Commerce City Marriage License

Marriage licenses for Commerce City residents come from Adams County. The county requires appointments, which fill up fast, so plan ahead and book your spot early.

Where Commerce City Couples Apply

Commerce City sits in Adams County, so you get your license from the Adams County Clerk and Recorder. The main office is in Brighton at 4430 S. Adams County Parkway. This is where all marriage license applications are handled for the entire county. The office also has a location in Bennett, but you have to call to schedule appointments there instead of using the online system.

Adams County does not allow walk-ins. Every couple must have an appointment. No exceptions. If you show up without one, staff will turn you away. The appointment system opens up about two to three weeks in advance. Slots fill quickly, especially on Fridays and around holidays. Book as soon as you know your wedding date so you do not get stuck waiting for an opening.

Before you can schedule an appointment, complete the online application on the Adams County website. The form asks for information about both people. Names, addresses, birth dates, birthplaces. You also list your parents' full names, including maiden names for mothers. This is required by C.R.S. 14-2-105 for vital records purposes. If you do not know a parent's name, type "unknown" in that field. You cannot leave it blank.

When you finish the application, you get a seven-digit transaction number. Write it down. You need this number to book your appointment online. The scheduling link is on the Adams County clerk website. Pick a time that works for both of you. Both people must appear together. One person cannot apply alone unless you have a notarized absentee affidavit, and even then the county may not accept it. Check with staff before you try that route.

Documents You Need

Bring photo ID for each person. Driver licenses work best. The clerk also accepts passports, military IDs, or any government-issued ID that shows your picture, full name, and birth date. Make sure your ID is current. Expired IDs are not accepted even if they just expired a few days ago. Renew it first if needed.

Some Colorado driver licenses have a black strip that says "Not valid for federal identification." Adams County may not accept these. Bring a different form of ID just in case. A passport or military ID will work. If you only have the Colorado ID with the black strip, call the clerk office before your appointment to confirm they will take it.

You need to know the last four digits of your Social Security number. The form only asks for the last four, not the whole number. If one of you does not have a Social Security number, bring a completed affidavit. This form must be signed and notarized. You can find it on the Adams County website. Get it notarized before your appointment or the clerk will not process your application.

If either person was married before, bring the date that marriage ended. This could be a divorce date or the date a spouse died. You do not need to show a divorce decree or death certificate. The county takes your word for it. But all previous marriages must be legally ended before the clerk will issue a new license. Bigamy is still a crime in Colorado even though prosecutions are rare.

Cost and Payment Options

The license costs thirty dollars. This is the state fee set by law. Every county in Colorado charges the same amount. Adams County accepts cash, checks, and credit cards. If you use a credit card, there may be a small processing fee on top of the thirty-dollar license cost. Ask when you arrive if you are not sure what forms of payment they take that day.

Certified copies cost $1.25 each. Order extras when you file your completed certificate after the wedding. You will need copies for name changes, insurance updates, and other legal purposes. It is easier to get several at once than to go back to the clerk office later when you realize you need more.

If you return your completed certificate late, the county charges a twenty-dollar late fee right away. They add five dollars for each day after that up to a maximum of fifty dollars. These fees are required by state statute under C.R.S. 14-2-109. The clerk has no power to waive them. Return your certificate within sixty-three days of the ceremony to avoid late fees altogether.

Rules for Getting a License

Both people must be at least eighteen years old. If someone is sixteen or seventeen, they need a court order from a juvenile court under C.R.S. 14-2-108. No one under sixteen can marry in Colorado. That rule changed a few years ago when the state raised the minimum age. Parents cannot give consent anymore. The only way around the age limit is a court order, and judges rarely grant those.

You do not have to be a Colorado resident. People from other states can get a license here as long as they plan to hold the ceremony in Colorado. The license is not valid in any other state. If you get married outside Colorado, the marriage is not legal no matter how official the ceremony looks. Apply for a license in the state where the ceremony will happen.

There is no waiting period. The license is valid immediately. You can use it the same day you receive it. It stays good for thirty-five days under C.R.S. 14-2-107. After that, it expires and you have to start over. Time it so the license is still valid on your wedding day. Most people apply two to three weeks before the ceremony to have a buffer in case something changes.

• Appointments required, no walk-ins
• Complete online application first
• Use transaction number to schedule appointment
• Both people must appear together
• License valid for thirty-five days
• Return certificate within sixty-three days of ceremony

What Happens After the Ceremony

After your wedding, someone must complete the certificate portion of the license. If you have an officiant, they sign it. If you self-solemnize under C.R.S. 14-2-109, you sign it yourselves. Self-solemnization means you marry each other without an officiant. Colorado is one of the few states that allows this. Just fill out the certificate, sign your names, and return it to Adams County within sixty-three days.

Mail the certificate or drop it off in person at the Brighton office. The county records it and sends you a certified copy. This copy proves your marriage is legal. Keep it somewhere safe. You will need it for things like changing your name at Social Security, updating your driver license, or adding a spouse to your insurance. If you lose it, you can order replacement copies from Adams County for $1.25 each.

Check with the county a week or two after your wedding to make sure they received the certificate. Some officiants forget to file it. Others assume you will handle it. Do not assume anything. If the county does not have it on file, track down whoever was supposed to return it and get it filed before the sixty-three-day deadline passes. Missing the deadline costs you at least twenty dollars in late fees, and possibly more if it takes extra days to sort out.

Adams County does not perform domestic partnerships or civil unions. If you want a civil union license, go to a different county. Boulder, Jefferson, and Arapahoe counties all handle civil unions. The process is similar to getting a marriage license but the paperwork is slightly different.

Where to Get Help

Call the Adams County Clerk and Recorder at 720-523-6020 if you have questions. They can tell you what documents to bring and how the appointment system works. They cannot give legal advice. If you have complex issues like a previous marriage that was never formally dissolved, or questions about a foreign birth certificate, talk to a family law attorney before you apply. The clerk will not process your application if your paperwork does not meet state requirements.

Nearby Cities in Adams County

Other Adams County cities use the same clerk office:

• Thornton
• Brighton
• Westminster
• Aurora
• Denver
• Arvada