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Denver County, CO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Denver County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Denver Probate Court |
| Judicial district | Denver County is the 2nd Judicial District under C.R.S. § 13-5-103(1). The Denver Probate Court is a distinct constitutional court, and the Judicial Branch refers to it administratively as the 24th Judicial District. |
| Courthouse address | 1437 Bannock Street, Room 230, Denver, CO 80202 |
| Mailing address | Same: 1437 Bannock Street, Room 230, Denver, CO 80202 |
| Probate registrar | (303) 606-2484 |
| Clerk's Office | 303-606-2303, [email protected] |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed on state holidays |
| Filing fee | The filing fee for the first filing in a decedent's estate is $229 as of August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)). |
| Local forms | Yes. Denver publishes DPC 5, DPC 6 and DPC 8, in addition to Colorado's statewide JDF forms. |
| E-filing | Mandatory for attorneys since July 14, 2026 under Administrative Order 26-02. Self-represented filers use in-person filing or mail. |
| Case search | Colorado Docket Search at coloradojudicial.gov/dockets, using Denver - Probate as the location and PR as the case class. It shows scheduled hearings, not documents. |
| Remote appearance | An uncontested informal probate proceeding is a presumptively flexible appearance statewide under Chief Justice Directive 23-03, effective August 1, 2023. Webex links are published for Courtroom 224 and Courtroom 300, and the court instructs parties that prior approval from the court is required to appear virtually, so confirm with the assigned courtroom. |
| Website | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/courts/trial-courts/denver-probate |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing in Denver County, identify the assets, debts and heirs. The route choice depends on that picture: an informal application goes to the probate registrar, while a formal petition goes to a judge with notice. Estate settlement moves faster when the paperwork matches the property and family facts before it reaches Room 230.
Denver also makes preparation important because a self-represented filer uses paper. The Denver Probate Court does not accept pro se filings by fax or email, and Colorado's non-attorney e-filing system is not for probate cases. Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 financial institutions so families can build the estate settlement plan before mailing or delivering the first packet.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Denver Probate Court serves the City and County of Denver only. Every decedent's estate for Denver County is filed at 1437 Bannock Street, Room 230, Denver, CO 80202. There is no second probate filing counter or satellite location for Denver estates.
Denver is the only Colorado county where estates are not handled by a district court. The Colorado Constitution gives the Denver Probate Court exclusive original jurisdiction over probate and settlements of estates of deceased persons in the City and County of Denver (Colo. Const. art. VI, § 9(3)), and C.R.S. § 13-9-101 establishes that court. Denver County is also the 2nd Judicial District under C.R.S. § 13-5-103(1), so the county and the statutory judicial district coincide.
Venue for the first informal or formal testacy or appointment proceeding is the county where the decedent was domiciled or resident at death, or, if the decedent was neither domiciled nor resident in Colorado, any county where the decedent owned property at death (C.R.S. § 15-12-201(1)). A Denver resident's estate opens here. For an address near the Denver boundary, confirm the actual county before filing.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm Denver County is the right venue. Use the county where the decedent was domiciled or resident at death, or, for a nonresident of Colorado, a county where the decedent owned property at death (C.R.S. § 15-12-201(1)).
- Identify the assets, debts and heirs before choosing forms. An application to the registrar and a petition to a judge ask different questions, and the inventory depends on the estate property picture.
- If there is a will, deliver it to the Denver Probate Court for lodging. The custodian of a will must deliver it within ten days after the death, or as soon after as the death becomes known, to the court with probate jurisdiction where the decedent lived (C.R.S. § 15-11-516(1)). Use JDF 919.
- Choose the opening route. Use JDF 910 for an informal application with a will or JDF 916 for an informal application without a will. Use JDF 920 for a formal petition with a will or JDF 922 for a formal petition without a will.
- Assemble the Denver packet. Include JDF 705, the application or petition, JDF 911, the death certificate and the original will if there is one. Denver also publishes DPC 8 Decedent's Family Tree for the family relationship picture.
- File through the correct channel. Electronic filing has been mandatory for attorneys in the Denver Probate Court since July 14, 2026 under Administrative Order 26-02. A self-represented personal representative files in person at 1437 Bannock Street, Room 230, or by mail to that same address. The court does not accept pro se filings by fax or email.
- Pay the statewide filing fee or request a waiver. The filing fee for the first filing in a decedent's estate is $229 as of August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)). A filer who cannot pay uses JDF 205, with JDF 206 and JDF 202.
- For an informal matter, the Denver County probate registrar reviews the application. The registrar can ask for more information to correct a deficiency and can answer procedural questions, but cannot give legal advice.
- After appointment, obtain JDF 915 Letters Testamentary/of Administration. Certified copies are ordered from the records desk, and certification is $20.00 each as of August 2026.
- Give required notices. Use JDF 940 for Information of Appointment and JDF 943 or JDF 944 for notice to creditors.
- Prepare the estate inventory on JDF 941, valuing property at date of death. Keep the records needed to support the inventory and later accounting.
- If a hearing is set, use the probate hearing forms as directed by the court. Colorado's statewide Virtual Proceedings Policy makes an uncontested informal probate proceeding a presumptively flexible appearance (Chief Justice Directive 23-03, effective August 1, 2023), but the Denver Probate Court also instructs parties that prior approval from the court is required for virtual appearance. Confirm with the assigned courtroom before the hearing.
- Record real property documents with the Denver Clerk and Recorder, not with the court. Documents affecting Denver real property go to the Recording Division at 200 W. 14th Ave.
- Close the estate using the correct JDF forms. Informal closing uses JDF 959 and JDF 965. Small-estate closing after a court case uses JDF 958 and JDF 966. Formal final settlement uses JDF 960, JDF 963, JDF 964 and JDF 730.
- Use Colorado Docket Search for hearing dates. Select Denver - Probate and case class PR. The docket search shows hearings, not documents, and copies come from the Denver Probate Court records desk.
Executor duties
- Order certified copies of JDF 915 from the Denver Probate Court records desk. Certification is $20.00 each as of August 2026.
- Ask about the certified letters waiver before paying twice. Effective July 1, 2023, Denver may waive a single certification fee and copy fee for a repeat request for renewed letters on the same appointment by the same requestor, but postage still applies.
- Keep the case number. A records request without a case number triggers a $5.00 name search fee as of August 2026, and offsite retrieval is $15.00 per case as of August 2026.
- Use DPC 8 if the court needs a clear family tree for the decedent.
- Record documents affecting Denver real property with the Denver Clerk and Recorder's Recording Division at 200 W. 14th Ave., not with the probate court.
- If the matter is set before a magistrate and a judge is preferred, use DPC 6 within 14 days of notice of the referral, setting or hearing.
- If counsel enters the case, the filing channel changes because attorneys must file electronically in the Denver Probate Court under Administrative Order 26-02.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Denver County
Colorado's probate paperwork is primarily a statewide JDF form set, and the Denver Probate Court states that forms and instructions for starting a probate case are not specific to the court. Use the Colorado Judicial Branch probate forms hub for the JDF forms.
| Purpose | Form |
|---|---|
| Probate with a will instructions | JDF 906 |
| Probate without a will instructions | JDF 907 |
| Cover sheet | JDF 705 Probate Case Information Sheet |
| Informal application with a will | JDF 910, with order JDF 913 |
| Informal application without a will | JDF 916, with order JDF 917 |
| Formal petition with a will | JDF 920, with order JDF 921 |
| Formal petition without a will | JDF 922, with order JDF 923 |
| Acceptance of appointment | JDF 911 |
| Authority document | JDF 915 Letters Testamentary/of Administration |
| Lodge a will after death | JDF 919 |
| Informal closing | JDF 959 and JDF 965 |
| Fee waiver | JDF 205, JDF 206 and JDF 202 |
Denver is unusual because it also publishes three local probate forms. DPC 5 is Petition to Withdraw Funds from Restricted Registry Account. DPC 6 is Objection to Magistrate Hearing Case, with a 14-day window after notice of the referral, setting or hearing. DPC 8 is Decedent's Family Tree, used to show the decedent's relatives and the heirship picture.
Fees
Colorado's court filing amounts are statewide. Denver's local fee information is about records, searches and certified copies, not a different filing amount. The filing fee for the first filing in a decedent's estate is $229 as of August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)).
| Denver Probate Court records item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Name search when the case number is unknown | $5.00 per name search as of August 2026 |
| Copies | $0.25 per page as of August 2026 |
| Certification | $20.00 each as of August 2026 |
| Exemplification | $20.00 each as of August 2026 |
| Offsite record retrieval | $15.00 per case as of August 2026 |
| Postage | $1.00 for ten pages as of August 2026 |
Effective July 1, 2023, a single certification fee and copy fee may be waived for a repeat request for renewed certified letters on the same appointment when the same requestor previously paid for a certified copy. Postage is not covered. If JDF 205 is granted, Denver Probate Court states that costs are waived for the duration of the case.
Local nuance
Denver County-specific considerations
- The Denver Probate Court is the only probate court in Colorado. Every other county's estates go to that county's district court.
- The court hears Denver County matters only. Estates for every other Colorado county are filed in that county's district court, not in Room 230.
- The Judicial Branch refers to the Denver Probate Court administratively as the 24th Judicial District, while Denver County is the 2nd Judicial District under C.R.S. § 13-5-103(1). Colorado has 23 judicial districts.
- Denver publishes local probate forms DPC 5, DPC 6 and DPC 8, while the case-opening forms remain statewide JDF forms.
- The court has a magistrate as well as a presiding judge. DPC 6 is the local form for objecting to a magistrate hearing the case, and it has a 14-day window after notice of the referral, setting or hearing.
- Electronic filing has been mandatory for attorneys in the Denver Probate Court since July 14, 2026 under Administrative Order 26-02, and an attorney's paper filing is returned or scanned at $50 per document as of July 14, 2026.
- Pro se parties are excluded from Administrative Order 26-02. A self-represented filer uses the counter in Room 230 or the mail to Room 230.
- The Clerk's Office and Self-Help Center are both in Room 230, but their lines are separate.
- The court runs its own probate Self-Help Center and its own free Volunteer Attorney Clinic.
- The court publishes its own records fee schedule, including a $5.00 name search when the case number is unknown as of August 2026 and $15.00 offsite retrieval as of August 2026.
- The statewide records index does not reach back before 1988.
- Recording is a different office. Documents affecting Denver real property go to the Denver Clerk and Recorder's Recording Division at 200 W. 14th Ave., not to Room 230.
Recent updates
| Date | Local update |
|---|---|
| July 14, 2026 | Administrative Order 26-02 made electronic filing mandatory for all cases, pleadings and documents filed in the Denver Probate Court, replacing the order dated February 7, 2005. Pro se parties are excluded. An attorney's paper filing is returned, and if filed in paper anyway the clerk charges $50 per document as of July 14, 2026 to scan it into the record. |
| July 1, 2023 | The court began waiving a single certification fee and copy fee on repeat requests for renewed certified letters on the same appointment when the requestor previously paid for a certified copy. Postage fees still apply. |
Scenarios
| Scenario | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | The estate opens at the Denver Probate Court Clerk's Office in Room 230 at 1437 Bannock Street. If the paperwork is suitable for the informal route, the application goes to the Denver County probate registrar rather than to a judge. Questions about forms and procedure go to the Self-Help Center in the same room, and anything that must be recorded against the Denver home goes separately to the Denver Clerk and Recorder's Recording Division at 200 W. 14th Ave. | Sunset traces accounts and titles first, so the spouse knows what is actually in the estate and what passed outside it before filing in Room 230. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | A self-represented filer cannot use Colorado's e-filing system for a Denver probate case and cannot file pro se paperwork by fax or email. The packet goes by mail to 1437 Bannock Street, Room 230. Questions can be handled by the Self-Help Center by phone or email, the Volunteer Attorney Clinic is by telephone on its published schedule, records can be requested through the court's online request portal, and remote appearance may be available for an uncontested informal matter under the statewide policy, subject to the court's prior-approval instruction. | Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions so the child can locate accounts without calling Denver banks one by one. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A sale needs authority from the court and recording through a different office. Authority comes from JDF 915 Letters Testamentary/of Administration, with certified copies from the records desk at $20.00 each as of August 2026. Title work and deed recording go to the Denver Clerk and Recorder's Recording Division, not the court. If the family relationships need to be shown, Denver's DPC 8 Decedent's Family Tree may be useful. If the case is set before a magistrate and a judge is preferred, DPC 6 has a 14-day deadline after notice. | Sunset assembles the asset and liability picture the sale depends on, including accounts, mortgage information and debts that affect estate settlement. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Probate Court Self-Help Center | Provides procedural and general probate information to parties not represented by an attorney. Court staff cannot provide legal advice or representation. | Room 230, 1437 Bannock Street, Denver, CO 80202; (303) 606-2502; [email protected]; Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. |
| Denver Probate Court Volunteer Attorney Clinic | Telephone clinic for elder law and probate questions. The court publishes Monday and Wednesday sessions, excluding state holidays, in 15 to 30 minute appointments between 1:30 and 3:30 p.m., subject to volunteer availability. It is a one-time informational session and not an attorney-client relationship. | Sign up through the court's clinic process or contact the Self-Help Center at (303) 606-2502 or [email protected]. |
| Colorado Legal Services, Denver office | Statewide civil legal aid provider for Denver County. Its published program areas do not include probate, so call to ask whether help is available. | 1560 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203; 303-837-1313 |
| Colorado Judicial Branch probate forms | Statewide JDF probate forms and instructions for opening, administering and closing estates. | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/self-help-forms |
| Probate registrar | Reviews informal applications and can provide procedural information about informal estate cases, but cannot give legal advice. | Denver County probate registrar: (303) 606-2484 |
| Colorado Bar Association public resources | Public brochures include Probate in Colorado, So Now You Are a Personal Representative, What to Do When Someone Dies and Wills in Colorado. The public directory is also a lawyer-search resource. | https://www.cobar.org/For-the-Public |
When to hire an attorney
Colorado provides self-help probate forms, and the Denver Probate Court runs both a Self-Help Center and a free telephone Volunteer Attorney Clinic, but counsel can make sense when the estate is contested, a will is challenged, real property must be sold, a creditor claim needs to be disallowed, or a party wants to object to a magistrate hearing the case. Counsel also changes the filing mechanics because attorneys file electronically in the Denver Probate Court under Administrative Order 26-02. Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions and helps families identify accounts, insurance, property and debts before the Denver packet is filed. That asset map is the foundation of estate settlement.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset helps organize the information needed for the statewide JDF forms a Denver filer uses, including the application or petition, acceptance and letters forms, with Denver's paper filing channel in mind.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Denver matter needs legal advice, a contested hearing, real property work or help with creditor issues, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted probate attorney who understands the Denver Probate Court.
Sunset is free for families. Families use Sunset to organize estate settlement, find assets and understand next steps without paying Sunset for access.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Denver County?
File at the Denver Probate Court Clerk's Office, 1437 Bannock Street, Room 230, Denver, CO 80202. Denver is the only place in Colorado where estates go to the Denver Probate Court instead of a district court. Attorneys file electronically, while self-represented filers use the counter or mail.
What is the phone number for the Denver Probate Court?
The Clerk's Office is 303-606-2303 and its mailbox is [email protected]. The Denver County probate registrar is (303) 606-2484. The Self-Help Center is (303) 606-2502 or [email protected].
What are the Denver Probate Court's hours?
The court is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and is closed on state holidays. The Self-Help Center keeps the same published hours in Room 230, with a separate line from the clerk's line.
Can I e-file a probate case in Denver County?
Attorneys file electronically in the Denver Probate Court under Administrative Order 26-02, effective July 14, 2026. Pro se parties are excluded from that order, and Colorado's e-filing system for people without lawyers is limited to domestic relations and eviction cases. A self-represented filer uses paper at the counter or by mail.
Can I file probate papers by email or fax in Denver County?
No. The Denver Probate Court states that it does not accept pro se filings by fax or email. A self-represented filer brings the papers to Room 230 or mails them to 1437 Bannock Street, Room 230, Denver, CO 80202.
How much does it cost to file probate in Denver County?
The filing fee for the first filing in a decedent's estate is $229 as of August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)). That amount is statewide. If paying is not possible, use JDF 205 to ask to file without payment.
Does the Denver Probate Court have its own forms?
Yes. Denver publishes DPC 5 Petition to Withdraw Funds from Restricted Registry Account, DPC 6 Objection to Magistrate Hearing Case and DPC 8 Decedent's Family Tree. The forms for starting an estate are the statewide JDF forms.
Can I appear remotely for a Denver probate hearing?
Sometimes, but confirm first. Colorado's statewide Virtual Proceedings Policy makes an uncontested informal probate proceeding a presumptively flexible appearance (Chief Justice Directive 23-03, effective August 1, 2023). The Denver Probate Court publishes Webex links for Courtroom 224 and Courtroom 300, and also instructs that prior approval from the court is required to appear virtually.
How do I look up a Denver probate case?
Use Colorado Docket Search at coloradojudicial.gov/dockets, select Denver - Probate and use PR as the case class. It shows scheduled hearings, not documents. Copies come from the court's records desk, by phone at 303-606-2303, by email at [email protected], or through the online records request portal.
Do I have to travel to Denver to settle an estate here?
Not for every step. A self-represented filing can be mailed, the Self-Help Center answers by phone and email, the Volunteer Attorney Clinic is by telephone, records can be ordered through the court's portal, and remote appearance may be available subject to the court's prior-approval instruction. The will must be delivered to the Denver Probate Court for lodging if the decedent lived in Denver, and documents affecting Denver real property go to the Denver Clerk and Recorder.
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.