SB26-048 • 2026

Remove Exception to Marry with Judicial Approval

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

Budget Children Parental Rights

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Sen. N. Hinrichsen, Sen. J. Marchman, Rep. L. García, Rep. J. Joseph, Sen. J. Amabile, Sen. M. Ball, Sen. J. Bridges, Sen. J. Coleman, Sen. L. Cutter, Sen. J. Danielson, Sen. L. Daugherty, Sen. T. Exum, Sen. J. Gonzales, Sen. I. Jodeh, Sen. C. Kipp, Sen. C. Kolker, Sen. W. Lindstedt, Sen. K. Mullica, Sen. D. Roberts, Sen. T. Sullivan, Sen. K. Wallace, Rep. T. Story, Rep. B. Titone
Last action: 2026-05-13
Official status: Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Not Repassed
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Remove Exception to Marry with Judicial Approval

What This Bill Does

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 repeals this exception, therefore requiring that an individual be at least 18 years old to obtain a marriage license.
(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.002

HOU State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs

Passed [*]

Plain English: SB048_L.002 HOUSE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs.

SB048_L.002 HOUSE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs.
SB26-048 be amended as follows: 1 Amend reengrossed bill, page 2, strike lines 2 through 25.
2 Page 3, strike lines 1 through 24 and substitute: 3 "SECTION 1.
In Colorado Revised Statutes, 14-2-108, amend 4 (1) as follows: 5 14-2-108.

J.001

SEN Appropriations

Passed [*]

Plain English: SB048_J.001 SENATE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on Appropriations.

SB048_J.001 SENATE COMMITTEE OF REFERENCE AMENDMENT Committee on Appropriations.
SB26-048 be amended as follows: 1 Amend printed bill, page 3, after line 5 insert: 2 "SECTION 4.
Appropriation - adjustments to 2026 long bill.
3 (1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, to implement this 4 act, the general fund appropriation made in the annual general 5 appropriation act for the 2026-27 state fiscal year to the judicial 6 department for use by the office of the child's representative for court- 7 appointed counsel is decreased by $7,125.

L.004

Second Reading

Passed [**]

Plain English: SB048_L.004 Amendment No.

SB048_L.004 Amendment No.
___________ SB26-048 HOUSE FLOOR AMENDMENT Second Reading BY REPRESENTATIVE Joseph & Garcia 1 Amend the State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Committee Report, 2 dated April 6, 2026, page 1, strike lines 6 through 13 and substitute: 3 "(1) The juvenile court, as defined in section 19-1-103, after a 4 reasonable effort has been made to notify the parents or legal guardians 5 of each underage party, may order the county clerk and recorder pursuant 6 to subsection (2) of this section to issue a marriage license and a marriage 7 certificate form to a person sixteen or seventeen years of age OLD, AS 8 LONG AS THE AGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES TO THE 9 MARRIAGE DOES NOT EXCEED TEN YEARS.".".
** *** ** *** ** LLS: Shelby Ross x4510

Bill History

2026-05-13 Senate
Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Not Repassed
2026-05-08 Senate
Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
2026-05-06 House
House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-05-05 House
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor
2026-05-01 House
House Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole
2026-04-06 House
House Committee on State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Refer Amended to Appropriations
2026-03-30 House
Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs
2026-03-30 Senate
Senate Third Reading Reconsidered - No Amendments
2026-03-30 Senate
Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
2026-03-27 Senate
Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee
2026-03-26 Senate
Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 03/27/2026 - No Amendments
2026-03-25 Senate
Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 03/26/2026 - No Amendments
2026-03-24 Senate
Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 03/25/2026 - No Amendments
2026-03-20 Senate
Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole
2026-02-17 Senate
Senate Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Unamended to Appropriations
2026-01-27 Senate
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs

Official Summary Text

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 repeals this exception, therefore requiring that an individual be at least 18 years old to obtain a marriage license.
(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
REREVISED
This Version Includes All Amendments
Adopted in the Second House
LLS NO. 26-0181.01 Shelby Ross x4510 SENATE BILL 26-048
Senate Committees House Committees
State, Veterans, & Military Affairs State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs
Appropriations Appropriations
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING LIMITING THE AGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PARTIES TO A101
MARRIAGE THAT REQUIRES JUDICIAL APPROVAL WHEN ONE102
PARTY IS A MINOR.103
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 will be available 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
repeals this exception, therefore requiring that an individual be at least 18
years old to obtain a marriage license.
HOUSE
3rd Reading Unamended
May 6, 2026
HOUSE
Amended 2nd Reading
May 5, 2026
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, Story, Titone
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.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
2
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 14-2-108, amend (1)3
as follows:4
14-2-108. Judicial approval.5
(1) The juvenile court, as defined in section 19-1-103, after a6
reasonable effort has been made to notify the parents or legal guardians7
of each underage party, may order the county clerk and recorder pursuant8
to subsection (2) of this section to issue a marriage license and a marriage9
certificate form to a person sixteen or seventeen years of age OLD, AS10
LONG AS THE AGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO PARTIES TO THE11
MARRIAGE DOES NOT EXCEED TEN YEARS.12
SECTION 2. Act subject to petition - effective date -13
applicability. (1) This act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following14
the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the15
general assembly (August 12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13,16
2026); except that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 117
(3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item, section,18
or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part19
will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general election20
to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the21
date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.22
(2) This act applies to marriage licenses issued on or after the23
applicable effective date of this act.24
048-2-