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Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REENGROSSED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the House of Introduction
LLS NO. 26-0181.01 Shelby Ross x4510 SENATE BILL 26-048
Senate Committees House Committees
State, Veterans, & Military Affairs
Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING REMOVING THE EXCEPTION THAT AUTHORIZES A MINOR101
WHO IS SIXTEEN YEARS OLD OR OLDER TO MARRY WITH102
JUDICIAL APPROVAL , AND , IN CONNECTION THEREWITH ,103
REDUCING AN APPROPRIATION.104
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
applies to the reengrossed version of this bill w ill be av ailable at
http://leg.colorado.gov.)
Current law requires an individual to be at least 18 years old in
order to obtain a marriage license; except that a minor who is 16 or 17
years old may obtain a marriage license with judicial approval. The bill
SENATE
3rd Reading Unamended
March 30, 2026
SENATE
Amended 2nd Reading
March 27, 2026
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Hinrichsen and Marchman, Amabile, Ball, Bridges, Coleman, Cutter, Danielson,
Daugherty, Exum, Gonzales J., Jodeh, Kipp, Kolker, Lindstedt, Mullica, Roberts, Sullivan,
Wallace
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Joseph and Garcia,
Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.
repeals this exception, therefore requiring that an individual be at least 18
years old to obtain a marriage license.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 14-2-106, amend2
(1)(a) introductory portion, (1)(a)(I), and (1)(b) as follows:3
14-2-106. License to marry.4
(1) (a) When a marriage license application has been completed5
and signed by both parties to a prospective marriage and at least one party6
has appeared, or both parties appeared if permitted pursuant to section7
14-2-106.5, before the county clerk and recorder, and A PARTY has paid8
the marriage license fee of seven dollars, a fee of twenty dollars to be9
transmitted by the county clerk and recorder to the state treasurer and10
credited by the treasurer to the Colorado domestic abuse program fund11
created in section 39-22-802 (1), and an additional amount established12
pursuant to section 25-2-121 such amount to be credited to the vital13
statistics records cash fund, pursuant to section 25-2-121, the county clerk14
shall issue a license to marry and a marriage certificate form upon being15
furnished:16
(I) Satisfactory proof that each party to the marriage will have17
attained the age of eighteen years at the time the marriage license18
becomes effective; or, if over the age of sixteen years but has not attained19
the age of eighteen years, has judicial approval, as provided in section20
14-2-108; and21
(b) Violation of subsection (1)(a)(I) of this section makes the22
marriage voidable VOID.23
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 19-1-111, repeal24
(2)(d) as follows:25
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19-1-111. Appointment of guardian ad litem.1
(2) The court may appoint a gua rdian ad litem in the following2
cases:3
(d) For an underage party seeking a marriage license, as provided4
in section 14-2-108 (2).5
SECTION 3. In Colorado Revised Statutes, repeal 14-2-108.6
SECTION 4. Appropriation - adjustments to 2026 long bill. (1)7
Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, to implement this act,8
the general fund appropriation made in the annual general appropriation9
act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the judicial department for use by10
the office of the child's representative for court-appointed counsel is11
decreased by $7,125.12
(2) Subsection (1) of this section does not require a reduction of13
an appropriation in the annual general appropriation act for the 2026-2714
state fiscal year if:15
(a) The amount of the general fund appropriation made in the16
annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the17
judicial department for use by the office of the child's representative for18
court-appointed counsel is less than the amount of the adjustment19
required in subsection (1) of this section; or 20
(b) The annual general appropriation act for the 2026-27 state21
fiscal year does not include a general fund appropriation to the judicial22
department for use by the office of the child's representative for23
court-appointed counsel.24
SECTION 5. Act subject to petition - effective date -25
applicability. (1) This act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following26
the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the27
048-3-
general assembly (August 12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13,1
2026); except that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 12
(3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item, section,3
or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part4
will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general election5
to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the6
date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.7
(2) This act applies to marriage licenses issued on or after the8
applicable effective date of this act.9
048-4-