Search Larimer County Marriage & Divorce Records

Getting a Marriage License in Larimer County

Marriage and civil union licenses in Larimer County are issued by the Larimer County Clerk and Recorder Recording Department. The elected Clerk and Recorder is Tina Harris, whose term runs January 2025 to January 2027. The Recording Department also issues civil union licenses and certified copies and runs the Recording Activity Notification Service that alerts a property owner when a document is recorded in their name. The main office is at 200 W. Oak Street in Fort Collins, with appointment-only offices in Loveland and Estes Park.

Couples do not need to be Colorado residents to apply for a Larimer County license. Both parties must finalize the application in person at a Clerk and Recorder office and present valid identification. Parents' names are required for both applicants. A license is valid for thirty-five days from the date of issuance and must be used within that window. The county does not require blood tests; that requirement ended in Colorado on July 1, 1989.

The county also offers an online pre-application through the Clerk's records portal. Couples complete the form online, submit, and bring the transaction number to their in-person appointment. The online pre-application speeds up the in-office step but does not replace it.

Lead-in: the online application entry point at records.larimer.org is the first stop for Larimer County applicants who want to skip part of the in-person time.

The same portal hosts the recorded-documents index, the Recording Activity Notification signup, and a quick path back to the Clerk and Recorder's main marriage information page.

How to Apply for a Larimer County Marriage License

The Clerk and Recorder publishes a simple, repeatable process. The steps below match the official rules for Larimer County applicants.

1. Complete the online pre-application at records.larimer.org and save the transaction number.
2. Book an appointment at Fort Collins, Loveland, or Estes Park; walk-ins are accepted at Fort Collins on a first-come, first-served basis.
3. Both parties appear in person with a valid government-issued photo ID, the transaction number, and the $30.00 license fee.
4. If one party cannot appear, complete a notarized absentee affidavit and include a copy of the non-appearing applicant's ID.
5. Sign the marriage or civil union license in front of the Clerk.
6. Use the license within thirty-five days. Self-solemnize, or have a judge, magistrate, clergy member, retired judge, or Indian tribe official solemnize.
7. Return the completed license to the Clerk and Recorder within sixty-three days after the ceremony; Fort Collins records and images the license, and the original may be retained for three to four days.

Marriage License Application Fields

The Larimer County application asks for the same core information from both applicants. The field list below comes from the Clerk and Recorder's published rules for the online pre-application and the in-person license.

Larimer County Marriage and Civil Union Fees

The Larimer County fee schedule is short and is the same at all three offices. Fees are paid at the time of application; late return of the completed license carries an additional charge.

Note: Divorce filing fees are set by the Colorado Judicial Branch and are paid to the court, not to the Clerk and Recorder; current amounts are on the Judicial Branch list of fees.

Larimer County Clerk and Recorder Offices

Three Clerk and Recorder offices handle marriage applications across Larimer County. Fort Collins is the only walk-in office; Loveland and Estes Park require an appointment.

How to Look Up a Larimer County Marriage Record

After a marriage license has been returned and recorded, the certified record is held by the Larimer County Clerk and Recorder. To get a copy, contact the Fort Collins recording office in person, by mail, or by phone. The order requires the names of both parties and the approximate marriage date. Certified copies are $1.25 each. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment also holds marriage indexes for statewide searches; for Larimer County records, the county Clerk and Recorder is the faster route.

The Recording Activity Notification Service lets a person sign up at the Clerk and Recorder homepage for a free email alert when a document is recorded in their name. The service does not search past records, but it flags new recordings going forward. The launch of the alert system was led by Clerk and Recorder Tina Harris in 2024 to strengthen protection against title fraud.

How to Find Larimer County Divorce Records

Divorce records are court records, not Clerk and Recorder records. To search Larimer County divorce records, use the Colorado Judicial Branch docket search, set the county to Larimer, and choose case class DR for domestic relations. The result shows the case number, parties, filing date, and next hearing. The decree, parenting plan, and any sealed exhibits are not available through the docket and must be requested from the Clerk of Court at 970-494-3500 or 08RecordRequest@judicial.state.co.us.

Lead-in: the Colorado Judicial Branch divorce and separation self-help page is the statewide hub for forms and procedures used in Larimer County divorce cases.

That page links the dissolution-of-marriage forms, the separation forms, parenting plan templates, financial affidavit schedules, and the Larimer County Court Resource Center, which assists self-represented filers.

Domestic-relations cases at the 8th Judicial District include divorce, legal separation, allocation of parental responsibilities, child support, contempt, and protection orders. The Larimer court page links the Domestic Relations Pro Se Class and a Sworn Financial Statement schedule that filers must complete.

Certified Copies of Marriage and Divorce Records

A certified copy of a Larimer County marriage record is ordered from the Larimer County Clerk and Recorder for $1.25 per copy. A certified copy of a Larimer County divorce decree is ordered from the Clerk of Court for the standard Colorado Judicial Branch certified copy fee of $20.00 per document. Certified copies are accepted by Social Security, the Department of State for name change on a U.S. passport, immigration agencies, and most banks. Plain copies are usually fine for personal recordkeeping but are not accepted by Social Security or by most banks.

Mail orders to the Clerk and Recorder include a self-addressed stamped return envelope and a check made out to the office. Mail orders for divorce decrees go to the Larimer County Clerk of Court at 201 LaPorte Avenue, Suite 100, Fort Collins, CO 80521, with a self-addressed envelope and the required certification fee.

Colorado Vital Records Office

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Vital Records section is the statewide office for vital records. Marriage records in Colorado are issued by each county Clerk and Recorder, so a Larimer County marriage certificate is faster to get from the Larimer County office than from the state, but the state can issue marriage record verifications. Divorce records are not held by the state vital records section; the court that signed the decree is the custodian.

Related Larimer County Records

For an estate matter that follows a death, see Larimer County probate records. For broader open-records access including the Recording Activity Notification Service, see Larimer County public records. For Clerk of Court records request paths and fee schedule, see Clerk of Court. For court case dockets that include domestic relations cases, see court records and court dockets.