Phillips County Marriage Licenses
Marriage licenses in Phillips County are issued by the Phillips County Clerk and Recorder at the Phillips County Courthouse. The local marriage page states that licenses are issued Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., except holidays. The license is valid upon receipt and may be used anywhere in Colorado within 35 days. The signed license must be returned to the issuing county for recording within 63 days of issuance. A marriage license issued by another state is not valid in Colorado.
The county Clerk and Recorder is Madene "Beth" Zilla. The office address is 221 South Interocean Avenue, Holyoke, CO 80734. The Clerk and Recorder phone is 970-854-3131, and the fax is 970-854-4745. To request a copy of a marriage license, the research file says to contact Recorder Chauntine Lundgren at 970-854-3131. Marriage licenses are county recorder records, not court case records.
Phillips County Clerk and Recorder
221 South Interocean Avenue
Holyoke, CO 80734
970-854-3131
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Apply for a Phillips County Marriage License
At least one party must apply in person before the marriage clerk. Both parties must complete and sign the Application for Marriage License form and provide required proof. If one party cannot appear, the absent party must complete and sign an Absentee Affidavit - Application with a notarized signature, and the appearing party must bring the absentee application and absent party identification. Colorado residency is not required.
- Confirm the Clerk and Recorder's public hours before visiting the courthouse.
- Bring proof of date of birth, such as a valid state driver's license, birth certificate, passport, military ID, or valid state ID card.
- Bring proof of Social Security number for both parties.
- Provide prior-marriage details if either party was previously married.
- Complete and sign the marriage license application before the marriage clerk.
- Pay the license fee by cash or check.
- Use the license within 35 days and return the signed license within 63 days.
Applicants who are 18 or older do not need parental consent. Applicants age 16 or 17 must have a court order. Blood tests are not required in Colorado. Already-married couples renewing vows or common-law married couples may obtain an Affidavit of Common Law Marriage. The county also provides a civil union license form.
Phillips County Marriage Application Fields
The marriage-license application requires identity, eligibility, and family-background information. If either party was previously married, the applicant must provide the date, place, and court where the marriage was dissolved or declared invalid, or the date and place of death of the former spouse. Proof of divorce is not required by Phillips County, but the couple swears under oath that the information is true and correct.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Proof of date of birth | Yes | Driver's license, birth certificate, passport, military ID, or state ID. |
| Social Security number proof | Yes | Required for both parties. |
| Prior marriage details | If applicable | Date, place, and court of dissolution or invalidity, or former spouse death details. |
| Parents' full names | Yes | Includes mother's maiden name. |
| Parents' residence addresses | Yes if living | City and state are required if living. |
| Absentee affidavit | If one party absent | Must be signed by absent party and notarized. |
| Identification for absent party | If one party absent | Appearing party must bring absent party identification. |
Phillips County Marriage Fees
The county marriage page gives a simple local fee rule for the marriage license. The fee is $30. Payment must be by cash or check, and credit cards are not accepted. The recorder page separately says certified copies of documents of record are available for a fee, but the research file does not provide a separate certified marriage-copy amount. Divorce decree copy costs follow Judicial Branch record-request fee estimates, not the county marriage-license fee.
| Item | Amount or rule |
|---|---|
| Marriage license | $30 |
| Payment | Cash or check only |
| Credit cards | Not accepted |
| License validity | Valid upon receipt and usable within 35 days anywhere in Colorado |
| Return deadline | Signed license returned to issuing county within 63 days |
| Certified divorce decree copy | Judicial Branch estimate: $20 per certified or exemplified document |
| Court copy per page | Judicial Branch estimate: $0.25 per page |
Payment rule: Phillips County does not accept credit cards for the marriage license fee in the researched county source.
Find Phillips County Marriage Records
Marriage licenses are included in the recorder's public records. The recorder page says all records are open to the public and certified copies of any document of record are available for a fee. It also lists real estate records, UCC records, military discharges, maps and plats, torrens, certificates of title, and marriage licenses. The county's recorded-document portal covers recorded records from February 1997 to current, while copy questions can go to the Clerk and Recorder office.
For a marriage license copy, contact Recorder Chauntine Lundgren at 970-854-3131. The recorder page also gives staff email contacts for copies, including beth.zilla@phillipscounty.co, debbie.bennett@phillipscounty.co, and chauntine.lundgren@phillipscounty.co. A marriage record search should stay with the county recorder unless the question is about a court case connected to marriage, such as a divorce or protection order.
Phillips County Marriage Rules
Colorado allows several ways to solemnize a marriage. The county marriage page lists a judge, court magistrate, bride and groom themselves, another public official authorized to perform marriages, or a person or mode of solemnization recognized by a religious denomination or Indian tribe or nation. If the couple self-solemnizes, they complete the lower portion of the marriage license and sign as bride and groom and parties to the marriage. The ceremony wording is their choice.
- A person still married to another person cannot marry.
- Marriage between ancestor and descendant is prohibited.
- Marriage between siblings is prohibited.
- Marriage between cousins is permitted in Colorado.
- The county cites C.R.S. 14-2-110 for prohibited-marriage details.
Note: A divorce must be final before a new marriage, even though Phillips County does not require proof at application.
Find Phillips County Divorce Records
Divorce records are court records, not Clerk and Recorder records. The Judicial Branch Record/Document Request Form includes Divorce as a case type and Divorce Decree as a document checkbox. Domestic-relations cases are included in district-court vendor coverage through CoCourts, but document copies must be requested from the court. For a Phillips County divorce decree, select Phillips County as the county or location of records, choose Divorce as the case type, provide party names and year filed if known, and check Divorce Decree.
Parenting plan, separation agreement, support order, and petition are also available document checkboxes. Divorce records may be partly public, partly restricted, or redacted due to children, financial identifiers, protection orders, sealed filings, or court orders. If the requested record needs certification, mark the certification or exemplification option on the Judicial Branch form.
| Divorce request field | How to complete it |
|---|---|
| Case Type | Choose Divorce. |
| County / location of Records | Select Phillips County. |
| Party Information | Enter the names on the case. |
| Year case was filed | Select the filing year if known. |
| Requested documents | Check Divorce Decree, parenting plan, separation agreement, support order, petition, or other needed records. |
| Certification / exemplification | Check this if an official certified court copy is required. |
Phillips County Divorce Filing Help
Domestic-relations cases are filed in district court through the Colorado Judicial Branch process. The Phillips County court page directs unrepresented domestic-relations filers to e-filing for non-attorneys, the Colorado Court E-Filing Portal, and self-help forms. The 13th Judicial District self-represented litigant coordinator is available at 13SelfHelp@judicial.state.co.us or 970-542-5252. Family Court Facilitator Dawn Gerk can be reached at dawn.gerk@judicial.state.co.us or 970-526-3969.
Federal court sources do not replace Phillips County domestic-relations records. They appear in the manifest because federal court resources are part of the broader court-record environment, but divorce decrees for Phillips County are state district-court records.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado contact page is a federal court contact source, not the Phillips County divorce decree custodian.
This federal-state distinction helps keep Phillips County divorce searches pointed at the correct Colorado Judicial Branch record request process.
Certified Marriage and Divorce Copies
Certified marriage copies and certified divorce copies come from different custodians. For a marriage license or certificate, use the Phillips County Clerk and Recorder because the license is a county recorded document. For a divorce decree, use the Colorado Judicial Branch record/document request form or contact Phillips Combined Court. The form's fee estimate lists certified or exemplified copies at $20 per document, copy pages at $0.25, name searches at $5, and possible research, redaction, or off-site retrieval charges.
Legal, benefits, passport, school, immigration, title, or remarriage uses often require certified copies. An online register entry or docket note may not be enough. If a certified divorce decree is needed, request the decree itself and mark certification or exemplification. If a certified marriage certificate is needed, ask the Clerk and Recorder for the recorded license copy process.
State and Federal Record Limits
Legal opinion and federal docket tools can be useful for research, but they do not replace local Phillips County marriage or divorce record custodians. A public legal database may help someone read opinions or docket references, and PACER may be relevant to federal cases, yet neither source issues Phillips County marriage licenses or Colorado divorce decrees. Keep the request with the office that created or recorded the document.
The District of Colorado PACER page explains federal PACER access for federal court matters.
PACER is appropriate for federal court files, not for a Phillips County marriage license or state divorce decree.
The CourtListener database is a legal research source and not the official Phillips County marriage or divorce records custodian.
Use research databases for background only, then request official copies from the Clerk and Recorder or the Colorado Judicial Branch.