Jefferson County’s clerk in Golden is the office we point most eloping couples to when they land at Denver International and want their license out of the way. It is the only large clerk’s office near Denver that still welcomes drop ins for marriage licenses, it sits at the base of the foothills on the drive to every mountain region, and the county runs courthouse ceremonies on site if you want to be married the same afternoon.
A Jefferson County license is valid for a ceremony anywhere in Colorado. You can pick it up in Golden on Thursday and marry at Maroon Bells on Saturday.
Where to go
Jefferson County issues marriage and civil union licenses at its Records and Licensing office:
100 Jefferson County Parkway, Suite 2560, Golden, CO 80419
The county’s marriage page directs couples to this office, and we did not find any branch office listed for marriage licenses, so plan on Golden. The office is open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and is closed on Fridays, which catches a lot of weekend couples off guard. The county’s contact block also notes 8 a.m. opening on the third Thursday of each month.
Drop in or appointment
You have two ways in, and both require the online application first.
Drop in. Come any time from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday. The county is candid that Mondays are its busiest day for marriage licenses, with a line that often lasts all day. Tuesday through Thursday mornings are the quiet window.
Appointment. Appointments run from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Thursday. The calendar opens 21 days in advance and refreshes daily, which is far more forgiving than Denver’s seven day window. If you plan to bring family and friends with you, the county asks you to book an appointment rather than drop in.
Around popular holidays the county holds special marriage celebrations at the office. Appointments are strongly recommended on those days because the office gets very busy.
What to bring
Both of you should appear. Each of you needs one valid, unexpired ID that proves age and identity:
- a driver’s license
- a state issued ID
- a military ID
- a passport
- a government issued foreign ID, with a certified translation when applicable
The name on the license will appear exactly as it is on the ID you present. You will also need the last four digits of your Social Security number, which Colorado law requires, or a signed affidavit if you do not have one; your places of birth; your parents’ names and current addresses; and, if either of you was married before, the date, place and court of the divorce.
Colorado has no residency requirement and no blood test.
Age and who may marry
The county’s requirements page states the statewide rules. The legal age is 18. A 16 or 17 year old needs judicial approval from the juvenile court, and no one under 16 may marry in Colorado. Brothers and sisters, uncles and nieces, and aunts and nephews may not marry, whether related by whole or half blood; cousins may. Our Colorado marriage laws page explains each rule with its statute.
If one of you cannot come
The partner who is present brings a completed, notarized absentee affidavit from the other, together with a copy of the ID the absent partner showed the notary. The county posts the form on its marriage page.
The fee
The license is $30 and can be used immediately. It is valid for 35 days from the date of issue, so do not pick it up too early for a ceremony more than five weeks away. The county’s pages we checked do not list accepted payment methods; if it matters to you, call the office before you drive over.
Who can sign as your officiant
Jefferson County says this more clearly than any other clerk in the state. Under C.R.S. 14-2-109 a marriage may be solemnized only by judges, retired judges, magistrates and authorized public officials; by clergy ordained or recognized by a religious body; by tribal officials; or by the couple themselves. A friend or relative may not sign as officiant unless a legal or religious body authorizes them, and “officiant” is not a title. If the officiant line carries no recognizable title such as pastor, minister, judge or magistrate, the county records the marriage as a self solemnization. If you want a friend to lead the ceremony, let them, and sign it yourselves. Our self solemnization guide covers the form.
Courthouse ceremonies in Golden
If you want a judge, Jefferson County’s judicial officers perform ceremonies on regular business days:
- Noon: check in at the Magistrate Clerk’s lobby on the second floor by 11:30 a.m. No appointment. $60.
- 5 p.m.: check in with the duty staff in Courtroom 110 by 4:30 p.m. Appointment required by email with a judicial officer. $100.
Bring your license, a return mail envelope and cash. Ceremonies outside business hours, including weekends, can be arranged by email with the listed judges and magistrates, and fees vary. The county also suggests Boettcher Mansion on Lookout Mountain, a county property, as a ceremony location.
Returning the license
The certificate must show the county, date and location of the ceremony and both of your signatures as they appear on the license. Witnesses are not required. Mail it or hand deliver it to the Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder within 63 days of the ceremony; late returns can bring fees under state law.
Changing your name
Jefferson County’s advice is practical: the license must be returned and recorded before any name change, and you should start with the Social Security card, since Social Security asks for your marriage record and ID in your old name. Then update your driver’s license.
Where Golden fits in your trip
Golden is twenty minutes from downtown Denver and right at the start of Interstate 70, so a Tuesday morning license on the way to Breckenridge or Vail costs you almost nothing. If Golden does not fit, compare the Denver clerk, the Summit County clerk in Breckenridge and the statewide office table. For ceremony ideas nearby, read the Denver and foothills guide and our page on Red Rocks and the foothills ceremony sites.
Related reading: our Evergreen and Golden elopement guide.
