Find Marriage License in Parker
Parker residents go to Castle Rock for marriage licenses since that is where the Douglas County Clerk and Recorder office is located. The drive takes about twenty minutes depending on traffic.
Parker Marriage License Facts
Douglas County Clerk Office
Parker is in Douglas County. That means you apply for your license at the county clerk office in Castle Rock. The address is 301 Wilcox Street. This is the main county building where all marriage licenses for Douglas County are processed. Call ahead at 303-660-7446 to check current hours and confirm both people can come in at the same time.
Before you go, fill out the online application on the Douglas County website. The form asks for basic information about both of you. Names, addresses, birth dates, birthplaces. It also wants your parents' full names. C.R.S. 14-2-105 requires this for vital records purposes. If you do not know a parent's name or never met them, type "unknown" in that field. The system will not accept blank parent fields.
Bring photo ID for each person when you visit. Driver licenses work best, but staff also accept passports, military IDs, or any government-issued ID with your picture and birth date. Make sure the ID is current. If it expired, get it renewed before you apply for the license. The clerk will not accept an expired ID even if it just expired last week.
Getting Your License
Pay thirty dollars when you apply. This is the state fee that applies across all of Colorado. Counties cannot charge more or less. Douglas County accepts cash, checks, and credit cards. If you use a credit card, there may be a small processing fee added to the thirty-dollar license cost. Ask about payment options when you arrive.
The application asks for the last four digits of your Social Security number. If one of you does not have a Social Security number, bring an affidavit that explains why. This form must be signed and notarized before you visit the clerk office. You can find the affidavit on the Douglas County website. Without it, the clerk cannot process your application.
If either person was married before, list the date that marriage ended. This could be a divorce date or the date a spouse died. You do not have to prove it with documents. The county takes your word. But the prior marriage must be legally over before the clerk will issue a new license. Getting a license while still married to someone else is bigamy, which remains a crime under Colorado law even though cases are rarely prosecuted.
The license is valid immediately. There is no waiting period. You can get married the same day if you want. It stays good for thirty-five days from the issue date under C.R.S. 14-2-107. If you do not use it within that time, it expires and you have to apply again. Plan your timing so the license is still valid on your wedding day.
Ways to Complete Your Marriage
Douglas County gives you two choices when you apply. Take the license home and use it for a ceremony later. Or self-solemnize, sign, and record the license during your appointment at the clerk office. Self-solemnization is allowed under C.R.S. 14-2-109. It means you marry yourselves without needing a judge, minister, or any other officiant. If you pick this option, you walk out married and the county records your marriage that same day.
If you choose to have a ceremony later, you can pick from three types. A religious ceremony with clergy who signs the certificate afterward. A civil ceremony with a judge or magistrate. Or self-solemnization at a location of your choice. For religious ceremonies, your minister or other clergy does not have to be registered with the state. Out-of-state clergy can perform marriages in Colorado without any special paperwork.
For civil ceremonies, contact a judge or magistrate who performs weddings. The county clerk office does not provide officiants. You have to find one yourself. Some judges charge a fee. Others do it for free or ask for a donation. Confirm the cost before you book the ceremony so you know what to expect.
Friends and relatives cannot act as officiants unless they are legally authorized to conduct religious or civil ceremonies in Colorado. Just getting ordained online does not necessarily qualify someone under state law. If you want a friend to officiate, make sure they meet the legal requirements first. Otherwise, the county may refuse to record your marriage when you return the certificate.
- License valid for thirty-five days
- No waiting period required
- Self-solemnization allowed
- Can complete entire process in one appointment
- Witnesses are optional
- License only valid in Colorado
Filing the Completed Certificate
If you did not self-solemnize at the clerk office, you have to return the completed certificate within sixty-three days of your ceremony. Whoever officiates signs it, or you sign it yourselves if you self-solemnized at a different location. The certificate needs the date, time, and place of the ceremony. Both of your signatures. The officiant's signature and title if you had one. Make sure all information is legible. If the county cannot read it, they will send it back and ask you to fix it.
Mail the certificate to Douglas County or drop it off in person at 301 Wilcox Street in Castle Rock. The county records it and sends you a certified copy. This copy proves your marriage is legal. You need it for name changes, insurance updates, tax filings, and other legal purposes. Keep it somewhere safe. If you lose it, you can order replacement copies from the county for $1.25 each.
Late returns cost money. If the certificate arrives after sixty-three days, Douglas County charges a twenty-dollar late fee immediately. They add five dollars for each day after that up to a total of fifty dollars. These fees are not optional. C.R.S. 14-2-109 requires counties to assess them. Return your certificate on time to avoid these charges.
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, track down whoever was supposed to return it and get it filed before the deadline passes.
Who Can Get Married
Both people must be at least eighteen. If someone is sixteen or seventeen, they need a juvenile court order under C.R.S. 14-2-108. No one under sixteen can marry in Colorado. That rule changed a few years ago when the legislature raised the minimum age. Parents cannot give consent anymore. The only exception is a court order, and judges rarely grant those.
You do not have to live in Colorado. The state has no residency requirement. People from other states can apply 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 seems. Apply for a license in the state where the ceremony will take place.
No blood test is required. That requirement went away decades ago and has not come back. There is no waiting period either. Use the license as soon as you receive it if you want. Witnesses are optional. Colorado law does not require them. If you choose to have witnesses, they can be any age. There are no restrictions.
Where to Get More Information
Call Douglas County Clerk and Recorder at 303-660-7446 with questions about the application process. They can tell you what documents to bring and how long it takes. They cannot give legal advice. If you have complex legal issues like a previous marriage that was never properly 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.
For certified copies after your marriage is recorded, order them from Douglas County. The county charges $1.25 per copy. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment also keeps copies, but they charge seventeen dollars for the first copy and take about thirty business days to process online orders. Start with the county if you need copies quickly.
| Office | Contact |
|---|---|
| Douglas County Clerk | 303-660-7446 |
| Office Address | 301 Wilcox Street, Castle Rock, CO 80104 |
| State Vital Records | 303-692-2234 |
Nearby Douglas County Cities
Other cities in Douglas County use the same Castle Rock office: