# Colorado HB26-1218: Clarifying Validity of Common Law Marriage

Colorado HB26-1218, Clarifying Validity of Common Law Marriage, is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Cecelia Espenoza (Democratic), Marc Catlin (Republican), Matt Ball (Democratic) and 1 others; status signed, last action 2026-05-05 (Governor Signed) (as of 2026-10-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1218-2026A
- As of: 2026-10-16
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Colorado HB26-1218
- State: Colorado
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Clarifying Validity of Common Law Marriage
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-02-17
- Last action: 2026-05-05, Governor Signed
- Sponsors: Cecelia Espenoza (Democratic), Marc Catlin (Republican), Matt Ball (Democratic), Stephanie Luck (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Children & Domestic Matters
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 4 (109 yes, 3 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Colorado protects couples’ valid common-law marriages: benefit, low. Colorado restores protection for otherwise valid common-law marriages from being invalidated by its marriage-formality rules. This covers marriages entered before September 1, 2006. Marriages entered on or after September 1, 2006, are protected when they comply with Colorado Revised Statutes § 14-2…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Cecelia Espenoza (Democratic), House
- Sponsor: Marc Catlin (Republican), Senate
- Sponsor: Matt Ball (Democratic), Senate
- Sponsor: Stephanie Luck (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: James Coleman (Democratic), Senate

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-07 | Senate | Third reading: Bill | pass | 34 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-31 | Senate | Refer House Bill 26-1218 to the Committee of the Whole and with a recommendation that it be placed on the consent calendar. | pass | 5 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-09 | House | Third reading: Bill | pass | 59 | 3 |   |
| 2026-03-05 | House | Refer House Bill 26-1218 to the Committee of the Whole. | pass | 11 | 0 |   |

## Actions (13)

- 2026-05-05: Governor Signed (House)
- 2026-05-01: Signed by the Speaker of the House (House)
- 2026-05-01: Signed by the President of the Senate (Senate)
- 2026-05-01: Sent to the Governor (House)
- 2026-04-07: Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (Senate)
- 2026-04-06: Senate Second Reading Passed - No Amendments (Senate)
- 2026-04-06: Senate Second Reading Laid Over to 04/02/2026 - No Amendments (Senate)
- 2026-03-31: Senate Committee on State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Refer Unamended - Consent Calendar to Senate Committee of the Whole (Senate)
- 2026-03-12: Introduced In Senate - Assigned to State, Veterans, & Military Affairs (Senate)
- 2026-03-09: House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments (House)
- 2026-03-06: House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Floor (House)
- 2026-03-05: House Committee on State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Refer Unamended to House Committee of the Whole (House)
- 2026-02-17: Introduced In House - Assigned to State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs (House)

## Bill text

- Engrossed: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/112989/download)
- Final Act: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115361/download)
- Introduced: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/112094/download)
- Reengrossed: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113039/download)
- Rerevised: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/114215/download)
- Revised: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/114147/download)
- Signed Act: [PDF](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115955/download)

## Related bills

- HB26-1298: Background Checks for Child Welfare Placements (signed)
- HB26-1250: Procedures Related to Civil Asset Forfeiture (signed)
- HB26-1414: Medical Record Requests (signed)
- HB26-1430: Transportation Funding Adjustments (signed)
- SB26-155: Increase Access Homeowner's Insurance Enterprise (signed)
- HB26-1429: County Administration Public Assistance Programs (signed)

## Sources
- [Engrossed (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/112989/download)
- [Final Act (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115361/download)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/112094/download)
- [Reengrossed (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/113039/download)
- [Rerevised (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/114215/download)
- [Revised (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/114147/download)
- [Signed Act (PDF)](https://leg.colorado.gov/bill_files/115955/download)

## Related
- [HB26-1298: Background Checks for Child Welfare Placements](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1298-2026A)
- [HB26-1250: Procedures Related to Civil Asset Forfeiture](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1250-2026A)
- [HB26-1414: Medical Record Requests](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1414-2026A)
- [HB26-1430: Transportation Funding Adjustments](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1430-2026A)
- [SB26-155: Increase Access Homeowner's Insurance Enterprise](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-SB26-155-2026A)
- [HB26-1429: County Administration Public Assistance Programs](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1429-2026A)
- [Colorado bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/colorado/bills)
- [Colorado state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/colorado)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/CO-HB26-1218-2026A (as of 2026-10-16).