyone's marital information in Colorado, free of charge.

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View and retrieve free Colorado marriage records thanks to the state’s Open Records Act and the federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

It is crucial to access these records for purposes such as adoption, changing names for insurance or investigating a current fiancé or fiancée.

These vital records are available to residents who know where to find them. Interested persons can acquire marital documents and information from official state, county and city channels outlined throughout this resource. Searchers can find records in a timely, affordable, and efficient manner with the correct tools mentioned below.

Are Marriage Records Public Records in Colorado?

Public records, including marriage records, are available for public viewing and access due laws mandated by the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) —however, there are some restrictions placed on accessing these vital records.¹

Pursuant to Colorado State Statute – C.R.S. 25-2-117, marriage records are not public records and therefore cannot be searched for online by anyone; additionally, they can only be released to eligible persons. These authorized individuals include individuals named on the record, parents, siblings and approved legal representatives.

Unlike other states that place similar restrictions, Colorado does not permit a time threshold by which the public can eventually view marital records.

Therefore, patrons who need to look up marriage licenses in Colorado have the option of turning to third-party vendors that search records from government databases which may display records not at state agencies.

It is still possible to obtain data such as marriage rates in spite of these vital records not being public in Colorado. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) provides marriage rates by state—in 2021, Colorado had a fairly high rate with 7.4 nuptials per 1000 persons. CDC supplies rates from 2019-2021 with all these years showing the state consistently posting high rates.

How To Look Up Free Colorado Marriage Records & Spousal Information

The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment furnishes verification of marriages, but does not offer certificates—interested parties must obtain these Colorado marriage records and certificates from the county where the marriages were recorded.³

They can obtain verification letters online through the state-authorized third-party vendor VitalChek, or by mail and in person at the Denver Vital Records Office (more on both of these below).

There are two types of verifications that are available; a standard marriage/civil union verification and an heirloom certificate, which can serve as an official verification document.

To obtain a marriage or civil union verification by mail, fill out the application and furnish a photocopy of identification and proof of qualification. These non-refundable fees apply; requesters can make payment via credit card, personal and business check.

Applicants can also purchase verification letters from the State Vital Records Office in Denver whose address is below. It is not a walk-in service and requesters will need to schedule an appointment.

Please note that local county vital records offices do not issue marriage verification , but only birth and death records.

Colorado State Vital Records Office
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, Colorado 80246

Call 303.692.2200 or email vital.records@state.co.us for any inquiries. Send confidential emails through the secure email portal.

Online orders through VitalChek are processed more quickly and interested parties can also call +1.866.632.2604 or +1.866.300.8450 to request marriage verification letters from the vendor.

Patrons may also acquire archived marriage records; this will be delved into the sections that follow.

Members of the public who need to view confidential marriage records can get in touch with third-party vendors who can scour genealogy, government databases and social media sites for a fee.

Checking With Counties & Cities for Marriage Records in CO

State-level searches permit the search for records at the broadest level since it encompasses records from all counties; however, as touched upon earlier, only marriage verification letters are obtained in this way.

Requesters can only obtain marriage certificates from the County Clerks and Recorders and not the State Vital Records Office.⁵

Searching via the county has some additional advantages, as they cater to smaller populations–implying quicker processing of requests. Sometimes, they may have online request options which are typically easier and faster to use than authorized online third-party vendors. Staff at county offices can be more attentive due to a smaller workload.

The three most populated counties in Colorado are El Paso County, City and County of Denver and Arapahoe County. These counties will serve as examples on how to find marriage records through county agencies. For all the other counties, a Google search in this format will find the correct channels for obtaining records of marriage— “[county name] County Colorado marriage record search.”

Search for Marriage Records in El Paso County: The El Paso County Clerk & Recorder furnishes marriage licenses and also provides martial records upon request to interested parties. Marriage/civil union indexes are available online for weddings that took place from May 1991 on. Users can browse these indexes for free.

Patrons can also request copies of a document by emailing copyrequests@elpasoco.com. Requesters can compute the charges from this fee schedule. For questions, contact the Recording Department using the following information:

El Paso County Recording Department
1675 W. Garden of the Gods Rd.
Colorado Springs, Colorado 80907

Phone: 719.520.6200

Acquire Marriage Certificates in the City & County of Denver: Interested parties can find marriage/civil union records from the City and County of Denver Office of the Clerk and Recorder.

Patrons must follow these instructions for finding certified marriage records and use their dedicated online records search portal to request copies; they may also download copies.

Since patrons can also view these records before requesting them, this tool serves as a viable method to determine marital status. Certified copies cost $1.00 per document and $0.25 per page. Call 311 or 720-913-1311 (outside Denver) or email clerkandrecorder@denvergov.org for inquiries.

Retrieve Marriage Records in Arapahoe County: The Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder has marriage documents going back to February 1996. Requesters can search free marriage records and conveniently order copies of wedding/civil union licenses online. Interested parties can determine the charges for requesting copies here.

They may also find marriage licenses that date back to 1902 at the Arapahoe County Administration Building whose address is below. Interested parties can call 303.795.4200 or email clerk@arapahoegov.com.

Arapahoe County Clerk & Recorder
5334 South Prince Street
Littleton, Colorado 80120

Patrons can also search for Colorado marriage records in cities that may issue marriage licenses or provide a way to search for these records.

As with the counties, the three most populated cities will be a showcase to find marriage records at the city level—these are Denver, Colorado Springs and Aurora. The search for marriage records in Denver was expanded upon previously.

The Colorado Springs City Clerk’s Office does not issue licenses, nor does it provide a way to attain marriage records; it does, however, provide a link to the El Paso County Clerk & Recorder to acquire these records (explained in depth above).⁷

The City of Aurora does not provide a way to obtain marriage records—additionally, it sits in three counties: Adams, Arapahoe and Douglas Counties. Interested parties will need to contact the respective County Clerk & Recorder for where the marriage took place.

For all other cities, perform a search using these keywords: “ [city name] City marriage records search.” Contact the city clerk’s office and verify if they do provide services to the public to search for marriage records.

How To Track Down Family Marriage Records via Archived Indexes in Colorado

In many situations, individuals will need to perform genealogy searches through archived records to investigate their family lineages—these Colorado marriage records can be found through the State Archives and other sources such as libraries and newspapers.

The Colorado State Archives possess the majority of the certificates of weddings that took place in the state; to be specific, interested parties can find marriage records covering 1890-1939 in a marriage index that is statewide.⁸ Requesters can access this database using the Colorado Marriage Archives Search Tool at no cost.

Interested parties may also make a formal request to obtain copies of marital documents when needing to look up marriage license in Colorado, subject to applicable fees.

In addition to the Archives, the Denver Public Library provides helpful resources to find historical marriage records, a few of which are outlined below. Some sources to run a free marriage license search will need registration.

• Denver Public Library—Marriage licenses recorded by the Denver Clerk and Recorder’s Office from 1903 to 2003 are at the library. Patrons may use this marriage record request form to view them, but as they are restricted records, requesters must present an ID and proof of relationship.
• Public Indexes of Marriages— Different databases can locate the names of parties of marriages that took place in Colorado, Denver and Douglas Counties. These indexes are: Colorado Marriages Index: 1858-1939, Denver Weddings: 1940-1974 and Douglas County Unions: 1800-2000.
• County Record Search—As stated earlier, some counties such as the County and City of Denver make it possible to view marriage certificates. Hence, a search through County Clerks and Recorders can yield results; in some cases a visit to the office can locate historical marriage records. Some counties like Arapahoe County have records dating back to 1902.
• National Archives—The National Archives provides helpful resources to commence genealogy research.¹⁰
• Newspapers— Newspapers can be a source for marriage notices. The Colorado Historic Newspapers Online is a catalog for newspapers from past years.
• Churches—Churches provide an important source for historical marriage records. The Denver Public Library provides church resources to find marriage records.
• Other Genealogy Libraries— Patrons may contact other genealogy libraries and ascertain marriage records that they may be in custody of.

Common Law Marriage in Colorado

Common law marriage is a type of union between two individuals that has not been solemnized by a license or ceremony, but in which for all purposes and intent is considered as valid in Colorado. As with ceremonial marriage, it can only end with a divorce or death.

Certain criteria must be met for a marriage to be considered common law:

• The couple present themselves as spouses and are both at least 18 years of age.
• They are free and able to contract in a valid marriage.
• The couple live together at the same physical address.
• Community recognizes the couple as married.
• It is a mutual consent between the couple to be spouses to one another.

Colorado is among a handful of states that recognize common law marriage—other states include Alabama, Iowa, Montana and Kansas. Couples in a common law marriage have the same rights, responsibilities and privileges as those of a ceremonial marriage.

To document their arrangement, it is advisable for them to file an affidavit of common – law marriage.

Additionally, Colorado recognizes civil unions (same-sex unions) and domestic partnerships as they would ceremonial marriages, and confer on them the same rights and protections.¹¹

How To Access Information About Colorado Couples in a Common Law Marriage

The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment states that there is no official verification of common law marriages, and does not maintain records of the same.¹² Couples who are in a common law marriage only have an affidavit documenting their arrangement as outlined in the previous section.

Counties do not provide a way for interested parties to search for common law marriages either, as they do not require them to obtain a license. For example, the Denver County Clerk & Recorder only permits a search for marriages and civil union records in its search portal.

Therefore, the best recourse for patrons looking to find this information would be third-party vendors who will scour databases and social media sites to ascertain this information. They may also use this resource to find information on domestic partnerships.

Since couples who enter into civil unions must acquire a license, interested persons can find these records at the state and county levels as was expanded upon in earlier sections.

How To Secure a Marriage License in Colorado

The function of issuing marriage licenses is reserved for the counties in Colorado, in particular the Clerk and Recorder’s Office. The County Clerks & Recorders have slightly different requirements but do share some common processes and stipulations; it is best to contact the specific county that the couple intend to wed to confirm the prerequisites.

Generally, the couple will have to appear in person to apply for the license by filling and submitting the Colorado application for marriage license form. Couples will need to make an appointment at the office in some cases, and in others it is a walk in service.

In Colorado, marriage licenses are issued to persons over the age of 18 years according to Age of Marriage & Emancipation Procedure —a juvenile court determines if a 16 and 17 year old may wed. Minors under the age of 16 are prohibited by law from marrying as are those who are still married—dissolutions must be final before a matrimony license is issued.

Both parties must provide valid forms of ID to prove age and identity such as driver’s licenses, passports and birth certificates.

Pursuant to C.R.S. 14-2-105, the applicant must furnish the last four digits of their SSN; if a party (husband or wife) does not have an SSN number, they will need to complete and submit an Affidavit Concerning Social Security Number when lodging the application. This document can either be notarized or signed in the presence of the deputy clerk.

Upon issuance of the marriage license, a solemnization will need to take place which can be done by judges (retired as well), magistrates, religious leaders and officials authorized to perform civil weddings. In Colorado, couples can solemnize their marriages as per C.R.S. 14-2-109; however, a relative or friend should not perform the ceremony.

Searching for Colorado marriage records is a more efficient process with the right tools at the disposal of the requester; this resource offers the most effective methods for finding them. To find various other types of records on anyone throughout the state, look through the steps for conducting a free public information search in Colorado.