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Marriage Licenses

A license to marry in Colorado may be obtained during regular business hours, in accordance with the requirements outlined below. The license is valid upon issue and must be used in Colorado, within 35 days. The fee is $30.00. For additional information, please review the Guidelines for Obtaining Marriage Licenses in Colorado below or contact the Recording Department at 970-542-3521.

For your convenience, the Application, the Affidavit Concerning Social Security Number and the Absentee Affidavit are provided in Adobe Acrobat format and may be printed out and completed prior to your visit to the Recording Department.

Forms and Links

Kevin Strauch, Morgan County Clerk

231 Ensign Street, P.O. Box 1399
Fort Morgan, CO 80751
email

Phone: 970-542-3521
Fax: 970-542-3553

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Guidelines for Obtaining Marriage Licenses

Same for both parties

  • 18 and older - No parental consent is required.
  • 16 or 17 year olds will require judicial approval (court order) NO EXCEPTIONS.

Valid ID must be furnished by both parties &, must be originals - no copies accepted.

The following are all valid forms of ID:

  • Passports
  • Driver's licenses
  • Birth certificates
    Copies available at: Northeast Colorado Health Department
    228 W. Railroad Ave.
    Fort Morgan, CO 80701
    970-867-4918
  • Military identification cards

(Contact a Recording Clerk for additional acceptable forms of ID.)

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

Social Security Numbers ARE required on marriage license applications (C.R.S. 14-14-113).

If a party does not have a Social Security Number, the Affidavit Concerning Social Security Number must be completed and submitted at time of application for a marriage license. It may be signed and notarized in advance or signed in front of the Deputy County Clerk at time of application.

Marriage licenses will NOT be issued

  • One of the parties is still married to another person - all divorces must be final.
  • Marriage between the following is prohibited regardless of whether the relationship is by half or whole blood:
    • ancestor and descendant
    • brother and sister
    • uncle and niece
    • aunt and nephew
  • Marriage between cousins IS permitted in Colorado.

Witnesses are NOT required in Colorado. Some clergy, judges, or public officials may request them.

  • Both parties must complete and sign the marriage application form. At least ONE of the parties must apply IN PERSON before the Recording staff. If one of the parties cannot appear in person, he or she MUST complete an Absentee Affidavit with a notarized signature and provide a copy of valid identification showing proof of age of the absent party.
  • If either party has been divorced, he or she must recite the date the divorce was finalized, city and state divorce took place, and the type of court. A divorce decree is not required at the time of completing the marriage application unless the divorce was finalized less than 30 days prior from date of application.
  • A couple already married, who wish to renew their marriage vows, may obtain a license by stating that they are married to each other.
  • Applicants for a marriage license need not be Colorado residents.

Couples themselves may solemnize their own marriage (C.R.S. 14-2-109). Marriages can also be solemnized by judges, retired judges, magistrates, public officials authorized to perform marriages, or in accordance with any mode of solemnization recognized by a religious denomination or Indian Tribe or Nation. Not anyone can solemnize a marriage. Although the couple may solemnize their own marriage, that does not mean a friend or relative, who is not otherwise authorized to perform marriages, can also solemnize their marriage. Clergy from out-of-state need not be registered in Colorado.

To make an appointment with a judge who performs marriages in Morgan County, call 720-219-9691.

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Certificates

The person solemnizing the marriage shall complete the marriage certificate form and forward it to the Clerk and Recorder's Office within sixty-three days (63) after solemnizing. Any person who fails to forward the marriage certificate to the Clerk and Recorder's Office shall be required to pay a $20.00 LATE FEE and an additional $5.00 LATE FEE may be assessed for each additional day of failure up to a MAXIMUM of $50.00. If the couple does not use the license, it still needs to be returned for proper recording. If not returned, it can also be subject to a $50.00 late fee.

Please return all marriage license/certificates to:
Morgan County Clerk and Recorder
ATTN: Recording Department
P.O. Box 1399
Fort Morgan, CO 80701

Marriage certificates must include the county and city where the marriage took place, the date of the marriage, the officiating party's signature and title and the parties' signatures.

Marriage Copies

$0.25 per license/$0.25 per application.
Certified is an additional $1.00 per document.

For copies to be returned by mail, the following additional postage and handling fees apply:
1-10 Pages - $5.00

Request for Marriage License/Certificate Copy Form

A Request for Marriage Application Copy Form, along with valid form of identification, is required to obtain a copy of a marriage application.

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Name Change

Your marriage license must be returned and recorded before any name change can occur.

Name Change Contact Information

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Social Security

The Social Security Administration provides information regarding Social Security card name changes.
Phone:1-800-772-1213
The closest Social Security Office is located at:
Weld County Social Security Office
4500 W. 11th Street - Suite A
Greeley, CO 80632
970-353-1292 or 1-877-405-9195

Driver's License

The Colorado Department of Revenue provides name change requirements for Driver's Licenses.

Fort Morgan Office:
231 Prospect Street
Fort Morgan, CO 80701
970-867-2647
720-295-2965

Local Passport Acceptance Facilities

For information regarding a passport name change, you may access the U.S. Department of State website at http://travel.state.gov.