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El Paso County, CO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | El Paso County details |
|---|---|
| Court | El Paso County District Court at the El Paso County Judicial Building. The court's own orders and local forms also style it the El Paso County Combined Court, Fourth Judicial District. |
| Judicial district | 4th Judicial District, shared by El Paso and Teller counties (C.R.S. § 13-5-105). |
| Courthouse address | 270 S. Tejon Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. |
| Mailing address | Same as the courthouse address. |
| Filing office | Clerk of the District Court, Room S101. |
| Probate registrar phone | (719) 452-5395. |
| Probate divisions | PR1 and PR2 share 719-452-5003 and [email protected]. |
| General courthouse phone | (719) 452-5000, answered Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Fax | No clerk or probate fax number is published. |
| Clerk hours | Room S101 is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and closes at 3:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month in 2026. |
| Probate walk-up hours | Every Wednesday, protective proceedings from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and estate cases from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call before making a special trip. |
| Filing fee | $229 for a first filing in a decedent's estate, current as of August 2026, under C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7). The small-estate court filing is $113, current as of August 2026, under C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(a), (7). |
| Local forms | Yes. El Paso County publishes FCF 50 Receipt for Lodged Will and a local probate setting schedule, in addition to statewide JDF forms. |
| E-filing | Attorneys file through Colorado Courts E-Filing, which covers probate. The Judicial Branch's e-filing system for people without a lawyer is limited to domestic relations and eviction cases, so a self-represented personal representative uses the in-person route El Paso County publishes and should call the clerk before mailing a case-starting packet. |
| Case search | Colorado Judicial Branch Docket Search includes El Paso County and probate case class PR. It is a docket search, not a document search. |
| Remote appearance | Uncontested informal probate is presumptively flexible under Chief Justice Directive 23-03, effective August 1, 2023. El Paso County lists virtual courtrooms for PR1 and PR2, but its page still directs that virtual attendance requires court approval, so confirm with the assigned division. |
| Website | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/courts/trial-courts/el-paso-county |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before filing in El Paso County, make a complete list of the decedent's accounts, real estate, debts, beneficiaries and possible creditors. Colorado's route choice depends on that picture: an application goes to the probate registrar, while a petition goes before a judge or magistrate with notice (C.R.S. § 15-10-201(21), (26)). Sunset's 2,300-institution asset discovery helps families start estate settlement with the account picture in hand instead of finding missing assets after the packet is filed.
The local calendar matters too. Room S101 closes early on the third Wednesday of each month in 2026, the Probate Division's walk-up window is Wednesday only, the Self-Help Center closes at noon on Wednesdays, and a hearing setting date has to be at least two weeks after the filing date. A complete asset and liability picture makes those courthouse trips more useful.
Which court handles jurisdiction
File an El Paso County estate at the El Paso County Judicial Building, 270 S. Tejon Street in Colorado Springs, through the Clerk of the District Court in Room S101. The same courthouse serves Colorado Springs, the county's unincorporated areas and the rest of El Paso County.
El Paso County sits in the 4th Judicial District with Teller County (C.R.S. § 13-5-105). Teller County has its own courthouse in Cripple Creek and its own probate registrar, so an El Paso County estate is not filed at Teller's courthouse and a Teller County estate is not filed in Colorado Springs. The two counties share the district's chief judge orders and the 4th Judicial District Mediation Office.
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 not domiciled in or resident of Colorado, any county where the decedent owned property at death (C.R.S. § 15-12-201(1)). Colorado also requires a term of district court in each county seat within a judicial district (C.R.S. § 13-5-101), so the practical filing place is El Paso County's district court in Colorado Springs, not the district as an abstract filing venue.
El Paso County spans more than 2,158 square miles, from prairie in the east to the summit of Pikes Peak near the western boundary. Court filings happen downtown on Tejon Street, while recording documents affecting El Paso County real estate happens at the Clerk and Recorder's Recording Department at the Citizens Service Center, 1675 West Garden of the Gods Road.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm that El Paso County is the right county. Use the county where the decedent was domiciled or resident at death, or, for a non-Colorado decedent, a county where the decedent owned property at death (C.R.S. § 15-12-201(1)).
- Inventory the assets and debts before choosing forms. Estate settlement depends on whether the estate can proceed by application to the probate registrar or needs a petition before a judge or magistrate.
- If there is a will, get it to the court after death. The custodian of a will must deliver it within ten days after death, or as soon after as the death is known, to the court with probate jurisdiction in the Colorado county where the decedent resided or was domiciled for lodging in the court's records (C.R.S. § 15-11-516(1)). El Paso County issues its own local receipt, FCF 50, for a lodged will.
- Do not plan on lifetime safekeeping deposit in this district. The chief judge of the 4th Judicial District ordered on March 24, 2026, that the district does not accept the deposit of a will or codicil for safekeeping under C.R.S. § 15-11-515, and the order says it does not change requirements for active probate cases.
- Choose the Colorado route. Informal proceedings use an application directed to the probate registrar and run without notice to interested persons; formal proceedings use a petition before a judge with notice to interested persons (C.R.S. § 15-10-201(21), (26); C.R.S. § 15-12-301(1)).
- Prepare the statewide JDF forms. Start with JDF 906 or JDF 907, then use JDF 705 Probate Case Information Sheet, JDF 910 or JDF 916 for an informal application, JDF 920 or JDF 922 for a formal petition, and JDF 911 Acceptance of Appointment.
- File at the Clerk of the District Court in Room S101. Attorneys use Colorado Courts E-Filing, which covers probate. A self-represented personal representative uses the in-person route El Paso County publishes. If you plan to mail a case-starting packet, call the Clerk of the District Court first because El Paso County publishes the in-person filing route.
- Pay or request a waiver of the filing fee. A first filing in a decedent's estate is $229, current as of August 2026, under C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7). Use JDF 205 and JDF 206 to ask to file without payment.
- For an informal application, expect registrar review. The El Paso County probate registrar reviews informal estate applications, decides appointment of personal representatives in informal estate cases and may ask for more information to correct paperwork deficiencies. The registrar's direct line is (719) 452-5395.
- Use the Wednesday walk-up window if you need procedural help. Every Wednesday, the Probate Division takes estate-case questions from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Staff answer procedural questions but do not complete paperwork or give legal advice.
- If a hearing is needed, follow the local setting procedure. Choose a date at least two weeks after the filing date from the probate setting schedule, file JDF 710 Notice to Set Hearing or JDF 712 Notice of Non-Appearance if uncontested, then call the assigned division once on the non-appearance setting date and leave your name and telephone number. After the division gives a hearing date and time, file JDF 711 Notice of Hearing.
- Check the local probate setting days. Division 15 sets probate matters on Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m. The probate divisions PR1 and PR2 set on Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30 a.m., with seven days' prior notice.
- Confirm the appearance method with the assigned division. Chief Justice Directive 23-03 makes an uncontested informal probate proceeding presumptively flexible, and El Paso County lists virtual courtrooms for PR1 and PR2. The same county page still directs that virtual attendance requires prior approval, so call before relying on a remote appearance.
- Handle exhibits according to the 4th Judicial District order. Attorneys upload exhibits through Colorado Courts E-Filing before or within 21 days after a hearing or trial. A self-represented party's exhibits are filed with the Clerk's Office and scanned into the court record by court staff.
- Obtain authority. Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration issue on JDF 915, and informal appointment fully establishes the status of personal representative and the powers and duties pertaining to that office (C.R.S. § 15-12-307(2)).
- Give notices, prepare the inventory and administer the estate. Use 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 as the case requires.
- Record real-estate documents at the separate recording office. Anything that must be recorded against El Paso County real estate goes to the Clerk and Recorder's Recording Department at 1675 West Garden of the Gods Road, not to the courthouse.
- Close the estate. Informal closing uses JDF 965 Statement of Personal Representative Closing Administration, with JDF 959 as the instruction sheet. The small-estate closing statement is JDF 966, with JDF 958 as the instruction sheet.
Executor duties
- Deliver the will after death and keep the receipt. The custodian must deliver the will for lodging within ten days after death, or as soon after as the death is known (C.R.S. § 15-11-516(1)). El Paso County issues local form FCF 50 as the sealed receipt.
- Do not plan on lifetime will safekeeping with this court. The 4th Judicial District does not accept will or codicil deposits under C.R.S. § 15-11-515 by chief judge order dated March 24, 2026.
- Use the local setting process rather than expecting a hearing date at the counter. The setting date is a non-appearance date, and the filer calls the assigned division once and waits for the returned hearing date.
- If you are handling the estate without a lawyer, bring exhibits to the Clerk's Office on paper before a hearing so court staff can scan them into the record.
- Plan courthouse visits around the local calendar. Room S101 closes at 3:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month in 2026, and the Probate Division's walk-up window for estate cases is Wednesday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Treat recording as a separate errand. Real-estate recording goes to the Clerk and Recorder's Recording Department at the Citizens Service Center on West Garden of the Gods Road.
- Expect probate records requests to be quoted before they are filled. The court may require a government-issued photo ID for probate records, and a records request expires if payment is not received within fourteen days.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in El Paso County
Colorado uses statewide, court-approved JDF forms for opening, administering and closing a decedent's estate, and El Paso County uses that statewide set. The local difference is that El Paso County also publishes a Forms for El Paso County page with FCF 50 Receipt for Lodged Will and the Probate Divisions Setting Information for El Paso County.
| Need | Form or local item |
|---|---|
| Probate instructions | JDF 906 Instructions for Probate with a Will or JDF 907 Instructions for Probate without a Will. |
| Cover sheet | JDF 705 Probate Case Information Sheet. |
| Lodge a will after death | JDF 919 Submission of a Will for Lodging. El Paso County issues FCF 50 Receipt for Lodged Will. |
| Open informally with a will | JDF 910 Application for Informal Probate of a Will, with JDF 913 order. |
| Open informally without a will | JDF 916 Application for Informal Appointment of Personal Representative, with JDF 917 order. |
| Open formally with a will | JDF 920 Petition for Formal Probate of Will and Formal Appointment, with JDF 921 order. |
| Open formally without a will | JDF 922 Petition for Adjudication of Intestacy and Formal Appointment, with JDF 923 order. |
| Accept appointment and get authority | JDF 911 Acceptance of Appointment and JDF 915 Letters Testamentary/of Administration. |
| Set a probate hearing locally | JDF 710 Notice to Set Hearing, JDF 712 Notice of Non-Appearance if uncontested, and JDF 711 Notice of Hearing, used with El Paso County's probate setting schedule. |
| Notify and administer | 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. |
| Close informally | JDF 959 Instructions for Closing an Estate Informally and JDF 965 Statement of Personal Representative Closing Administration. |
| Ask to file without payment | JDF 205 and JDF 206, with JDF 202 as the order. |
Timeline
- Before filing, check the Room S101 calendar. The Clerk's Office is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., but closes at 3:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month in 2026.
- Use Wednesday walk-up hours for procedural probate questions. Protective proceedings are 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; estate cases are 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Call before making a special trip.
- To set a probate hearing, choose a date at least two weeks after the filing date from the court's probate setting schedule.
- Division 15 sets probate matters on Tuesdays at 8:30 a.m. Probate divisions PR1 and PR2 set on Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30 a.m., with seven days' prior notice.
- The setting date is a non-appearance date. On that date, call the assigned division once, leave your name and telephone number, and wait for a return call with the hearing date and time.
- File JDF 711 Notice of Hearing only after the division gives the hearing date and time.
- For exhibits, attorneys upload them before or within 21 days after the hearing or trial under the 4th Judicial District order dated May 22, 2025. A self-represented party's exhibits are filed with the Clerk's Office and scanned into the record by court staff.
- For records, El Paso County quotes the cost first. If payment is not received within fourteen days, the request expires. The statewide record request form says a response is normally provided within three business days.
- The Self-Help Center answers email and voicemail within 48 hours and is open until noon on Wednesdays.
Local nuance
El Paso County-specific considerations
- El Paso County publishes a weekly Probate Division walk-up window. Every Wednesday, staff take protective-proceeding questions from 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and estate-case questions from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Staff answer procedural questions but do not give legal advice.
- El Paso County has two probate divisions, PR1 and PR2, with the shared office line 719-452-5003 and the office mailbox [email protected]. Division 15 also takes probate settings.
- The probate registrar line, the probate division line and the general courthouse line are different. Use (719) 452-5395 for the probate registrar, 719-452-5003 for PR1 and PR2, and (719) 452-5000 for the general courthouse number.
- Room S101 closes an hour early once each month. In 2026, the early close is 3:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month.
- The 4th Judicial District does not accept lifetime will deposits for safekeeping under C.R.S. § 15-11-515, by order dated March 24, 2026. Lodging a will after death is different, and El Paso County issues FCF 50 as the receipt.
- El Paso County has local probate materials. The probate items are FCF 50 Receipt for Lodged Will and the Probate Divisions Setting Information for El Paso County.
- The local setting procedure has a two-week floor. The date selected for setting must be at least two weeks after the filing date, and the setting date itself is not an appearance date.
- The 4th Judicial District Mediation Office covers El Paso and Teller counties, lists probate among the case types its mediators handle, and receives mediation requests at [email protected].
- Self-represented exhibits are handled locally on paper at the Clerk's Office and scanned into the record by court staff. Attorneys upload exhibits through Colorado Courts E-Filing under the district's May 22, 2025 order.
- The Self-Help Center has a bilingual form-completion assistance waiver for an unrepresented party who cannot write basic sentences because of a disability, language barrier or literacy. Staff write or type exactly what the party says and do not edit content or grammar.
- Probate record requests may require a government-issued photo ID. Requests can be made through the court's record request form, by email to [email protected], in person in Room S101 or by mail to the Research Department. Questions go to (719) 452-5490.
- Recording is in another building. Court papers are handled downtown on Tejon Street, while real-estate recording goes to the Clerk and Recorder's Recording Department at 1675 West Garden of the Gods Road.
Recent updates
| Date | Local update |
|---|---|
| March 24, 2026 | The chief judge of the 4th Judicial District entered Chief Judge Order 2026-01, confirming that the district does not accept the deposit of any will or codicil for safekeeping under C.R.S. § 15-11-515, and that the order does not change what an open probate case requires. |
| 2026 | The Clerk's Office in Room S101 closes at 3:30 p.m. instead of 4:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of every month in 2026: January 21, February 18, March 18, April 15, May 20, June 17, July 15, August 19, September 16, October 21, November 18 and December 16. |
| July 15, 2026 | The Self-Help Center moved to Wednesday hours of 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., while staying 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. |
| May 22, 2025 | Chief Judge Order 2025-06 set the district's exhibit-handling rule: attorneys upload exhibits to Colorado Courts E-Filing before or within 21 days after a hearing or trial, and a self-represented party's exhibits are filed with the Clerk's Office and scanned into the record by court staff. |
| May 7, 2025 | The court's Probate Divisions Setting Information for El Paso County was revised, listing Tuesday settings for Division 15 and Tuesday or Thursday settings with seven days' prior notice for probate divisions PR1 and PR2, each at 8:30 a.m. |
Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Open the estate at the Clerk of the District Court in Room S101 at 270 S. Tejon Street. If the informal paperwork is in order, the application goes to the El Paso County probate registrar. If a question comes up, use the Wednesday estate-case walk-up window from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Any document that must be recorded against the El Paso County home goes to the Clerk and Recorder's Recording Department at 1675 West Garden of the Gods Road. | Sunset traces accounts, titles and debts first, so the spouse knows what belongs in the estate and what passed outside probate before starting the packet. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Start by calling the probate registrar at (719) 452-5395 and the Self-Help Center at 719-452-5100. The non-attorney e-filing system is limited to domestic relations and eviction cases, so plan around the in-person route El Paso County publishes and call before mailing a case-starting packet. If there is a will, it must reach the court after death for lodging under C.R.S. § 15-11-516(1). For an uncontested informal matter, Chief Justice Directive 23-03 makes the appearance presumptively flexible, but the assigned division should still be contacted before relying on virtual attendance. | Sunset builds the asset picture and generates the packet remotely, reducing the chance that an out-of-state child travels to Colorado Springs with incomplete paperwork. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Open the estate in Room S101 and expect JDF 915 Letters Testamentary/of Administration to be the authority document a buyer, lender or title company asks to see. If the sale needs court time, use the El Paso County setting procedure: pick a setting date at least two weeks after filing, file the Notice to Set, call the assigned division on the non-appearance setting date, then file the Notice of Hearing after a date is returned. When the sale closes, recording is handled at the Clerk and Recorder's Recording Department, not at the courthouse. | Sunset's asset discovery helps identify the mortgage, liens, accounts and title issues that determine whether the sale can close and what the estate settlement requires. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| El Paso County Self-Help Center | Helps people without lawyers understand court terms, forms, procedures and next steps. Staff do not give legal advice. Email or voicemail replies may take up to 48 hours, and WebEx appointments are available by phone. | [email protected], 719-452-5100. Hours are 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and 7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Wednesday. |
| Probate Division walk-up hours | Open weekly window for procedural probate questions. Estate cases are handled Wednesday from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.; protective proceedings are 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Staff cannot complete paperwork or give legal advice. | Call 719-452-5003 before making a special trip. |
| El Paso County probate registrar | The registrar reviews informal estate applications, decides the appointment of personal representatives in informal estate cases, may ask an applicant for more information to correct deficiencies in paperwork, and cannot give legal advice. | (719) 452-5395. |
| Form completion assistance waiver | For an unrepresented party who cannot write basic sentences because of a disability, language barrier or literacy, the Self-Help Center may write or type exactly what the party says after a waiver is signed. Staff do not edit content or grammar and do not give legal advice. | Ask the Self-Help Center. |
| Justice Corps | Colorado College students assist people without lawyers with procedural questions. Hours vary. | At the Self-Help Center. |
| Colorado Judicial Branch probate forms | Statewide JDF forms for opening, administering and closing Colorado estates. | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/taxonomy/term/1047?form_category=1047 |
| Colorado Judicial Branch probate self-help hub | Statewide probate information, links to forms, glossary materials and related resources. | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/self-help-and-court-forms/probate?resource_type=1047 |
| Colorado Judicial Branch Docket Search | Shows scheduled hearings and includes El Paso County probate case class PR. It does not provide court documents. | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/dockets |
| El Paso County records requests | Requests for copies or records can be made through the court's record request process. Probate records may require a government-issued photo ID. The court quotes cost before filling the request. | [email protected], (719) 452-5490, Room S101 or mail to the Research Department at 270 S. Tejon Street. |
| 4th Judicial District Mediation Office | Court-associated mediation office for El Paso and Teller counties. Its materials list probate among the case types handled, and a reduced-payment request route is published. | [email protected] |
| The Justice Center | Offers free brief legal advice by phone on Wednesday evenings and income-eligible free or reduced-fee referral programs with attorneys and licensed legal paraprofessionals practicing in El Paso and Teller counties. A match is not guaranteed. | (719) 473-6212. Free brief advice line runs Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. |
| Colorado Legal Services, Colorado Springs office | Statewide civil legal aid provider serving El Paso, Lincoln, Teller and Fremont counties. Its published program areas do not include probate, so call to ask what help is available. | 102 South Tejon Street, Suite 430, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. 719-471-0380. New applicants are taken 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; the lobby closes noon to 1:00 p.m. |
| El Paso County Bar Association Lawyer Referral and Information Service | Connects requesters with participating attorneys when a match is available. Referrals are handled by request rather than through walk-in office hours, and a match is not guaranteed. | (719) 473-9700. https://www.elpasocountybar.org/public-resources |
| Colorado Bar Association public brochures | Public legal brochures linked by the Judicial Branch, including 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 a personal representative, and El Paso County has stronger-than-usual procedural support: a Self-Help Center, a dedicated Probate Registrar, weekly walk-up probate hours and a local setting schedule. Counsel makes sense when the case becomes contested, when supervised administration is requested, when real estate must be sold, when a creditor claim has to be litigated or when a family member disputes who should serve. Supervised administration adds a $198 filing fee, current as of August 2026, under C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(c). El Paso County also has The Justice Center, the El Paso County Bar Association referral service and the 4th Judicial District Mediation Office. Sunset connects families to a vetted local probate attorney at no cost.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions to help identify bank accounts, investments, retirement accounts, insurance and other assets before the El Paso County packet is filed. A clearer asset picture makes estate settlement easier at the registrar's review stage and reduces repeat trips to Room S101.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the asset, debt and family information into an organized probate packet using Colorado's statewide JDF forms and El Paso County's local requirements, including the lodged-will receipt and the county's hearing-setting process when they apply.
Find a local probate attorney. If the estate becomes contested, involves real estate, needs supervised administration or has a creditor fight, Sunset helps connect the family with a vetted Colorado probate attorney who understands El Paso County practice.
Sunset is free for families. Sunset does not charge families for estate settlement support. The goal is to make the next step clearer, whether that means filing with the Clerk of the District Court, asking a procedural question at the Wednesday probate window or bringing in counsel.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in El Paso County?
File at the Clerk of the District Court, Room S101, El Paso County Judicial Building, 270 S. Tejon Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80903. Attorneys use Colorado Courts E-Filing. A self-represented personal representative uses the in-person route El Paso County publishes and should call the Clerk of the District Court before mailing a case-starting packet.
What is the phone number for probate in El Paso County?
(719) 452-5395 reaches the El Paso County probate registrar directly. 719-452-5003 reaches the court's probate divisions PR1 and PR2 and the probate window. (719) 452-5000 is the general courthouse number, answered Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
What are the clerk's hours at the El Paso County Judicial Building?
The Clerk's Office in Room S101 is open Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It closes at 3:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month in 2026.
Can I talk to someone about an El Paso County probate case without a hearing?
Yes. The Probate Division holds open walk-up hours every Wednesday. Protective proceedings are 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; estate cases are 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Staff answer procedural questions and cannot complete paperwork or give legal advice. Call before making a special trip.
Can I e-file a probate case in El Paso County?
Attorneys file through Colorado Courts E-Filing, which covers probate. The Judicial Branch's e-filing system for people without a lawyer is limited to domestic relations and eviction cases, so a self-represented personal representative uses the in-person route El Paso County publishes. The 4th Judicial District's exhibit order uses the same split: attorneys upload exhibits, and self-represented parties file exhibits at the Clerk's Office for court staff to scan.
How much does it cost to file probate in El Paso County?
A first filing in a decedent's estate is $229, current as of August 2026, under C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7). A small-estate court filing is $113, current as of August 2026, under C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(a), (7). The fee is statewide, and JDF 205 with JDF 206 is the route to ask to file without payment.
How do I get a probate hearing date in El Paso County?
Pick a date at least two weeks after your filing date from the court's probate setting schedule, file JDF 710 Notice to Set Hearing or JDF 712 Notice of Non-Appearance if uncontested, then call the assigned division once on the non-appearance setting date and leave your name and number. After the date and time come back, file JDF 711 Notice of Hearing. Division 15 sets on Tuesday at 8:30 a.m.; PR1 and PR2 set on Tuesday and Thursday at 8:30 a.m., with seven days' prior notice.
Can I appear remotely for an El Paso County probate hearing?
Chief Justice Directive 23-03, effective August 1, 2023, makes an uncontested informal probate proceeding presumptively flexible, meaning parties may elect virtual or in-person attendance unless the court finds good cause to require in-person attendance. El Paso County lists separate virtual courtrooms for PR1 and PR2 and says the host will admit a party or someone otherwise permitted to appear. The same page still directs that virtual attendance requires prior approval, so contact the assigned division before the hearing.
Are there El Paso County probate forms as well as statewide Colorado forms?
Yes. Colorado's main estate forms are the statewide JDF set. El Paso County adds FCF 50 Receipt for Lodged Will and the Probate Divisions Setting Information for El Paso County on its local forms page.
Can I deposit my will with the El Paso County court for safekeeping?
No. The chief judge of the 4th Judicial District ordered on March 24, 2026, that the district does not accept the deposit of any will or codicil for safekeeping under C.R.S. § 15-11-515. After death is different: the will custodian must deliver the will for lodging within ten days after death, or as soon after as the death is known, under C.R.S. § 15-11-516(1), and El Paso County issues its own sealed receipt.
Can I look up an El Paso County probate case online?
The Colorado Judicial Branch Docket Search covers El Paso County and includes probate case class PR, so scheduled estate hearings can be searched by county, courthouse, division, case number or party name. It is a calendar search, not a document search. For copies from an El Paso County file, use the court's records request process, email [email protected], ask in Room S101 or mail the Research Department. Probate records may require a government-issued photo ID.
Do I have to travel to Colorado Springs to settle an El Paso County estate?
Some tasks can be handled by phone, email, WebEx appointment or through counsel, and uncontested informal probate is presumptively flexible under Colorado's virtual-proceedings policy. The will still has to reach the court for lodging after death, the in-person filing route El Paso County publishes is Room S101, and any recording against El Paso County real estate goes to the Clerk and Recorder's Recording Department at 1675 West Garden of the Gods Road.
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.