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Boulder County, CO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Boulder County information |
|---|---|
| Court | Boulder County Combined Court, serving the Boulder County District Court |
| Judicial district | 20th Judicial District, Boulder County alone (C.R.S. § 13-5-121) |
| Courthouse address | 1777 6th St., Boulder, CO 80302. The court also calls this building the Boulder County Justice Center. |
| Mailing address | Clerk of Court, P.O. Box 4249, Boulder, CO 80306. The court says payments and filings for Boulder and Longmont may be mailed to this box. |
| Probate registrar phone | (720) 664-1522, the Boulder County probate registrar's direct line |
| Main court phone | (303) 441-3750 |
| Fax | (720) 637-9760, published as the courthouse fax. Boulder County does not publish fax as a probate filing channel. |
| Hours | Courthouse open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Clerk's Office counter open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
| First filing charge | $229 for a decedent's estate, current as shown by the Colorado Judicial Branch in August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)) |
| Local probate forms | None. Boulder County uses Colorado's statewide JDF probate forms. |
| E-filing | Attorneys file through Colorado Courts E-Filing, which covers probate. Boulder County's own page says non-attorney e-filing is possible only in domestic relations and eviction cases, so self-represented probate filers use mail or the Clerk's Office counter. |
| Case search | Colorado Judicial Branch Docket Search at https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/dockets. It is a docket and hearing search, not a document search. |
| Remote appearance | Uncontested informal probate is presumptively flexible under Chief Justice Directive 23-03, effective August 1, 2023, but Boulder County's virtual courtroom page still says virtual appearance requires prior approval from the court. Confirm with the assigned division. |
| Website | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/courts/trial-courts/boulder-county |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose forms, get a working list of the decedent's accounts, debts, real estate, beneficiaries and possible creditors. In Boulder County, that asset picture decides whether an application goes to the probate registrar or a petition goes before a judge or magistrate with notice, and it is what the registrar reviews when an informal estate filing is presented.
The practical issue is timing. Boulder County gives self-represented probate filers two paper filing routes, mail to the P.O. Box or the Clerk's Office counter at 1777 6th Street, and the counter closes at 4:00 p.m. even though the courthouse stays open until 5:00 p.m. Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families start estate settlement with a complete picture before they work around Boulder County's paper filing channels and monthly probate calendar.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Boulder County probate is handled by the Boulder County District Court, sitting at the Boulder County Combined Court in Boulder. Boulder County is the whole of the 20th Judicial District, and the 20th Judicial District is Boulder County alone (C.R.S. § 13-5-121). Because the county and the judicial district are the same territory, Boulder County does not share a probate registrar or travelling district judges with another county.
Venue for the first informal or formal testacy or appointment proceeding is in the county where the decedent was domiciled or resided at death, or, if the decedent was not domiciled in or resident of Colorado, in any county where the decedent's property was located at death (C.R.S. § 15-12-201(1)). Colorado also requires district court terms to be held in each county at the county seat (C.R.S. § 13-5-101).
The district court divisions that hear probate sit at the Boulder courthouse, so an estate filing goes to the Clerk of the District Court in Boulder or to the shared court mailing address. The county's second court facility, Boulder County Combined Court - Longmont at 1035 Kimbark St., Longmont, is not the place the court identifies for estate filings. The same Clerk of Court P.O. Box, P.O. Box 4249, Boulder, CO 80306, serves filings and payments for both Boulder and Longmont.
The county seat is Boulder. The county's own list of incorporated municipalities includes Boulder, Erie, Jamestown, Lafayette, Longmont, Louisville, Lyons, Nederland, Superior and Ward. A decedent domiciled anywhere in Boulder County, including the city of Boulder, Longmont, Louisville, Lafayette or the unincorporated county, uses the same Boulder County District Court filing route. If Boulder County real estate must be recorded against, that recording step happens at the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder's Recording Division, not at the court.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm Boulder County is the right venue. File in Boulder County if the decedent was domiciled or resident there at death, or, for a non-Colorado decedent, if property of the decedent was located in Boulder County (C.R.S. § 15-12-201(1)).
- Identify the assets, debts, will, heirs, devisees and possible creditors before selecting forms. Colorado separates an informal application to the probate registrar from a formal petition before a judge or magistrate (C.R.S. § 15-10-201(21), (26); C.R.S. § 15-12-301(1)).
- If there is a will, get it to the court after death. A person with custody of the will must deliver it within ten days after learning of the death to the court with probate jurisdiction in the county where the decedent resided or was domiciled, for lodging in that court's records (C.R.S. § 15-11-516). Boulder County's local order refusing lifetime will deposits is separate from this after-death duty.
- Use Colorado's statewide JDF forms. Boulder County publishes no local probate packets or cover sheets. Start with JDF 906 or JDF 907, add JDF 705, then use JDF 910 for informal probate with a will, JDF 916 for informal appointment without a will, JDF 920 for formal probate with a will, or JDF 922 for formal appointment without a will. Add JDF 911 for acceptance of appointment.
- File by the channel Boulder County publishes. A self-represented probate filer mails the packet to Clerk of Court, P.O. Box 4249, Boulder, CO 80306, or brings it to the Clerk's Office at 1777 6th Street in Boulder, open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Attorneys file through Colorado Courts E-Filing, which covers probate, but Boulder County states that non-attorney e-filing is limited to domestic relations and eviction cases.
- Include the filing charge or a fee-waiver request. A first filing in a decedent's estate is $229, current as shown by the Colorado Judicial Branch in August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)). Use JDF 205 with JDF 206 to ask to file without payment. Boulder County warns that a filing submitted without the applicable charge may be rejected.
- Expect registrar review for an informal application. The Boulder County probate registrar reviews filings and makes appointment decisions in informal estate cases, may ask for more information to correct deficiencies, and can give procedural information about estate actions but cannot give legal advice. The registrar's direct line is (720) 664-1522.
- Use the Court Resource Center for procedural help. The Boulder County Court Resource Center is at 1777 Sixth Street, answers at (720) 664-1505 and [email protected], offers phone, email, video and in-person appointments, and tells callers to expect a response within three business days.
- If a hearing is needed, confirm the current probate date with the court. The district court rotation schedule effective January 1, 2026 assigns probate cases to Division 5, the court publishes probate docket dates by division, and the district's standing order dated December 2, 2011 provides that probate hearings are scheduled once a month on a designated morning at 9:00 a.m. unless there are exigent circumstances. Use JDF 709, JDF 710 and JDF 711 for setting and notice.
- Confirm any remote appearance with the assigned division. Chief Justice Directive 23-03, effective August 1, 2023, treats uncontested informal probate as a presumptively flexible appearance, but Boulder County's virtual courtroom page says virtual appearance requires prior approval from the court.
- Obtain the authority document. Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration issue on JDF 915. An informal appointment establishes the personal representative's office and powers (C.R.S. § 15-12-307(2)).
- Administer the estate. Give notice of appointment, publish and mail notice to creditors using JDF 943 and JDF 944 as needed, and prepare the inventory on JDF 941.
- Handle Boulder County real estate at the recording office. Court filings stay with the Clerk of the District Court, but recordable real property documents go to the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder's Recording Division at 1750 33rd St., Suite 201, Boulder, CO 80301, which is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and closed Fridays.
- Close the estate. Informal closing uses JDF 959 and JDF 965. The small-estate closing route uses JDF 958 and JDF 966. Formal final settlement uses the statewide formal closing forms.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Boulder County
Boulder County publishes no local probate forms, packets or cover sheets. The county uses Colorado's statewide, court-approved JDF probate form set, which is free to download from the Colorado Judicial Branch probate form category.
| Need | Statewide JDF form |
|---|---|
| Instructions | JDF 906 for probate with a will; JDF 907 for probate without a will |
| Case information sheet | JDF 705 Probate Case Information Sheet |
| Informal opening with a will | JDF 910 Application for Informal Probate of a Will, then JDF 913 |
| Informal opening without a will | JDF 916 Application for Informal Appointment of Personal Representative, then JDF 917 |
| Formal opening with a will | JDF 920 Petition for Formal Probate of Will and Formal Appointment, then JDF 921 |
| Formal opening without a will | JDF 922 Petition for Adjudication of Intestacy and Formal Appointment, then JDF 923 |
| Acceptance and authority | JDF 911 Acceptance of Appointment and JDF 915 Letters Testamentary/of Administration |
| Notices and inventory | JDF 940 Information of Appointment, JDF 943 Notice to Creditors by publication, JDF 944 Notice to Creditors by mail and JDF 941 Decedent's Estate Inventory |
| Set a hearing | JDF 709, JDF 710 and JDF 711 |
| Close informally | JDF 959 and JDF 965 |
| Ask to file without payment | JDF 205 with JDF 206, with order JDF 202 |
Use the Colorado Judicial Branch probate form category at https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/taxonomy/term/1047?form_category=1047. In Colorado, JDF 910 is an application to the registrar, not a petition to a judge.
Timeline
- Check the division assignment. The Boulder District Court Rotation Schedule effective January 1, 2026 and updated January 21, 2026 assigns probate and mental health cases to Division 5 for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 rotation years.
- Plan around the monthly probate calendar. The 20th Judicial District's standing administrative order on probate procedures, dated December 2, 2011, provides that probate hearings are scheduled once a month on a designated morning at 9:00 a.m. unless there are exigent circumstances.
- Confirm the current date before noticing a hearing. The court posts probate docket dates on its Judges and Staff page, but the most recently posted docket dates sheet covers 2025, so current dates should be confirmed with the court before notice is sent.
- File before the counter closes. The Boulder courthouse is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but the Clerk's Office counter closes at 4:00 p.m.
- Do not use the Longmont building as the estate filing destination. The Longmont facility is listed at 1035 Kimbark St. and has published hours of 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., but the district court divisions that hear probate sit at the Boulder courthouse.
- Give the Court Resource Center time to respond. Boulder County's Court Resource Center tells callers and emailers to expect a response within three business days and encourages appointments for in-depth questions or help with multiple forms.
- Use the Research Department for records, and remember the nine-month restriction. Boulder County records requests go to [email protected] or (720) 664-1468, and a district order dated September 7, 2005 restricts a decedent's probate file for nine months from filing to interested persons and their attorneys.
Local nuance
Boulder County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Boulder County estate |
|---|---|
| No lifetime will deposits | The 20th Judicial District's order dated March 22, 2004 says no will or codicil will be accepted for deposit in the district until further order. The statewide $18 will-deposit charge, current as shown by the Colorado Judicial Branch in August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(h)), does not apply in Boulder County. This does not change the separate duty to deliver a will after death under C.R.S. § 15-11-516. |
| Nine-month file restriction | Under the district's order dated September 7, 2005, the clerk, clerk's deputies and probate registrar deny access to a decedent's probate file for nine months from the date of filing to everyone except interested persons and their attorneys. The order identifies interested persons as heirs, devisees, children, spouses, creditors, beneficiaries, people with a property right in or claim against the estate, personal representatives and people with priority for appointment. |
| Two counters at one building | The courthouse at 1777 6th Street is open until 5:00 p.m., but the Clerk's Office counter closes at 4:00 p.m. The after-hours doorbell published on the court page is for protection orders and related filings, not probate. |
| Two court facilities | Boulder County Combined Court - Longmont is a second facility at 1035 Kimbark St., but the district court divisions that hear probate sit at the Boulder courthouse. Filings and payments for both buildings may be mailed to P.O. Box 4249, Boulder, CO 80306. |
| Paper filing for self-represented probate filers | Boulder County's own page lists mail and in-person filing for court documents and says non-attorney e-filing is possible only in domestic relations and eviction cases. A self-represented personal representative should plan on mail or the Boulder counter. |
| Probate rotates by division | The rotation schedule effective January 1, 2026 assigns probate and mental health cases to Division 5 and says district judges rotate between domestic relations, criminal, civil and probate assignments on roughly two-year intervals. |
| Recording is separate | The Boulder County Clerk and Recorder's Recording Division is at 1750 33rd St., Suite 201, Boulder, and is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and closed Fridays. Its published list of recordable documents includes court documents such as letters and personal representative deeds. |
Recent updates
| Date | Local update |
|---|---|
| January 21, 2026 | The 20th Judicial District's District Court Rotation Schedule, effective January 1, 2026, was updated. Probate and mental health cases are assigned to Division 5 for both the 2025-26 and 2026-27 rotation years. |
| July 2025 | Division 5, which carries probate and mental health cases, was taken off the district court's trailing docket. The rotation schedule states the change and dates it. |
| December 3, 2024 | The court's probate docket dates sheet was revised. It sets one probate day a month for each district court division that carries probate, and the most recently posted edition covers 2025, so current dates should be confirmed with the court. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | The estate opens with the Clerk of the District Court at 1777 6th Street in Boulder, or by mail to P.O. Box 4249. If the paperwork is in order, the informal route runs before the Boulder County probate registrar on an application rather than a petition (C.R.S. § 15-12-301(1)). Procedural questions go to the Court Resource Center at the same building, which takes walk-ins from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and answers on (720) 664-1505. Anything that must be recorded against the Boulder County home goes to the Clerk and Recorder's Recording Division at 1750 33rd Street, not to the courthouse, and that office is closed on Fridays. | Sunset traces the accounts and titles first, so the spouse knows what actually sits in the estate and what passed outside it before a single form goes to the clerk's window. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Boulder County's court page gives a filer without a lawyer two routes, and one is mail to the Clerk of Court at P.O. Box 4249, Boulder, CO 80306. The same page says non-attorney e-filing is limited to domestic relations and eviction cases, so the paperwork goes in on paper. The Court Resource Center takes email at [email protected] and offers phone or video appointments, the probate registrar answers directly on (720) 664-1522, and uncontested informal probate is presumptively flexible under Chief Justice Directive 23-03. If there is a will, it must reach the court within ten days of learning of the death for lodging (C.R.S. § 15-11-516), and the county's virtual courtroom page still directs that virtual appearance needs prior approval. | Sunset builds the asset picture and the packet remotely, so an out-of-state child is not traveling to Boulder just to learn what the filing was missing. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Open the estate at 1777 6th Street and expect Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration on JDF 915 to be the document a buyer, title company and lender ask to see. Prepare the inventory on JDF 941. If the sale needs court time, confirm the monthly probate date early: probate sits in Division 5 under the rotation schedule effective January 1, 2026, the court publishes probate docket dates, and the district's standing order dated December 2, 2011 sets probate hearings once a month at 9:00 a.m. unless circumstances are exigent. When the sale closes, the personal representative's deed is recorded with the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder's Recording Division at 1750 33rd Street, which is closed on Fridays. | Sunset's asset discovery surfaces the mortgage, liens and accounts the family may not know about, which is what decides whether the sale can close. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How to use it | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Boulder County Court Resource Center | Self-represented litigant coordinators, known in Colorado courts as Sherlocks, give information about forms, rules and steps, but do not give legal advocacy or legal advice. Walk-in assistance is published for 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and appointments are offered by phone, email, video or in person. | 1777 Sixth Street, Boulder, CO 80302; (720) 664-1505; [email protected] |
| Boulder County probate registrar | The registrar reviews informal estate filings, decides appointment of personal representatives in informal estate cases, may ask for more information to correct deficiencies, and can give procedural information about estate actions but cannot give legal advice. | (720) 664-1522 |
| Colorado Legal Services, Boulder office | Colorado Legal Services is the statewide civil legal aid provider for Boulder County and is the first call to ask whether help is available. Its published program areas do not include probate. | 2935 Baseline Road, Ste 301, Boulder, CO 80303; 303-449-7575; hours published as 9:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday |
| Boulder County Bar Association | The court links the association's free virtual legal clinic materials, whose published topics include probate, and the association also publishes a Find a Lawyer service. Confirm the current clinic schedule with the association. | 4845 Pearl East Circle, Unit 101, Boulder, CO 80301; 303-440-4758; https://www.boulder-bar.org/ |
| Colorado Judicial Branch probate forms | Download statewide JDF probate forms for Boulder County estates. | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/taxonomy/term/1047?form_category=1047 |
| Colorado Judicial Branch probate registrar directory | Use it to confirm the Boulder County probate registrar line. | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/probate-registrar |
| Colorado Bar Association public brochures | Free public brochures include probate and personal representative topics. | https://www.cobar.org/For-the-Public/Legal-Brochures |
When to hire an attorney
Colorado does not impose a blanket lawyer requirement on every personal representative, and Boulder County has statewide JDF forms plus a Court Resource Center for procedural help. Counsel makes sense when an estate is contested, when the matter must move from the registrar to a judge or magistrate with notice, when Boulder County real estate must be sold, or when a creditor claim must be litigated. Supervised administration carries its own charge of $198, current as shown by the Colorado Judicial Branch in August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(c)), and any interested person can ask for it. A contested estate is also outside the statewide flexible-appearance presumption, so it is more likely to require court appearances. Boulder County's court resources point families to the Boulder County Bar Association for a free clinic and lawyer referrals, while Colorado Legal Services is the statewide civil legal aid provider and its published program areas do not include probate. Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions and helps build the asset inventory before the family chooses forms. That matters in Boulder County because the registrar reviews the informal estate filing, real estate recording happens at a separate county office, and incomplete information can push estate settlement onto a slower path.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps organize the information needed for the statewide JDF forms used in Boulder County, including the case information sheet, the correct informal application or formal petition, the acceptance of appointment and the notice documents.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate is contested, involves a home sale, faces creditor litigation or may need supervised administration, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Colorado probate attorney who understands Boulder County procedure.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset's estate settlement tools are free for families, including asset discovery, probate packet support and attorney matching when legal help is the better next step.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Boulder County?
File with the Clerk of the District Court at the Boulder County Combined Court, 1777 6th St., Boulder, CO 80302, or by mail to the Clerk of Court, P.O. Box 4249, Boulder, CO 80306. The Clerk's Office counter is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. even though the building stays open until 5:00 p.m. The Longmont courthouse at 1035 Kimbark Street is the county's second facility, but the district court divisions that hear probate sit at the Boulder courthouse.
What is the phone number for probate in Boulder County?
(720) 664-1522 reaches the Boulder County probate registrar directly. (303) 441-3750 is the general Boulder court main number and is not the probate line. Procedural questions for someone without a lawyer go to the Court Resource Center at (720) 664-1505 or [email protected].
Can I e-file a probate case in Boulder County?
Attorneys file through Colorado Courts E-Filing, which expressly covers probate. Boulder County's own court page says non-attorney e-filing is possible only in domestic relations and eviction cases, so a personal representative without a lawyer files by mail to P.O. Box 4249 or in person at the Clerk's Office at 1777 6th Street. The court also warns that a filing sent without the applicable charge may be rejected.
How much does it cost to file probate in Boulder County?
A first filing in a decedent's estate is $229, current as shown by the Colorado Judicial Branch in August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)). A small estate eligible for summary administrative procedures with no real property is $113, current as shown by the Colorado Judicial Branch in August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(a), (7)). The amounts are set by statute for Colorado counties, so there is no Boulder County surcharge, and JDF 205 with JDF 206 is how to ask the court to waive payment.
Are there Boulder County probate forms as well as the statewide ones?
No. Boulder County publishes no local probate forms, packets or cover sheets. Everything a Boulder County estate needs comes from Colorado's statewide JDF form set, which is free to download from the Judicial Branch's probate form category.
Can I deposit my will with the Boulder County court for safekeeping?
No. The chief judge of the 20th Judicial District ordered on March 22, 2004 that no will or codicil will be accepted for deposit in the district until further order of the court. After a death is different: whoever has custody of the will must deliver it within ten days of learning of the death to the court with probate jurisdiction in the county where the decedent resided or was domiciled, for lodging in the court's records (C.R.S. § 15-11-516).
When are probate hearings held in Boulder County?
Boulder County probate uses a monthly calendar rather than a rolling one. The district court's rotation schedule effective January 1, 2026 assigns probate cases to Division 5, the court publishes a probate docket dates sheet giving one probate day a month for each division that carries probate, and the district's standing administrative order on probate procedures, dated December 2, 2011, provides that probate hearings are set once a month on a designated morning at 9:00 a.m. unless there are exigent circumstances. Confirm current dates with the court, because the posted docket dates sheet covers 2025.
Can I appear remotely for a Boulder County probate hearing?
Chief Justice Directive 23-03, effective August 1, 2023, treats an uncontested informal probate proceeding as a presumptively flexible appearance unless the court finds good cause to require in-person attendance. Boulder County publishes Webex join information and a telephone bridge, usually 720-650-7664, for each division. The same county page still says virtual appearance requires prior approval from the court, so confirm with the assigned division.
Can I look up a Boulder County probate case online?
The Colorado Judicial Branch's Docket Search covers Boulder County and includes the probate case class, so a scheduled estate hearing can be found by county, courthouse, case number or party name. It is a calendar search, not a document search: trial court case documents and files are not available through the Judicial Branch website, and copies must be obtained from the court where they were filed. For a Boulder County file, email the court's Research Department at [email protected] or call (720) 664-1468.
Who can see a Boulder County probate file?
For the first nine months after filing, only interested persons and their attorneys. Under the 20th Judicial District's order dated September 7, 2005, the clerk, the clerk's deputies and the probate registrar deny access to a decedent's probate file for nine months from the date of filing to everyone else. The order counts heirs, devisees, children, spouses, creditors, beneficiaries, anyone with a property right in or claim against the estate, personal representatives and people with a priority for appointment as interested persons.
Do I have to travel to Boulder to settle an estate there?
Not usually. Boulder County names mail to the Clerk of Court at P.O. Box 4249, Boulder, CO 80306 as a filing route, the Court Resource Center offers phone, email, video and in-person appointments, the probate registrar answers at (720) 664-1522, and uncontested informal probate is presumptively flexible under Chief Justice Directive 23-03. Confirm virtual attendance with the assigned division because the county's virtual courtroom page still says prior approval is needed.
Where do I record a deed for Boulder County property during probate?
Real property documents are recorded with the Boulder County Clerk and Recorder's Recording Division at 1750 33rd St., Suite 201, Boulder, CO 80301, which is open Monday through Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and closed Fridays. The office can be reached at 303-413-7770 or [email protected], and its published list of recordable documents includes letters and personal representative deeds.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.