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Costilla County, CO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Costilla County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Costilla County District Court, sitting at Costilla Combined Court |
| Judicial district | 12th Judicial District, shared with Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande and Saguache counties |
| Courthouse address | 304 Main Street, San Luis, CO 81152 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 301, San Luis, CO 81152 |
| Clerk phone | 719-672-3681 |
| Probate registrar phone | 719-657-3394, the shared 12th Judicial District registrar line |
| [email protected], for questions, not as a probate filing channel | |
| Fax | No fax number is published for the court |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., except state holidays |
| First filing fee | $229 as of January 2025 for a decedent's estate first filing (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)) |
| Local forms | No local Costilla County probate forms are published. Use the statewide Colorado JDF probate forms. |
| E-filing | Attorneys file through Colorado Courts E-Filing. Self-represented probate filers use in-person or mail filing with the Clerk of the District Court. |
| Case search | Colorado Docket Search at coloradojudicial.gov/dockets shows scheduled hearings and includes the PR probate case class. It is a docket search, not a document search. |
| Remote appearance | Colorado's statewide virtual proceedings policy treats uncontested informal probate as presumptively flexible, but the Costilla County virtual courtroom page says virtual appearance requires prior court approval. Confirm the division's instruction before the hearing. |
| Website | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/courts/trial-courts/costilla-county |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before choosing forms, make a working list of the decedent's assets, debts, accounts, titles and real property interests. Costilla County's court path depends on whether you need a personal representative appointed, whether a will exists, and whether the matter belongs in an informal application to the probate registrar or a formal petition before a judge.
Sunset's estate settlement platform can help search across more than 2,300 financial institutions for accounts and assets, then organize what you find into the information needed for the Colorado JDF probate packet.
Which court handles jurisdiction
Costilla County estates are filed with the Costilla County District Court at Costilla Combined Court in San Luis. The court is part of the 12th Judicial District, which also includes Alamosa, Conejos, Mineral, Rio Grande and Saguache counties.
Colorado venue for a decedent's estate is generally the county where the decedent was domiciled at death (C.R.S. § 15-12-201). Colorado also requires at least one term of court in each county within a judicial district at the county seat (C.R.S. § 13-5-101), so a Costilla County estate is filed in San Luis, not in another San Luis Valley courthouse.
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the Colorado probate route. Use an informal application to the probate registrar when the matter fits the registrar process, or a formal petition when the case needs a judge and notice to interested persons (C.R.S. § 15-10-201(26), (21)).
- Prepare the statewide JDF forms. Start with JDF 705, then use JDF 910 for informal probate of a will, JDF 916 for informal appointment without a will, JDF 920 for formal probate with a will, or JDF 922 for formal adjudication of intestacy and appointment.
- File with the Clerk of the District Court at Costilla Combined Court, 304 Main Street, San Luis, CO 81152, or mail the packet to P.O. Box 301, San Luis, CO 81152. Self-represented probate filers do not have a Colorado Courts E-Filing probate path.
- Pay the first filing fee, or submit fee-waiver papers if needed. The first filing in a decedent's estate is $229 as of January 2025 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)).
- Handle notice. Formal proceedings require notice before the hearing, and the personal representative must handle creditor notice using the Colorado probate notice forms when an estate is opened.
- For an informal application, work with the Costilla County probate registrar at the shared 12th Judicial District line if the court requests corrections or additional information. For a formal petition, follow the court's hearing notice and setting instructions.
- Check remote appearance instructions before any hearing. State policy treats uncontested informal probate as presumptively flexible under Chief Justice Directive 23-03, but Costilla County's virtual courtroom page says virtual appearance requires prior court approval.
- After appointment, obtain JDF 915 Letters Testamentary/of Administration, then administer the estate, gather assets, address claims, make distributions and close using the appropriate Colorado closing forms.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Costilla County
Costilla County does not publish local probate forms. The county uses Colorado's statewide JDF probate forms for decedent estate cases.
| Need | Colorado form |
|---|---|
| Probate with a will instructions | JDF 906 |
| Probate without a will instructions | JDF 907 |
| Probate case information sheet | JDF 705 |
| Informal probate with a will | JDF 910 Application for Informal Probate of a Will |
| Informal appointment without a will | JDF 916 Application for Informal Appointment of Personal Representative |
| Formal probate with a will | JDF 920 Petition for Formal Probate of Will and Formal Appointment |
| Formal appointment without a will | JDF 922 Petition for Adjudication of Intestacy and Formal Appointment of Personal Representative |
| Acceptance and nominations | JDF 911 and JDF 912 |
| Authority document | JDF 915 Letters Testamentary/of Administration |
| Closing informally | JDF 959 and JDF 965 |
Recent updates
No Costilla County probate practice change was identified for this page beyond the court's current published hours and contact information.
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Costilla County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Start by identifying which assets actually need court authority. If a Costilla County estate must be opened, file the correct Colorado JDF application or petition with the Clerk of the District Court in San Luis. | Sunset helps organize titles, account information and beneficiary details so the spouse can decide whether estate settlement needs a court filing. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Confirm whether a Colorado court case is needed before mailing anything to San Luis. If appointment is needed, use the Costilla County District Court mailing address and the statewide JDF forms. | Sunset helps find accounts, gather balances and prepare a probate packet that can be reviewed before filing by mail. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale often requires clear authority from a personal representative. File in Costilla County if venue belongs there, then obtain JDF 915 Letters Testamentary/of Administration after appointment. | Sunset helps assemble asset information, generate documents and connect the family with a Colorado probate attorney when a real estate sale adds complexity. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| 12th Judicial District self-represented litigant coordinator, known as a Sherlock | Provides procedural information for people without lawyers in certain non-criminal cases. The office is located at the Alamosa Justice Center and serves Costilla County as part of the 12th Judicial District. | 719-589-7621, [email protected] |
| Costilla County probate registrar | Handles informal estate filings through the shared 12th Judicial District registrar line. | 719-657-3394 |
| Colorado Legal Services, Alamosa office | Statewide civil legal aid provider for Costilla County. Its published program areas do not list probate or estates, so call to ask what help or referral may be available. | 715 Main St., Alamosa, 719-589-4993 |
| Colorado Judicial Branch probate forms | Statewide JDF forms for opening, administering and closing Colorado probate cases. | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/taxonomy/term/1047?form_category=1047 |
| 12th Judicial District San Luis Valley attorneys list | A court-published list of San Luis Valley attorneys. It is not probate-specific and is not a vetted list. | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/media/14263 |
| Colorado Bar Association public brochures | Free public brochures on Colorado probate, personal representative duties and what to do when someone dies. | https://www.cobar.org/For-the-Public/Legal-Brochures |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer is especially useful if family members disagree, a will may be challenged, real estate must be sold, creditors are disputed, or a formal petition is needed. Sunset connects families with a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions and helps build the asset picture that drives estate settlement decisions.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you enter into an organized Colorado probate packet, using the correct local court details for Costilla County.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs legal advice, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Colorado probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, locate assets and understand next steps without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Costilla County?
File with the Clerk of the District Court at Costilla Combined Court, 304 Main Street, San Luis, CO 81152. Mail filings go to P.O. Box 301, San Luis, CO 81152.
Is there a Costilla County probate registrar phone number?
Yes. Costilla County uses the shared 12th Judicial District probate registrar line at 719-657-3394 for informal estate matters.
Can I submit my Costilla County probate forms through Colorado Courts E-Filing?
Attorneys use Colorado Courts E-Filing for probate. Self-represented probate filers in Costilla County file with the Clerk of the District Court in person or by mail.
What is the first filing cost for a Costilla County estate?
The first filing in a Colorado decedent's estate is $229 as of January 2025 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)).
Does Costilla County have its own probate forms?
No. Costilla County publishes no local probate forms. Use the statewide Colorado JDF probate forms.
Can I appear remotely for a Costilla County probate hearing?
Possibly, but confirm before the hearing. Chief Justice Directive 23-03 treats uncontested informal probate as presumptively flexible, while the Costilla County virtual courtroom page says virtual appearance requires prior court approval. The page lists Webex rooms and the general dial-in number 720-650-7664.
Can I look up a Costilla County probate case online?
You can use Colorado Docket Search to look for scheduled hearings by county, case number, party name or PR case class. The docket search is for calendars, not for reading filings or downloading copies.
Do I have to travel to San Luis to open an estate?
Not always. A self-represented filer may mail the probate packet to the Clerk of the District Court, but any required hearing or corrected filing should be handled according to the court's instructions.
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.