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Grand County, CO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Grand County details |
|---|---|
| Court | Grand County District Court, sitting at the Grand County Judicial Center |
| Judicial district | 14th Judicial District, shared with Moffat and Routt counties |
| Courthouse address | 307 Moffat Avenue, Hot Sulphur Springs, CO 80451 |
| Mailing address | PO Box 192, Hot Sulphur Springs, CO 80451 |
| Probate registrar phone | (970) 725-3357. In Grand County, the same office is listed as Clerk of Court, Jury Commissioner and Probate Registrar. |
| Clerk hours | The Grand County trial court page currently lists weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., marked temporary. A separate Judicial Branch location page for the same building lists weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed noon to 1:00 p.m. Call (970) 725-3357 before traveling. |
| First filing amount | $229 for a first filing in a decedent's estate, current as of August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)). A small estate first filing is $113, current as of August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(a), (7)). |
| Local forms | No probate-specific local forms. Grand County publishes general local forms such as a transcript request, research request, blank motion, blank order and general answer or reply. |
| Colorado Courts E-Filing | Attorneys use Colorado Courts E-Filing for probate. For a self-represented personal representative, the non-attorney Colorado Courts E-Filing system is limited to domestic relations and eviction cases; Grand County separately publishes an email-submission route for documents that meet its guidelines. |
| Case search | Colorado Docket Search covers scheduled hearings and includes the PR probate case class. It is a docket search, not a place to read filings. |
| Remote appearance | State policy treats an uncontested informal probate proceeding as presumptively flexible, but the Grand County virtual courtroom page says virtual appearance requires prior approval from the court. |
| Website | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/courts/trial-courts/grand-county |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose forms or contact the Grand County Judicial Center, list the assets, debts, home title, account beneficiaries and known heirs. That first asset picture determines whether estate settlement can stay informal, needs a judge, or should involve a lawyer before the first filing.
Sunset searches more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families find accounts and assets before they prepare a Grand County probate packet. That matters here because a shorter clerk counter window and Grand County's local email-submission guidelines can make an incomplete packet more costly to fix.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Grand County District Court serves estates filed in Grand County at the Grand County Judicial Center in Hot Sulphur Springs. Grand County is part of Colorado's 14th Judicial District with Moffat and Routt counties (C.R.S. § 13-5-115), so district resources are shared, but a Grand County estate is filed in Grand County.
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 a term of district court to be held at each county seat within a judicial district (C.R.S. § 13-5-101).
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the route before you prepare the packet. Informal probate starts with an application to the probate registrar, such as JDF 910 for a will or JDF 916 when there is no will. Formal probate starts with a petition to a judge, such as JDF 920 for a will or JDF 922 when there is no will.
- Download the statewide Colorado JDF probate forms and include the probate case information sheet, JDF 705, plus any will, death certificate, acceptance of appointment and proposed order or letters needed for the route you choose.
- File with the Clerk of the District Court at the Grand County Judicial Center, 307 Moffat Avenue, Hot Sulphur Springs, CO 80451. Because Grand County's trial court page currently lists temporary weekday clerk hours of 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. while a separate location page lists a longer day, call (970) 725-3357 before traveling.
- If you are self-represented and submitting a document by email, use Grand County's published address, [email protected], and follow its local guidelines. The document must be legible, complete, signed, include the case number for an existing case and include identification where required. The filing is not complete until the Clerk's Office accepts and uploads it into the case management system.
- Pay the first filing amount. As of August 2026, the amount for a first filing in a decedent's estate is $229 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)); a small estate first filing is $113 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(a), (7)).
- Handle notice. Formal matters require notice to interested persons. After appointment, the personal representative must handle creditor notice and other notices required by Colorado probate law and the JDF forms.
- Watch for hearing instructions. Grand County does not publish a probate calendar or filing-to-hearing window. If a hearing is set, use the notice from the court and confirm any remote-appearance instructions with the assigned division.
- Use remote appearance carefully. Colorado's statewide Virtual Proceedings Policy makes an uncontested informal probate proceeding presumptively flexible, but the Grand County virtual courtroom page still states that virtual appearance requires prior court approval.
- After appointment, use JDF 915 Letters Testamentary/of Administration as the personal representative's authority document. Banks, title companies and other institutions may ask for certified copies.
- Administer and close the estate. Collect assets, handle claims and expenses, distribute property, keep records and close by the appropriate Colorado JDF closing route for the case.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Grand County
Grand County uses Colorado's statewide JDF probate forms to open, administer and close decedent estates. Grand County publishes general local forms, including a transcript request, research request, blank motion, blank order and general answer or reply, but it does not publish a probate-specific local packet, probate cover sheet or probate form.
| Need | Common statewide form |
|---|---|
| Start with a will informally | JDF 910 Application for Informal Probate of a Will |
| Start without a will informally | JDF 916 Application for Informal Appointment of Personal Representative |
| Start with a will formally | JDF 920 Petition for Formal Probate of Will and Formal Appointment |
| Start without a will formally | JDF 922 Petition for Adjudication of Intestacy and Formal Appointment |
| Authority after appointment | JDF 915 Letters Testamentary/of Administration |
| Close informally | JDF 965 Statement of Personal Representative Closing Administration |
Local nuance
Grand County-specific considerations
| Local point | What to do |
|---|---|
| Temporary clerk counter hours | Use the Grand County trial court page's current temporary counter window, weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., but call before traveling because a separate Judicial Branch location page lists a longer schedule. |
| Separate civil filing window | Grand County's page separately lists civil filings and civil return dates from 8:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Do not treat that as the same thing as the current temporary clerk counter hours. |
| Email-submission route | Grand County publishes [email protected] for submitting documents by email, with requirements for legibility, completeness, signature, case number for existing cases and identification where required. |
| Registrar and clerk overlap | The probate registrar phone is the same as the courthouse phone, (970) 725-3357, because the same office is listed for the Clerk of Court and probate registrar functions. |
| Closures status | The Grand County trial court page currently says the court is operating as normal, but the hours notice remains marked temporary. |
Recent updates
The most important current local note is Grand County's temporary weekday clerk counter window of 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.; because a separate Judicial Branch location page lists a longer schedule, call the Clerk of the District Court before traveling. Page last reviewed: August 2026.
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Grand County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | File with the Clerk of the District Court at the Grand County Judicial Center in Hot Sulphur Springs if an administration is needed. Whether probate is needed depends on how the home was titled and what other assets are in the estate. Call ahead because Grand County's trial court page currently lists temporary clerk counter hours. | Sunset searches across more than 2,300 institutions, helps identify what is actually part of the estate, and assembles a Grand County packet for the courthouse counter or the county's email-submission process. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | The self-represented non-attorney Colorado Courts E-Filing route is limited to domestic relations and eviction cases. Grand County separately publishes an email-submission path for documents that meet its guidelines. If the decedent was not a Colorado resident, informal appointment is delayed until thirty days after death unless a statutory exception applies (C.R.S. § 15-12-307(1)). | Sunset lets the adult child work from outside Colorado, locate accounts, and build a packet formatted for Grand County's local submission rules. If the estate turns contested, Sunset connects the family with counsel. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually means the personal representative will need JDF 915 Letters Testamentary/of Administration and certified copies for the title company. The first filing amount is $229 as of August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)). | Sunset organizes the asset picture, prepares the estate settlement packet, and connects the parent with a local probate attorney for the sale and closing steps. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Grand County probate registrar | Reviews informal filings, decides informal appointments and gives procedural information. The registrar cannot give legal advice. | (970) 725-3357 |
| 14th Judicial District self-represented litigant coordinator for Grand County | Known in Colorado courts as a Sherlock. Helps by appointment with forms, rules and steps for non-criminal cases, but not legal advice. | [email protected], (970) 725-3357 ext. 7 |
| Colorado Legal Services, Craig office | Statewide civil legal aid provider serving Grand County by appointment only. Its published program areas do not include probate or estates, so call to ask what help is available. | 1-800-521-6968 |
| Colorado probate forms and self-help | Statewide JDF probate forms, instructions and glossary. | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/self-help-and-court-forms/probate?resource_type=1047 |
| Colorado Judicial Branch record and document request form | Request copies of court materials, including probate materials from Grand County. A photo ID may be required for probate requests. | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/recorddocument-request-form |
| Colorado Bar Association public brochures | Free public brochures on Colorado probate topics, including what to do when someone dies and serving as personal representative. | https://www.cobar.org/For-the-Public/Legal-Brochures |
When to hire an attorney
A lawyer makes sense in a Grand County estate when heirs disagree, a home must be sold, a creditor claim is contested, the decedent lived outside Colorado, the will is unclear, or the family needs help deciding whether informal, formal or supervised administration is the right path. Sunset connects families with a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches more than 2,300 institutions so the family can see bank accounts, investment accounts, insurance, retirement assets and debts before choosing a probate route.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the asset and family information into a court-ready estate settlement packet using Colorado JDF forms and Grand County filing details.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Grand County estate needs legal judgment, a disputed hearing, a home sale or formal court work, Sunset connects the family with a vetted Colorado probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement, understand next steps and decide whether they need court filing support or attorney help.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file to open an estate in Grand County?
File with the Clerk of the District Court at the Grand County Judicial Center, 307 Moffat Avenue, Hot Sulphur Springs, CO 80451. The mailing address listed for the court is PO Box 192, Hot Sulphur Springs, CO 80451.
What are the Grand County courthouse's current hours?
The Grand County trial court page currently lists weekday courthouse hours of 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., marked temporary. A separate Judicial Branch location page for the same building lists weekdays, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., closed from noon to 1:00 p.m. Call (970) 725-3357 before traveling.
Can I email a probate filing to Grand County, or do I have to use Colorado Courts E-Filing?
Attorneys use Colorado Courts E-Filing for probate. For self-represented parties, the non-attorney Colorado Courts E-Filing system covers only domestic relations and eviction cases. Grand County separately publishes [email protected] for submitting documents by email, with local guidelines for legibility, completeness, signature, case number for existing cases and identification where required.
What does it cost to open an estate in Grand County?
As of August 2026, the first filing amount for a decedent's estate is $229 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)). A small estate first filing is $113, current as of August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(a), (7)). Grand County does not add a local probate charge to those statewide amounts.
Does Grand County have its own probate forms?
Grand County does not publish probate-specific local forms. Use the Colorado statewide JDF probate forms. Grand County does publish general local forms, including a transcript request, research request, blank motion, blank order and general answer or reply.
Can I appear remotely in a Grand County probate hearing?
Colorado's statewide Virtual Proceedings Policy makes an uncontested informal probate proceeding presumptively flexible, meaning parties may elect a virtual appearance without prior authorization unless the court finds good cause to require attendance in person (Chief Justice Directive 23-03, effective August 1, 2023). In practice, Grand County's virtual courtroom page says, "You will not be allowed to appear for court virtually without prior approval from the court." Confirm with the division before the hearing.
Can I look up a Grand County estate case online?
Colorado Docket Search can show scheduled hearings for Grand County and includes the PR probate case class. It is a calendar search, not a document portal. For copies, contact the court where the case was filed or use the Colorado Judicial Branch record and document request form.
Do I have to travel to Hot Sulphur Springs to start a Grand County estate?
Grand County publishes an email-submission route for documents that meet its local guidelines, and the court lists a mailing address. Because the published guidance does not spell out every requirement for a first probate filing, call (970) 725-3357 before relying on a non-counter submission.
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.