Civil Union Licenses

A license to join in Civil Union in the State of Colorado may be obtained at the Clerk & Recorders Office between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, except on legal holidays. The license is valid upon receipt and must be used within 35 days in the State of Colorado. The fee is $30.00, and cash is required in Delta County. A license issued by another state is not valid for certifying a civil union in the State of Colorado.

Age

The requirements for the parties are: 18 years of age and older. If either party is under legal guardianship, written consent of the guardian must be provided at the time of application.

Valid Identification Must be Furnished by Both Parties

Valid Identification includes:

  • Birth Certificate
  • Valid Driver’s License (or temporary issued with voided previous license).
  • Passport (both expired and valid)
  • Valid state identification card (or temporary issued with voided previous ID)
  • Military identification
  • Alien Registration Card
  • Any government issued identification containing a photo, gender, date of birth, issue date, and expiration date.

Blood Test

As of July 1, 1989, blood tests are not required for either party in the State of Colorado.

Prohibited Civil Unions

A couple may not enter into a civil union when one of the parties is still married or in a civil union with another person. Divorces/Dissolutions must be final. Civil Unions between ancestor and descendant, brother and sister, uncle and niece, or aunt and nephew, whether by whole or half blood, are prohibited. However, a civil union between cousins is permitted in the State of Colorado.

Application

In order for the license to be issued, both parties need to come in to the office to complete the application. If one of the parties cannot appear in person, he or she must complete an absentee affidavit, have it notarized, and provide a copy of the absent party’s ID. Applicants do not need to be Colorado residents to apply for a civil union license in the State of Colorado. If either party has been divorced/dissolved or widowed, the date and the location in which it took place will need to be entered on the application, as well as parent’s/guardian’s names and their city and state of residence.

Information Required for Application

Applicants will need to provide the following information:

  • Last name at birth
  • Social security number
  • City and state of birth
  • Father/Mother/Legal Guardian name
  • City and state Father/Mother/Guardian live
  • If divorced you will need to provide date, city, state, type of court where the divorce took place.
  • If the divorce has taken place within the past 12 months a copy of the divorce decree will need to be provided.
  • If widowed, you will need to provide the date of the death.

Ceremony

There are three types of ceremonies that can take place in Colorado:

  • A judge, retired judge, or magistrate can perform a civil ceremony.
  • A person recognized by a religious denomination or Indian Tribe/Nation can perform a religious ceremony.
  • A couple may certify their own civil union – commonly called “Parties to the Civil Union.”  A friend or relative cannot certify a couple’s civil union unless they fall Into one of the categories described above.

License

A civil union license must be returned to our office in person, or mail within 63 days from the date of the ceremony. Failure to do so could result in a fine of up to $50.00 payable at the time the civil union license is recorded.

Witnesses

Witnesses are not required in the State of Colorado.