Adams County Marriage Licenses
The Adams County marriage and civil-union license page is the primary local source for license rules. The Clerk and Recorder handles marriage and civil-union licenses, not the court clerk. The county does not perform ceremonies in the office and does not perform domestic partnership services.
Colorado marriage and civil-union licenses may be issued by any Colorado county and used anywhere in Colorado. They are not valid if used or signed outside Colorado. Applicants do not need to be Colorado residents. The license and certificate appear together and should not be separated.
The manifest image from the Adams County marriage license source shows the local license rules and application channel.
Use that county source for license requirements before relying on general Colorado marriage summaries.
Apply for an Adams County Marriage License
Marriage and civil-union license services are by appointment. Applicants must swear and sign under oath that the application information is true and correct. The county requires current ID, date-of-birth proof, Social Security number or an affidavit if there is no SSN, parent information, and prior marriage or civil-union end details when applicable.
- Review the county marriage and civil-union license page and start the online application process linked there.
- Schedule the license appointment with the Recording Department.
- Bring current driver's license, passport, military ID, or state ID.
- Provide SSN or sign the required affidavit if no SSN exists.
- Disclose prior marriage, civil-union, or widow/widower information when required.
- Pay the license fee and complete the oath and signatures.
- After the ceremony or self-solemnization, return the certificate to the office for recording.
Marriage Application Field Inventory
The county source lists the core information required for a license. An absent party must complete a notarized absentee affidavit, and the appearing party brings the affidavit plus the absent party's ID or ID copy.
| Field / Requirement | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicant identity | ID document | Yes | Current driver's license, passport, military ID, or state ID. |
| Date of birth | ID-derived proof | Yes | Proof of birth date is required. |
| Social Security number | Text or affidavit | Yes or affidavit | If no SSN, sign affidavit at application. |
| Parents' names/current addresses | Text | Yes | Required regardless of applicant age. |
| Prior marriage or civil-union end information | Date and location | Conditional | Provide date, city, and state where it ended. |
| Widow/widower information | Date and location | Conditional | Provide date, city, and state where the decedent passed. |
| Oath/signature | Signature | Yes | Applicants swear the application is true. |
| Absentee affidavit | Notarized form | Conditional | Required if one party cannot appear. |
Adams County Marriage Fees
The Recording Department fee schedule gives the local marriage, civil-union, copy, certification, and search fees.
Certified copies cannot be sent electronically under the fee source, so phone or in-person ordering is the safer path for legal-use copies.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Marriage license application and license | $30 |
| Civil union license application and license | $30 |
| Certified copy | $0.25 per page plus $1 per document certification |
| Marriage page certified-copy summary | $1.25 each |
| Marriage/civil-union search | $5 first year, $2 each additional year |
| Credit card fee | 3% |
Look Up Adams County Marriage Records
Marriage records are searched through the Adams County Official Records Search, also called Landmark or Catalis in the research. The Quick Search menu includes "I want a copy of my Marriage License." Uncertified copies can be downloaded or printed at no charge from the online records link.
Certified copies are ordered by phone or in person through the Clerk and Recorder's Recording Department. The certified-copy phone in the research is 720-523-6020. The Clerk and Recorder address is 4430 S. Adams County Pkwy., Suite E2400, Brighton, CO 80601.
After a ceremony, the certificate portion must be filled out within 35 days and returned to the office for recording within 63 days. The certificate may be returned by mail in the provided envelope or brought in person. Once recorded, the office prints any pre-purchased certified copies and returns the original and certified copies. Witness signatures are not required under the county rules, though children may sign as witnesses if the couple wants them to.
Important: A free online copy is useful for reference, but certified marriage copies must come through the official Recording Department process.
Adams County Divorce Records
Divorce records and decrees are not held by the Clerk and Recorder as marriage records are. Divorce cases are District Court domestic relations matters. Use the Colorado Judicial docket search with Case Class DR, County Adams, Adams County Justice Center, party names, and case number if known.
Full divorce decrees and certified copies require the Adams County court Records Unit at 303-654-3239 or AdamsRecordRequest@judicial.state.co.us. Divorce files may contain parenting, support, financial, protected address, minor, or sealed material that is not open in the same way as a recorded marriage license.
The county marriage page also helps when a prior marriage ended in Adams County courts. It tells applicants who do not know the date and place of an Adams County divorce to call Adams County Courts at the number printed on the county page. If the prior divorce or dissolution happened elsewhere, that court is the proper source for the missing end information.
Common-law marriage is handled differently. The county page states there is no common-law marriage license, but a couple may apply for a marriage or civil-union license and self-solemnize for an official license. That recorded license is then searched through the Clerk and Recorder system like other recorded marriage records locally.
Divorce Parenting and Notices
The Adams County court page gives parenting-class rules for parties with minor children seeking divorce, legal separation, or allocation of parental responsibilities. H.E.A.R.T Counseling Center, Able 2 Adjust, and ABCs of Co-parenting are listed with local prices and formats in the research.
H.E.A.R.T Counseling Center is listed with in-person, Zoom, and self-paced online options and a $57 per person class. Able 2 Adjust is listed as online in English and Spanish at $37.95 per person for Level 1. ABCs of Co-parenting is listed with a Spanish option online, a $39.95 per parent fee, and a digital book. These provider fees are paid to providers and are not court copy fees.
The manifest includes Colorado VINE, a statewide custody-status and criminal case information notification service.
VINE is not the divorce-record source, but it is relevant where a domestic matter intersects with criminal case or custody notification needs.
For estate matters connected to family records, Adams County probate filings are handled by the Probate Division of the District Court.