Do You Need a Certificate of No Impediment?

This is a document some other countries ask for before they’ll marry their citizens abroad; Colorado isn’t one of the countries that asks for it, no matter which country you’re from.

What a Certificate of No Impediment actually is

A Certificate of No Impediment (CNI) is a document your home country issues confirming there’s no legal reason you can’t marry, typically used when a couple is marrying in a country that specifically requires proof of that before performing the ceremony.

Colorado doesn’t ask foreign applicants for one

We looked at Colorado county clerk requirements directly, and a valid passport (or other accepted photo ID) is the identification requirement for foreign nationals applying for a Colorado marriage license; there’s no mention of a CNI or equivalent document anywhere in county-level requirements. This tracks with what we found researching specific countries: the UK and Australia, for example, only issue a CNI for citizens marrying in countries that request one, and Colorado isn’t among them.

Absence of a published requirement isn't the same as an official guarantee no county will ever ask. Requirements are set at the county level; see colorado counties compared for county-specific notes as we gather them, and confirm with your specific county if you want certainty.

You’re still eligible to get one, if you ever need it for something else

Not needing a CNI to marry in Colorado doesn’t mean the document is irrelevant to you; some countries ask for one as part of registering or otherwise recognizing a foreign marriage afterward, separately from anything Colorado requires. Two concrete examples from this library: France requires its own citizens to get a certificat de capacité à mariage from the French consulate before marrying abroad, not after, and the Philippines has its own equivalent, a CENOMAR, that’s worth getting ahead of your trip even though Colorado never asks for it. Check your specific country’s page in our country-specific notes for whether that applies on your end; if your country isn’t covered yet, your country’s consulate or civil registry office is the direct source.

The practical summary

• Colorado doesn’t require a Certificate of No Impediment from foreign applicants before issuing a marriage license.
• If your home country later asks for proof related to your marriage, a CNI is a different document from your apostilled Colorado marriage certificate. See the apostille process for that certificate specifically.
• See does it matter what country we’re from? for the broader picture of why post-marriage requirements vary by country.