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Teller County, CO Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Teller County District Court, sitting at the Teller County Courthouse |
| Judicial district | 4th Judicial District, shared with El Paso County |
| Courthouse address | 101 W. Bennett Avenue, Cripple Creek, CO 80813 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 997, Cripple Creek, CO 80813 |
| Probate registrar phone | (719) 686-6926 |
| General clerk contact | (719) 689-7360; [email protected] |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., except state holidays |
| First filing amount | As of August 2026, $229 for a first filing in a decedent's estate (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)); as of August 2026, $113 for a small estate court filing (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(a), (7)) |
| Local forms | No local Teller County probate packet published; use the statewide Colorado JDF probate forms |
| E-filing status | Colorado Courts E-Filing covers probate for attorneys. Self-represented probate filers in Teller County file in person or by mail because the non-attorney system is limited to domestic relations and eviction cases. |
| Case search | Colorado Docket Search at coloradojudicial.gov/dockets shows scheduled hearings and includes the PR probate case class; it is a docket tool, not a place to get filed documents |
| Remote appearance | Chief Justice Directive 23-03 treats uncontested informal probate as presumptively flexible, but Teller County's virtual courtroom page instructs parties to get court approval before using virtual join links |
| Website | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/courts/trial-courts/teller-county |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a probate path in Teller County, identify what the person owned, what was jointly held, what passed by beneficiary designation, and what debts or liens may affect the estate. That asset map determines whether you are using a court case in the Teller County District Court, a statewide collection of personal property by affidavit, or no probate filing at all.
Sunset's estate settlement process starts with asset discovery across more than 2,300 financial institutions, then uses what is found to help organize the Colorado forms and next steps for the personal representative.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Teller County District Court serves probate matters for estates venued in Teller County. Venue for administration is generally in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death (C.R.S. § 15-12-201), and Colorado requires court to sit in each county within a judicial district at that county's seat (C.R.S. § 13-5-101).
Teller County shares the 4th Judicial District with El Paso County. That shared district does not move a Teller County estate filing to Colorado Springs; file the Teller matter with the Clerk of the District Court at the Teller County Courthouse in Cripple Creek.
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the Colorado route before you file. An informal case is an application directed to the probate registrar; a formal case is a petition heard by a judge with notice to interested persons (C.R.S. § 15-10-201(26), (21)).
- Prepare the statewide JDF forms. Start with JDF 906 if there is a will or JDF 907 if there is no will, add JDF 705, then use JDF 910 or JDF 916 for an informal opening, or JDF 920 or JDF 922 for a formal opening. Use JDF 911 for acceptance and JDF 915 for Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration.
- File with the Clerk of the District Court in Cripple Creek. Self-represented probate filers file in person at 101 W. Bennett Avenue during the court's published hours, or by mail to P.O. Box 997, Cripple Creek, CO 80813. Attorneys use Colorado Courts E-Filing for probate.
- Pay the current statewide court amount or request a fee waiver. As of August 2026, the first filing amount for a decedent's estate is $229 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)); as of August 2026, a small estate court filing is $113 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(a), (7)); supervised administration adds $198 as of August 2026 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(c)).
- Watch Teller County's hearing-setting practice. The county publishes that probate non-appearance hearings are set at 8 a.m. on Wednesdays, with questions directed to 719-689-6926. Division 11 setting dates are Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m.
- Give required notice. Formal proceedings require notice to interested persons, and creditor notice is handled under Colorado's probate notice statutes, including the published notice process in C.R.S. § 15-12-801.
- Confirm any remote appearance before the hearing. Chief Justice Directive 23-03 treats uncontested informal probate as presumptively flexible, but Teller County's virtual courtroom page says prior court approval is needed before using the virtual appearance links.
- After appointment, use the letters. Once the court appoints a personal representative and JDF 915 is issued, the personal representative uses those letters to collect assets, communicate with institutions, and carry out estate settlement tasks.
- Administer and close the estate. The personal representative prepares the inventory within three months after appointment, with filing optional unless needed or requested (C.R.S. § 15-12-706). Informal closing uses JDF 965, and the appointment terminates one year later if no proceeding is pending (C.R.S. § 15-12-1003).
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Teller County
Teller County does not publish a local probate packet or local probate cover sheet for decedent estate cases. Use Colorado's statewide JDF probate forms from the Judicial Branch probate forms pages: https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/self-help-and-court-forms/probate?resource_type=1047 and https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/taxonomy/term/1047?form_category=1047.
| Stage | Common statewide forms |
|---|---|
| Decide the route | JDF 906 for probate with a will; JDF 907 for probate without a will |
| Open the case | JDF 705 Probate Case Information Sheet; JDF 910 or JDF 916 for informal opening; JDF 920 or JDF 922 for formal opening |
| Accept appointment | JDF 911 Acceptance of Appointment; JDF 912 if renunciation or nomination is needed |
| Authority document | JDF 915 Letters Testamentary/of Administration |
| Notice and administration | JDF 940 Information of Appointment; JDF 943 and JDF 944 for creditor notice; JDF 941 inventory; JDF 942 accounting |
| Close informally | JDF 959 instructions; JDF 965 Statement of Personal Representative Closing Administration |
Timeline
- Teller County publishes a probate-specific setting note: probate non-appearance hearings are set at 8 a.m. on Wednesdays, and the county gives 719-689-6926 for questions about that notice.
- The county also publishes Division 11 setting dates on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8:30 a.m., with 719-689-6925 or 719-689-6926 listed for setting-date questions.
- No Teller County filing-to-hearing wait time is published, so use the court's setting notice for the hearing category and confirm the current date with the clerk before relying on travel plans.
Local nuance
Teller County-specific considerations
| Local point | What it means for a Teller County estate |
|---|---|
| Shared district, local filing | Teller County shares the 4th Judicial District with El Paso County, but a Teller County estate is filed at the courthouse in Cripple Creek. |
| Published probate setting note | Teller County says probate non-appearance hearings are set at 8 a.m. on Wednesdays and gives 719-689-6926 for questions about that notice. |
| Different probate-related phone numbers | Use (719) 686-6926 for the probate registrar. Use 719-689-6926 when calling about the county's published probate non-appearance hearing notice or Division 11 setting information. |
| Local self-help hours | The Teller County Self-Represented Litigant Coordinator has published walk-in times at the courthouse and a local phone number, 719-689-6912. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Scenario | Likely Teller County path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with co-owned home | Start by confirming whether the home passes outside probate and whether any assets require appointment of a personal representative. If a court case is needed, file in the Teller County District Court in Cripple Creek. | Sunset helps identify accounts, beneficiary designations, debts, and title issues so the spouse can decide whether a Teller County court filing is needed for estate settlement. |
| Out-of-state adult child with small estate | Check whether Colorado's collection of personal property by affidavit route applies before opening a court case. If a Teller County court filing is needed, a self-represented filer can use mail instead of traveling for the initial filing. | Sunset organizes institution information, prepares the probate packet when a court case is needed, and helps the adult child understand which steps can be handled before traveling. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | If the home needs a personal representative to convey or manage the property, open the estate in the Teller County District Court and use the appointment papers before the sale process moves forward. | Sunset helps find assets and liabilities, generate Colorado forms, and connect the family with a local probate attorney when real estate sale issues make counsel useful. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Teller County Self-Represented Litigant Coordinator, known in Colorado courts as a Sherlock | Procedural help for people without a lawyer. Teller County publishes walk-in hours: Tuesdays 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Wednesdays and Fridays 8:30 a.m. to noon; limited Wednesday and Friday afternoons 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a call ahead. | 719-689-6912 |
| Teller County Clerk of the District Court | Filing counter and general case questions for Teller County matters. | (719) 689-7360; [email protected] |
| Teller County probate registrar | Probate registrar contact for informal estate matters. | (719) 686-6926 |
| Colorado Judicial Branch probate forms | Statewide JDF probate forms and instructions used in Teller County. | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/self-help-and-court-forms/probate?resource_type=1047 |
| Colorado Docket Search | Find scheduled hearings by county, case number, party name, or PR probate case class. | https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/dockets |
| Colorado Legal Services, Colorado Springs office | Statewide civil legal aid provider serving Teller, El Paso, Lincoln, and Fremont counties. Its published program areas do not include probate or estate settlement, so call to ask what help or referral may be available. | 102 S Tejon St Ste 430, Colorado Springs; 719-471-0380 |
| Colorado Bar Association public brochures | Public legal brochures linked by the Judicial Branch, including probate and personal representative materials. | https://www.cobar.org/For-the-Public/Legal-Brochures |
When to hire an attorney
Consider a Colorado probate attorney if family members disagree, a will is challenged, real estate must be sold, creditor claims are disputed, a nonresident estate is involved, or the court requires a formal hearing. Sunset connects to a vetted attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset searches across more than 2,300 financial institutions to help families identify accounts, balances, and clues that shape the Teller County estate settlement plan.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the asset picture into organized Colorado probate paperwork, using the statewide JDF forms and the local Teller County filing details families need for Cripple Creek.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Teller County estate needs legal judgment, a formal hearing, or help with real property, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted Colorado probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement, understand the next step, and decide whether a court filing or attorney connection is needed.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate for a Teller County estate?
File with the Clerk of the District Court at the Teller County Courthouse, 101 W. Bennett Avenue, Cripple Creek, CO 80813. Mail filings to P.O. Box 997, Cripple Creek, CO 80813.
Does Teller County probate go to Colorado Springs because Teller shares the 4th Judicial District with El Paso County?
No. Teller County shares the 4th Judicial District with El Paso County, but a Teller County estate is filed at the Teller County Courthouse in Cripple Creek.
Can a self-represented person use Colorado Courts E-Filing for a Teller County probate case?
No. Colorado Courts E-Filing covers probate for attorneys, while the Judicial Branch's non-attorney system is limited to domestic relations and eviction cases. A self-represented Teller County probate filer uses in-person filing or mail.
What is the current amount to open a Teller County probate case?
As of August 2026, the first filing amount for a decedent's estate is $229 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(b), (7)). As of August 2026, a small estate court filing is $113 (C.R.S. § 13-32-102(1)(a), (7)).
Does Teller County have local probate forms?
Teller County does not publish a local probate packet for decedent estate cases. Use Colorado's statewide JDF probate forms, including JDF 705, JDF 910, JDF 916, JDF 920, JDF 922, JDF 911, JDF 915, and JDF 965 as the case requires.
When are probate non-appearance hearings set in Teller County?
Teller County publishes that probate non-appearance hearings are set at 8 a.m. on Wednesdays. The county gives 719-689-6926 for questions about that probate hearing notice.
Can I appear remotely for a Teller County probate hearing?
Chief Justice Directive 23-03 treats uncontested informal probate as presumptively flexible, but Teller County's virtual courtroom page says parties need court approval before using virtual appearance links. Confirm the appearance method with the division before the hearing.
How do I look up a Teller County probate hearing date?
Use Colorado Docket Search at coloradojudicial.gov/dockets and select Teller County or search by case number, party name, or the PR probate case class. The tool shows docket information, not the filed documents.
Do I have to travel to Cripple Creek to start the case?
Not necessarily. A self-represented filer may mail the probate packet to the Teller County mailing address. If a hearing is set, check the notice and the court's virtual appearance instructions before making travel plans.
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.