Larimer County covers Fort Collins, Loveland and Estes Park, which makes it the home county for most Rocky Mountain National Park elopements. Any Colorado clerk’s license works statewide, but if you are staying in Estes Park this is usually the easiest choice. The catch is that the three offices work differently, and picking the wrong one can cost you a morning.
The three offices
| Office | Address | How to get served | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Collins | 200 W. Oak St., 1st Floor | Walk ins welcome, first come, first served; appointments recommended | 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Loveland | 200 Peridot Ave., 1st Floor | By appointment only | 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Estes Park | 1601 Brodie Ave. | By appointment only | 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
Loveland and Estes Park are vehicle licensing branches, and the county warns that waits there can run longer, especially on the first and last days of any month. The county page gives weekday hours for the recording office and does not list weekend service, so plan on a weekday and check the county page before you go.
Which office to pick
You are staying in Estes Park. Book an Estes Park appointment as soon as you know your dates. It saves you the drive down the canyon, but there is no walk in option, so do not count on getting in the day you arrive.
You are flying into Denver and driving up. Fort Collins is the safest bet because you can walk in. If you would rather not detour north, the Jefferson County clerk in Golden also takes walk ins Monday through Thursday, and the Denver clerk works by appointment. The license is the same.
You live in Loveland. Book ahead, or walk into Fort Collins if no slot is open.
Step by step
- Apply online first. Larimer County has an online application for marriage licenses and a separate one for civil unions, both linked from the county page. Fill in every field, including parental information, which the county requires for all applicants. Click Submit at the end, and save the transaction number you get.
- Book an appointment if you are using Loveland or Estes Park, or if you want a set time in Fort Collins. The county page links the booking systems for each office.
- Go together with your ID. Both of you must appear, unless one of you uses the absentee affidavit described below. Bring the transaction number to speed things up.
- Pay the $30 fee and leave with your license. It is valid the day it is issued.
- Marry within 35 days, anywhere in Colorado.
- Return the signed certificate within 63 days of the ceremony.
You do not need to be a Colorado resident, there is no waiting period, and there is no blood test.
What to bring
Each of you needs one valid ID. Larimer County accepts a valid driver’s license, a passport (expired or valid), a valid state ID card, a military ID, a green card, or any U.S. government issued photo ID that shows date of birth, issue date and expiration date. It does not accept birth certificates, consular cards, expired driver’s licenses, voter registration cards or Social Security cards. Note the difference: an expired passport is fine here, an expired driver’s license is not.
If either of you has been married before, know the date and place of the divorce and the type of court that granted it. If you are widowed, know the date and place of your former spouse’s death. The county page does not say you need the decree itself.
If one of you cannot be there
The partner who cannot appear completes Larimer County’s Marriage License Absentee Affidavit, signs it in front of a notary, and sends it along with a copy of their ID. The partner who comes in brings both. Use Larimer’s own form from the county page.
The fee and payment
The license is $30. The county page lists check, money order, cash or credit card for in person payments in the copies section, and notes that credit card payments carry a third party administrative fee. It does not separately list payment methods for the license itself, so bring a backup and call (970) 498-7860 if you are relying on one method.
Using it in Rocky Mountain National Park
Every ceremony in the park needs a special use permit with a nonrefundable $300 administrative fee, and the largest ceremony site holds 30 people, counting your photographer and officiant. Applications open up to one year ahead. Our Rocky Mountain National Park permit guide covers the sites and the application.
The timing problem is simple: the permit can be locked in a year out, but the license only lasts 35 days. Get the permit first, then pick up the license in the final month. If your ceremony is on a weekend, book an Estes Park appointment for the Thursday or Friday before, or walk into Fort Collins on your way up from the airport.
Filling out and returning the certificate
The county asks that the certificate be complete: county, date and time of the ceremony, the physical location, the officiant’s signature and title, and both of your signatures. Witnesses are optional, and children may sign.
You can marry yourselves. Colorado allows self solemnization, and Larimer County gives you instructions for filling out the certificate when you apply. The county is clear that a friend or relative cannot sign as the officiant unless they are legally able to solemnize a marriage. Judges, retired judges, magistrates, tribal officials and clergy can, and out of state clergy do not need to register in Colorado. Our self solemnization guide walks through the whole ceremony.
The license must come back within 63 days and can be returned by anyone. Drop it at any of the three offices. If you plan to mail it, confirm the mailing address with the office first; the county page lists PO Box 1280, Fort Collins, CO 80522 for copy requests. State law, C.R.S. 14-2-109, and the county page set a $20 late fee, plus $5 for each additional day, up to $50. Photograph the signed certificate before it leaves your hands.
The Fort Collins office records and images every license. The county may hold the original for three to four days, then send it back to you. If it has not arrived within 14 days after recording, call the office.
Certified copies
Certified copies, which you need for a name change, are $1.25 each. Fort Collins can provide one as soon as your license is returned there; if you returned it in Loveland or Estes Park, allow about three days. You can also request copies by mail or phone with the reception number, both names and the ceremony date.
How Larimer compares
For an out of state couple, Larimer is friendlier than Summit County, which limits non residents to a few appointment slots, and more flexible than Boulder County, where licenses are handled remotely by video. If you are eloping farther south, see our Boulder County and El Paso County pages, or compare every office in the statewide license guide.
Plan the rest
The Estes Park guide and the Northern Colorado guide cover ceremony spots, seasons and sample days. For a roof over the ceremony, browse Estes Park wedding venues and Fort Collins wedding venues. When you are ready to book people, see Estes Park vendors and Colorado officiants, and keep your dates and deadlines in the free planner.
