Archuleta Marriage License Office
Marriage licenses are issued by the Archuleta County Clerk & Recorder, a separate elected county office from the state Clerk of Court. The Clerk & Recorder is at 305 Village Dr., P.O. Box 2589, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147, phone 970-264-8350. Published hours are Monday through Thursday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The marriage page lists Cheree Henderson as Chief Deputy Clerk & Recorder contact, and the county information line for inclement-weather office updates is 970-264-8550.
A Colorado marriage license may be issued in any Colorado county and used anywhere in the state. If the license is bought in Archuleta County, the completed license must be returned to Archuleta County for recording even if the ceremony occurs elsewhere in Colorado. The license is issued the day it is applied for, may be used immediately, and must be used within 35 days from the date of issue. Blood tests are not required, and applicants do not have to be Colorado residents.
The county's official marriage license rules are published on the Archuleta County marriage licenses page.
The county page is the local source for license timing, ID examples, absentee affidavits, return deadlines, copy requests, and common-law marriage notes.
Apply for Archuleta Marriage Records
Both applicants should appear when possible. If one party cannot appear, Colorado allows one party to apply with the completed notarized absentee affidavit and a copy of approved ID for the absent party. Proxy marriage is narrower: one party must appear, one party must be a Colorado resident, both must be at least 18, and the absent party must qualify through armed-forces service or government contractor or employee support of armed-forces operations.
- Confirm that both applicants meet the age rules. Colorado's legal age without parental consent is 18, applicants over 16 and under 18 need juvenile court permission, and no license is issued to anyone under 16.
- Gather approved photo ID and the required personal information for both parties, including Social Security number or a notarized affidavit of no Social Security number.
- Prepare prior-marriage information. The county requires date, place, and court for divorce information, and a copy of the decree if the final divorce date is 30 days or less from application.
- Appear at the Clerk & Recorder counter or complete the allowed absentee or proxy paperwork if one party cannot attend.
- Pay the $30 license fee in cash. The county states that credit cards and checks are not accepted for marriage licenses.
- After the ceremony, make sure the certifying person completes the license and forwards it for recording within 63 days.
Archuleta Marriage Application Fields
The county uses the Colorado marriage license application. A failed manifest row identified the official application PDF at Archuleta County's marriage application PDF; because the capture failed as a download, it is linked here in prose rather than shown as an image. The form asks for identifying, family, prior-marriage, ceremony, and return-mail information for both parties.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Legal name and previous married name | Yes | First, middle, last, suffix, and previous married name if applicable. |
| Address and birth information | Yes | Street, city, state, ZIP, birth date, sex, and city and state of birth. |
| Social Security information | Yes unless affidavit applies | The county requires SSN or a notarized affidavit of no Social Security number. |
| Parent or legal guardian information | Yes | Names and current or last residence are requested for each party. |
| Present marital or union status | Yes | Single, widowed, divorced, dissolved, declared invalid, married, or civil union options appear on the form. |
| Proof of age | Yes | Driver license, passport, birth certificate, or other approved proof may be noted. |
| Ceremony and return details | After ceremony | Religious, civil, or self-solemnized ceremony, date, signatures, return address, email, and phone. |
Archuleta Marriage ID Rules
Photo ID is required to prove identity and age. The county lists examples such as a Colorado driver license, permit, or ID current or expired one year or less; out-of-state photo driver license or ID; U.S. passport; valid foreign passport with required immigration stamp; permanent resident card; temporary resident or employment authorization documents; U.S. military ID; qualifying DD214; tribal ID; certified adoption court order with date of birth; or certificate of naturalization or citizenship with photo.
Several documents are specifically not acceptable for this purpose. The county lists consular cards, city or county detention center ID cards, novelty ID cards, souvenir hospital birth certificates, and Social Security cards as unacceptable ID examples. Applicants should also bring information about parents, birthplaces, and prior divorces because the application is broader than an ordinary identity check.
Archuleta Marriage and Divorce Fees
Published fees differ by office. Marriage license and marriage-copy fees are handled by the County Clerk & Recorder. Divorce decree and family case document fees are handled by the Clerk of Court through the Colorado Judicial Branch record request process. The research found an internal county inconsistency for certified marriage copy wording, so the table preserves both published local statements rather than flattening them into one number.
| Item | Published amount or note |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $30, including recording fee, cash only |
| Late marriage license return | $20 plus $5 per additional day, up to $50 maximum |
| Certified marriage license copy | Marriage page says $1.25 per certified license; FAQ says $0.25 per page plus $1 certification |
| Court record copy | $0.25 per page; party or attorney maximum $15, no maximum for non-parties |
| Certified or exemplified court copy | $20 per document |
| Court name search | $5 |
| Court research or redaction | $30 per hour after the first hour, billed in 15-minute increments |
Search Archuleta Marriage Records
Marriage licenses may be researched at the Clerk & Recorder's Office, and the county says marriage records date back to 1885. Mail copy requests go to Archuleta County Clerk and Recorder, 305 Village Dr., P.O. Box 2589, Pagosa Springs, CO 81147. A request should include the names of both parties and the date of marriage. Marriage applications have tighter access: Archuleta cites C.R.S. 24-72-204(3)(a)(XIX)(A), found in the failed-manifest Colorado Revised Statutes Title 24 PDF, and says copies are available only to a party to the marriage or an immediate family member.
Colorado common-law marriage has been recognized since 1877. No license, ceremony, or documentation is required to make a valid common-law marriage, but the county advises parties who need documentation to record a signed notarized affidavit with the clerk where they reside. That affidavit is filed as a recorded document rather than as a marriage record. A common-law marriage ends only through legal divorce or death.
Find Archuleta Divorce Records
Divorce decrees filed in Archuleta County are obtained from the court, not the County Clerk & Recorder. The recording page directs divorce decree questions to District Court at 970-264-8160, and the current Colorado Judicial Branch contact for the Clerk of Court is the same number with archuletaclerk@judicial.state.co.us. Divorce case documents may be requested through the Colorado Judicial Record/Document Request Form by selecting Archuleta County and the family or divorce-related document needed.
Family document options on the state court request form include divorce decree, parenting plan, separation agreement, support order, and petition. Some family records may be redacted or restricted when they include protected addresses, minor information, financial account data, adoption material, juvenile material, or sealed portions. The court request form warns that the Clerk of Court can restrict access under Colorado statutes, court rules, Chief Justice Directives, local orders, and other legal authority.
Colorado Vital Verifications
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment describes county clerk and recorder offices as the local source for marriage records and district court clerks as the source for divorce, separation, or annulment records. CDPHE also offers state-level verification services for marriage, civil union, and dissolution or divorce events when a verification rather than the full court decree or county license copy is enough.
The statewide vital records overview is available from CDPHE vital records.
This state source is useful when the record holder is unclear, but it does not replace the Archuleta County Clerk & Recorder for local marriage licensing or the Clerk of Court for divorce decrees.
CDPHE's certificate ordering channel is published at Order a Certificate Now.
Use the state ordering channel for eligible verification requests, and use the local Archuleta offices when a recorded license, marriage application, or divorce decree is specifically required.