Arapahoe County Marriage Licenses
Marriage and civil union licenses are issued by the Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder, not the court clerk. Applicants may apply for, obtain, and record a license at any county Clerk and Recorder location. The county page states that marriage and civil union license services are appointment only until further notice because of high demand.
A Colorado marriage or civil union license may be issued in any Colorado county and is valid in any Colorado county. Applicants do not need to be Colorado residents except in proxy marriage or union situations. The license is issued the same day and may be used immediately. Once issued, the completed license must be used within the county's stated window and then returned for recording.
The manifest image from the Colorado Judicial Branch self-help forms page supports the divorce and family-law side of Arapahoe County marriage and divorce records.
Use Judicial Branch forms for divorce and domestic relations court cases, while marriage license issuance stays with the Clerk and Recorder.
Apply for Arapahoe Marriage Records
The county process has four core steps. Applicants begin online, make an appointment, complete the license in person, and return the completed certificate for recording. Civil union applicants use the online system and create a username and password to select the civil union application.
- Apply for a marriage license or civil union license using the county's online marriage/civil union application.
- Make an appointment at a Clerk and Recorder branch to complete the application in person.
- Complete the license after issuance. The license may be used immediately and must be completed within 35 days.
- Record the completed license or certificate by returning it to a branch or mailing it to the Recording Division.
- Return it within 63 days of solemnization or certification to avoid a late fee.
The county does not provide officiants. Colorado allows solemnization or certification by judges, retired judges, magistrates, Native American tribal officials, clergy, the couple themselves, or another person with recognized authority. A friend or relative cannot solemnize unless that person fits an authorized category.
Arapahoe Marriage Application Fields
The research captured the process inventory, not every private application field. The important public-facing requirements are the online application, appointment, party-presence rules, valid ID, completion window, and return deadline. If one party is ill, out of state, or incarcerated, an absentee affidavit must be notarized before the applying party brings the absentee application and valid ID for the absent party.
| Field / Step | Type | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Online application | Web form | Yes | CountyFusion application; civil union requires username/password to select the civil union application. |
| Appointment | Scheduling tool | Yes | In-person completion at a branch office is required. |
| Both applicants present | Rule | Generally yes | Absentee process applies if one party is ill, out of state, or incarcerated. |
| Valid ID | Document | Yes | County PDF has full details; exact ID list was not fully captured in research. |
| Completion window | Deadline | Yes | License is valid immediately and must be completed within 35 days. |
| Return / recording | Deadline | Yes | Return within 63 days or a late fee is assessed. |
Arapahoe Marriage and Divorce Fees
The research file did not locate a confirmed marriage license amount, divorce filing amount, certified marriage-copy amount, or certified divorce-decree copy amount in the official excerpts. It did confirm that there is no fee to record the completed marriage or civil union license/certificate, but late return can trigger a late fee. Court document fees are provided by the court after a records request.
| Item | Amount / Rule |
|---|---|
| Record completed marriage or civil union license | No fee to record the completed license/certificate. |
| Late return after solemnization/certification | Late fee assessed if returned after 63 days; amount not captured in research. |
| Marriage license application | Fee not located in the official research excerpt. |
| Pre-1979 marriage or Book/Page copy request | Email recording@arapahoegov.com; fee not located in research. |
| Divorce decree or court document copy | Court contacts requester with access and fee instructions after request. |
| Recorded public documents | $43 flat recording fee as of July 1, 2025, for applicable recorded documents. |
Arapahoe Marriage Branch Offices
Marriage and civil union license services use Clerk and Recorder branch offices by appointment. The research lists three branch locations open Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Return of completed licenses may be made to any branch or by mail to the Recording Division at the Littleton address.
Centennial Branch
6954 S. Lima Street
Centennial, CO 80112
Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
Littleton / Recording Division
5334 S. Prince Street
Littleton, CO 80120
Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
Aurora Branch
490 S. Chambers Road
Aurora, CO 80017
Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
Search Arapahoe Marriage Records
Recorded marriage and civil union licenses can be searched through the Arapahoe County Document Search for documents from February 1, 1996 to present. Older documents require a different route. The Recording page says pre-1979 marriage-license copy requests and Book/Page copy requests can be emailed to recording@arapahoegov.com. In-office public records go back to 1902 according to the Recording FAQs.
The Document Search is for recorded documents, not divorce decrees or court filings. It can help with recorded licenses, land records, and other public recording records, but a divorce decree must be requested from the court.
The manifest image from the official recorded document search shows the portal used for Arapahoe County marriage record searches after recording.
Use that portal for recorded marriage licenses, then use court channels for divorce decrees and domestic relations orders.
Find Arapahoe Divorce Records
Divorce records are District Court records. The Clerk and Recorder directs divorce record users to the Colorado Judicial Branch and the District Court where the case was filed. In Arapahoe County, divorce filings are domestic relations cases in the 18th Judicial District. To identify a hearing or case, use docket search. To obtain a decree, order, or case document, use the Judicial Branch record/document request form or contact the court location.
- Confirm that the divorce case was filed in Arapahoe County District Court.
- Use Colorado Judicial Branch docket search if a hearing date or case clue is needed.
- Submit the record/document request form with the case number if known.
- Expect the court to contact the requester with access, copy, ID, or fee instructions.
- For restricted child, financial, protected-address, or sealed material, expect redactions or party-status review.
Divorce documents may include petitions, parenting orders, support orders, decrees, financial material, and protected information. Not all parts of a domestic relations file are public.
Arapahoe Divorce Process Records
The Judicial Branch self-help forms library includes family law, divorce, custody, and support resources. The research also notes that self-represented e-filing has been available in Arapahoe County since October 1, 2019. Filing and final copies remain court functions, not Clerk and Recorder functions.
| Stage | Record Created | Access Path |
|---|---|---|
| Filing | Petition and domestic relations case opening | District Court case file. |
| Docket activity | Hearings, settings, motions, and orders | Docket search or court request. |
| Parenting or support issues | Orders, plans, support documents, and related filings | Court request with possible redaction or access limits. |
| Final decree | Dissolution decree and final orders | Judicial Branch record/document request or court location. |
| Certified copy | Certified court copy of decree or order | Court provides fee and certification instructions. |
Older Arapahoe Marriage Records
Older marriage records may require the Recording Division rather than the online portal. The Recording FAQs say online records date back to February 1, 1996, while in-office public records go back to 1902. Pre-1979 marriage-license copy requests and Book/Page requests can be emailed to recording@arapahoegov.com.
The manifest image from the Recording FAQs supports the older-record and online-search date limits for Arapahoe County marriage records.
Use the FAQ limits before assuming a missing online marriage record means no license was recorded.
Colorado Vital and Court Records
State vital-record channels may provide verification or certificates for certain vital events, but the research emphasizes that Arapahoe County marriage license recording is through the Clerk and Recorder and divorce decrees are court records. The practical split is simple: recorded marriage license search goes to the Document Search or Recording Division, while divorce case documents go to the Colorado Judicial Branch court where the domestic relations case was filed.
Do not use the Clerk and Recorder CORA portal for divorce decrees, court orders, or case pleadings. Do not use court records request forms for recorded marriage licenses that belong in Document Search or Recording. The custodian must match the record type.
Note: The Clerk and Recorder explicitly says it is not affiliated with county, municipal, or state court systems and cannot provide court documents.