Last updated 2026-08-19
TL;DR
Colorado does not issue a conservator license. The district court appoints you, and you stay appointed until the court ends it. Renewal is the paper that keeps you in good standing: an inventory within 60 days and a report at least yearly, plus any required bond. Fees and hearing dates vary by district. Confirm both with the clerk.
Do you need a license for conservator in Colorado?
No. Colorado does not license conservators as an occupation. You become a conservator only if a district court or Denver Probate Court appoints you under Title 15, Article 14. There is no conservator card from DORA. The court issues letters of conservatorship after a hearing.
That surprises people who treat this like a trade license. It is a fiduciary appointment. C.R.S. 15-14-413 sets priorities for who the court may name. A person nominated by the protected person sits high on that list. A spouse does too. An adult child. A parent. Someone the court finds has a special skill. The statute does not ask for a professional license number. [3][13]
Professional fiduciaries walk the same petition path. They do not skip notice because they have a website. If someone sells you a Colorado conservator license course, walk away. The state does not run that exam.
You still have duties. Bond if the judge requires one. Inventory. Reports. Court approval for certain deals. Those duties come from the probate code, not from a licensing board. Read the letters the clerk issues. Banks will ask for a certified copy. They will not ask for a DORA wallet card.
I would still complete a background check packet if that district's instructions say the judge wants one. Some clerks ask. That is local practice, not a statewide license. Confirm it before you file so you are not standing at the counter short a form.
What does conservator renewal actually mean in Colorado?
Colorado conservator appointments do not expire on an anniversary the way a driver's license does. The court keeps you in office until it terminates the conservatorship or removes you. What people call conservator renewal is the yearly paper, plus the bond continuation, that prove you are still doing the job.
C.R.S. 15-14-420 says a conservator shall report to the court for administration of the estate annually unless the court otherwise directs. [2] That annual report is the real renewal event. Miss it and you can get a deficiency letter, a citation, or a removal hearing.
The surety on your bond will also want a premium if the court required a bond. That invoice feels like a renewal. It is a private insurance continuation, not a state license fee.
Banks get picky about stale letters. Letters of conservatorship carry no printed expiration date in the usual case. Tellers still ask for a recently certified copy. Budget time for the clerk's certified-copy line before a refinance or a brokerage transfer.
If you are comparing paper paths, conservator renewal in Arizona and conservator renewal in California also run on court reports, not occupational licenses. The form names differ. The idea does not.
I calendar three dates the afternoon letters issue: the sixty-day inventory, the twelve-month report, and the bond premium if there is a surety. Memory is a bad fiduciary.
When is the conservator inventory due in Colorado?
Sixty days. Colorado law gives a conservator sixty days after appointment to file a complete inventory of the estate. C.R.S. 15-14-419 states, "Within sixty days after appointment, a conservator shall prepare and file with the appointing court a complete inventory of the estate subject to the conservatorship." [1][13]
Tape that sentence to the file. Sixty days goes fast if a bank will not admit you exist, or if the house has a garage full of untitled stuff.
Most Colorado districts want that inventory inside the Conservator's Financial Plan packet, Judicial Department Form JDF 885. [5] The plan is how you tell the court how you will spend, save, and protect the money. File the motion that travels with it. Ask the clerk whether the judge wants a short hearing on the plan or will rule on the paper.
Do not invent values. Use statements dated near the appointment. For household goods, a good-faith estimate is what the statute's oath contemplates. The same section requires an oath or affirmation that the inventory is believed to be complete and accurate as far as information permits. [1]
If sixty days is impossible because an institution is slow, file what you have and ask the court in writing for more time. Silent lateness looks worse than a short motion.
Open a dedicated checking account in the conservatorship name as soon as letters issue. Mixing grocery money with the protected person's funds is how first-year accountings blow up. Title the account the way the letters read.
How do Colorado annual conservator reports work?
You report at least once a year. A conservator shall report to the court for administration of the estate annually unless the court otherwise directs, and also on resignation, removal, or termination. C.R.S. 15-14-420 says, "A conservator shall report to the court for administration of the estate annually unless the court otherwise directs." [2]
The Judicial Department publishes the current report and plan forms on its conservatorship self-help and forms pages. [4][5] Districts sometimes attach local cover sheets. Use this year's JDF, not a copy from a 2014 email.
| Paper | Statute clock | What I actually file |
|---|---|---|
| Opening inventory and financial plan | 60 days after appointment | JDF 885 packet plus the oath |
| Annual administration report | Every 12 months unless the order says otherwise | Current conservator report JDF plus statements |
| Final report | When the conservatorship ends or you leave office | Final numbers and a request for discharge |
What goes in the report: receipts, disbursements, assets on hand, and a plain description of what you did. If you paid yourself, show the order that allowed it. If you sold a car, attach the order if C.R.S. 15-14-411 required approval. [10]
Some judges want a simplified report on a small estate. Some want a full accounting with every statement. Nobody publishes a clean statewide rubric. Call the probate clerk in the district that appointed you and ask which form that judge expects this year.
Calendar the date letters issued. Count twelve months. Work backward two weeks so you are not at the printer the night before. A late report is how renewal turns into a show-cause hearing. File something complete even if a 1099 is still missing, and say what is missing.
How much does conservator cost in Colorado?
There is no single Colorado conservator price. Cost is a stack: court fees, possible visitor and lawyer bills, a bond premium if the judge requires a bond, and later the cost of doing the accountings. Docket fees sit in C.R.S. 13-32-101 and they change. Confirm the current number with the clerk before you write a check. [7]
I will not invent a filing fee. The legislature amends that statute. Clerks also collect copy fees and certification fees that are separate from the docket fee.
| Cost item | Who sets it | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| District court docket fee | C.R.S. 13-32-101 | Confirm with the clerk of the court where you will file |
| Certified letters | Clerk copy and certification charges | Confirm per-page and certification prices |
| Surety bond premium | Private surety | Get a quote after the order sets the penal sum |
| Attorney fees | Your retainer agreement | Ask for a written estimate before the petition |
| Conservator pay | The judge under C.R.S. 15-14-417 | Do not pay yourself without an order |
| Visitor fee | The court, if a visitor is appointed | Ask whether the estate pays |
Attorney time is usually the big number. Uncontested family petitions can still take several lawyer hours for the petition, notice, hearing, and letters. Contested capacity fights cost much more. Nobody has good public data on a Colorado median. The GAO has even said national figures on guardian misconduct are thin, which is a polite way of saying you should not trust a blog that invents a typical price. [15] Be wary of anyone who quotes a flat typical cost without seeing the estate.
C.R.S. 15-14-417 says a conservator is entitled to reasonable compensation from the estate if not otherwise paid. [8] I would not take a fee without an order. Family members often serve without pay, which is fine if you can afford the time.
Optional kits and software are extra. If you want pre-built bond and accounting folders, ConservatorPath sells a $199 one-time Bond + Accounting Kit. The court does not require that product. A cheap binder and a spreadsheet work if you actually use them.
Waste of money: paying a coach for a fictional license exam. There is not one. Also a waste: fancy fiduciary software in year one when the estate is a checking account and a car.
How long does conservator take in Colorado?
As long as notice, the court's docket, and any fight over capacity take. Mailed notice of a probate hearing is generally at least fourteen days before the hearing under C.R.S. 15-10-401. [9] That is a floor, not a promise that you will be heard on day fifteen.
I will not give you a statewide processing time. Colorado does not publish a median days-to-letters figure that I trust. Rural districts and Denver Probate Court do not move on the same clock. [11] Confirm available hearing dates with the clerk when you file.
Uncontested family cases can finish in a matter of weeks after filing if the docket is open and notice is clean. Contested cases, incomplete service, or a needed professional evaluation add months. Temporary or protective orders exist for urgent property problems, but they are not a shortcut around notice rules. Ask counsel before you chase an emergency caption.
After appointment, the sixty-day inventory clock starts. [1] The annual report clock starts too. [2] Those are the timelines that matter for renewal.
If someone guarantees letters by a Friday, they are guessing. Courts continue hearings. Respondents get counsel. Visitors need time to write. Build slack into any plan that depends on access to an account.
Do you need a bond to stay appointed as a Colorado conservator?
Maybe. C.R.S. 15-14-415 lets the court require a conservator to furnish a bond. [12] The judge sets the amount. Restricted accounts and blocked accounts sometimes stand in for a large surety bond. That is a court call, not yours.
If a bond issued, staying appointed means keeping that bond in force. The surety can cancel. If it does, tell the court immediately and arrange a replacement. Letting a required bond lapse is a fast way to get removed.
Premiums renew with the insurance company. That invoice is one reason people search for conservator renewal in Colorado. Pay it from the estate if the order allows, and keep the paid invoice for the annual report.
I would not buy a bigger bond than the order requires. I also would not assume a family appointment is automatically bond-waived. Ask. Get the waiver in the order if that is what the judge is doing. A verbal "we usually waive those" is not an order.
Compare the paper. Conservator renewal in Idaho follows a similar bond-plus-report pattern. The form numbers will not match Colorado's JDF set. Do not file an Idaho form in Denver and hope.
What happens if you miss a Colorado conservator report?
The court can order you to file, can surcharge you, and can remove you. C.R.S. 15-14-112 lets an interested person petition for removal when removal would be in the protected person's best interest. [13] A missed report is how that file often starts.
Clerks often send a deficiency notice first. Do not ignore it. File the report and a short explanation. Judges have seen the "I was traveling" letter. Bring the numbers.
If you cannot complete a full accounting, file a partial report and a request for more time. Silence is worse. The annual duty does not pause because a brokerage statement is late. [2]
Interested persons can ask the court to put someone else in. A successor conservator can be appointed. You may still have to file a final report before you are done. [2][14]
I would rather file an ugly, complete report on time than a pretty one six weeks late. Pretty does not cure a missed statutory clock.
If money is missing, get a lawyer the same week. Do not try to paper over a hole with a narrative. The report is a set of numbers that have to tie to the inventory you already swore to. [1]
How do you end a Colorado conservatorship?
A conservatorship ends when the court terminates it. Death of the protected person is the common trigger. So is a finding that the protection is no longer needed. C.R.S. 15-14-431 governs termination of proceedings. [14]
You do more than close the checking account and walk away. File the final report. Deliver remaining assets to the personal representative, the now-restored person, or whoever the order names. Ask for a discharge so you are not still on the hook for a later surprise.
Banks will freeze or retitle on a death certificate plus new authority in the estate. Bring certified copies. Call the institution before you drive over. Some still want letters plus a small stack of their own forms.
If the person improves and wants the conservatorship ended, they (or someone else) petition. Expect a hearing. Do not rely on a verbal "I'm fine now." The appointment dies on an order, not on a good week.
A move out of state is not an ending by itself. You may need transfer papers. That is a different case, not a renewal filing.
Where do you file, and is Denver different?
File in the district court for the right venue under Article 14, unless the case belongs in Denver Probate Court. Denver has a separate probate court for the City and County of Denver. [11] Everywhere else, the district court sits as the probate court.
Venue usually follows where the person lives. Confirm before you drive a petition to the wrong clerk. A wrong-county filing wastes the docket fee you just paid under 13-32-101. [7]
Self-represented packets live on the Colorado Judicial Branch conservatorship self-help page, including the petition set that starts with JDF 875. [4][6] Use those JDF forms. Local judges still add standing orders. Denver Probate Court is known for its own checklists. Read them the week you file, not the morning of the hearing.
If you later move the protected person, tell the court. Do not assume another state will honor stale Colorado letters without extra paper.
For how other states handle the yearly paper, see conservator renewal in Illinois and conservator renewal in Florida. Useful if a snowbird estate sits in two places.
What should you keep so the next accounting is easy?
Keep every statement, canceled check image, receipt, and court order. Keep the letters. Keep the bond. Keep a running ledger from day one.
I use one estate checking account and pay everything I can from that account. Cash is where accountings die. If you must use cash, write a receipt the same day and photograph it.
Photograph valuable personal property when you take control. Date the photos. If a cousin later says the gold chain vanished, you want the photo.
The inventory under C.R.S. 15-14-419 is your opening balance. [1] The annual report is the movie. If those two do not talk to each other, the judge will notice.
Scan as you go. A shoe box works until it does not. The CFPB's lay guide for court-appointed conservators is blunt about separating the person's money from yours and writing things down. [14]
You do not need enterprise software in year one. You need dates, payees, and amounts that match the bank. If the estate later grows into rentals and brokerage accounts, you can upgrade the tools. Starting fancy is how people delay the first ledger.
Can a family member serve without a professional credential?
Yes. Most Colorado conservators are family. C.R.S. 15-14-413 is built around family and nominee priorities. [3] A professional credential is not the ticket in.
A family conservator still files the inventory, the plan, and the annual report. The judge can still require a bond. The duties are the same size as the estate, not the same size as your affection.
I would hire a probate lawyer to get through the first petition if there is a house, a retirement account, or a sibling who will fight. After letters issue, many families do the yearly report themselves with the JDF and the bank statements. [4][5]
If the estate is a tangle (a business, out-of-state land, a special needs trust already in place), a professional fiduciary can be the cleaner choice. The court can appoint one. You can ask. That is still not a license. It is another appointment.
Other states draw this line differently. Conservator renewal in Georgia is still a court-report system. Conservator renewal in Connecticut is worth reading if you are moving someone between jurisdictions and need to see another state's yearly paper.
What court approvals do you still need after you are appointed?
Appointment is not a blank check. C.R.S. 15-14-411 requires court approval for listed transactions. Gifts, some sales, and other deals that change the estate in a big way often need an order first. [10]
Read 15-14-411 before you list the house. Ordinary bills are different. Day-to-day administration sits in the powers sections of Part 4, and in whatever the financial plan already approved. [5][13]
If the financial plan the court signed already describes a sale, you may have your order. If it does not, file a petition and wait. Selling first and asking later is how surcharges happen.
This is not renewal paper. It is the paper that keeps a renewal from turning into a removal. A clean annual report cannot fix an unauthorized gift you made in March.
ConservatorPath is an independent publisher, not a law firm and not the court. If you want the optional kit mentioned earlier, go to /start. The Judicial Branch JDF forms are still the ones the clerk will accept. [4] Confirm every fee, every local cover sheet, and every hearing date with the district that owns your file. No article can promise you an approval or a turnaround time.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license for conservator in Colorado?
No. Colorado does not issue an occupational conservator license. A district court or Denver Probate Court appoints you under Title 15, Article 14. Letters of conservatorship are the credential banks want. Family members and professional fiduciaries use the same petition path. Confirm any local background-check instruction with the clerk.
How much does conservator cost in Colorado?
There is no honest statewide sticker price. You will pay a docket fee set in C.R.S. 13-32-101 (confirm the current amount with the clerk), plus copies, possible visitor and lawyer bills, and a surety premium if a bond is ordered. Attorney time is usually the largest number. Nobody publishes a reliable Colorado median. Get written estimates before you file.
How long does conservator take in Colorado?
Mailed hearing notice is generally at least fourteen days under C.R.S. 15-10-401. Getting on the docket takes longer and varies by district. Uncontested family cases can finish in weeks after filing. Contested cases take months. Colorado does not publish a median days-to-letters figure. Confirm dates with the clerk. Nobody can guarantee a hearing day.
How often does a Colorado conservator have to file a report?
At least annually unless the court sets a different schedule, and also on resignation, removal, or termination. That duty is in C.R.S. 15-14-420. Calendar twelve months from the date letters issued and work backward two weeks. Ask the appointing district which JDF report form that judge wants this year.
Is the 60-day inventory the same as the annual report?
No. C.R.S. 15-14-419 requires a complete inventory within sixty days after appointment. The annual report under 15-14-420 is a later picture of receipts, disbursements, and assets on hand. Most districts want the opening inventory inside the JDF 885 financial plan packet. The two filings have to tie together.
Can the judge waive a conservator bond in Colorado?
Yes, the court can decline to require a bond or can use restricted accounts instead. C.R.S. 15-14-415 lets the court require a bond and set the amount. Waiver is not automatic for family appointments. If the judge is waiving, get that in the order. If a bond issued, keep the premium paid so the surety does not cancel.
Do letters of conservatorship expire in Colorado?
Usually no printed expiration date. The appointment continues until the court terminates it or removes you. Banks and title companies still often want a recently certified copy. Budget a clerk trip before a refinance or a brokerage transfer. Certified-copy fees are set locally. Confirm them when you request the copies.
What court form is the Colorado conservator inventory?
Most districts use Judicial Department Form JDF 885, the Conservator's Financial Plan with Inventory and Motion for Approval. Download the current PDF from the Colorado Judicial Branch, not a stale email attachment. Some judges add a local cover sheet. Ask the probate clerk in the appointing district before you file.
Can I pay myself as a family conservator in Colorado?
C.R.S. 15-14-417 allows reasonable compensation from the estate if you are not otherwise paid. I would not take a dollar without an order. Family members often serve without pay. If you want a fee, put it in the financial plan or file a separate request and wait. Paying yourself first is how reports get ugly.
What if the protected person dies while I am the conservator?
The conservatorship does not vanish on the death certificate. C.R.S. 15-14-431 covers termination of proceedings. File a final report, turn remaining assets over to the personal representative or other person the order names, and ask to be discharged. Banks will want a death certificate and new estate authority, more than your old letters.
Do I need a lawyer for the annual conservator report?
Not always. Many family conservators complete the JDF report with bank statements after the first year. I would still use a probate lawyer for the opening petition if there is real estate, a retirement account, or a fight. Use counsel on any year the numbers will not tie, or if you need approval under C.R.S. 15-14-411.
Is Denver Probate Court the only probate court in Colorado?
No. Denver has a separate Denver Probate Court for the City and County of Denver. In every other district, the district court handles probate, including conservatorship. File in the right venue. A wrong-county petition wastes the docket fee. Confirm venue with the clerk before you drive the packet over.
What is the difference between a guardian and a conservator in Colorado?
A guardian makes personal decisions such as residence and health care. A conservator manages property and money. Colorado can appoint one, the other, or both. Renewal talk for conservators is about inventories, accountings, and bonds. Guardianship has its own reports. Do not file the wrong packet because the captions look similar.
Sources
- Colorado Revised Statutes § 15-14-419 (Justia 2023): A conservator must file a complete inventory of the estate within sixty days after appointment, with an oath or affirmation of completeness.
- Colorado Revised Statutes § 15-14-420 (Justia 2023): A conservator shall report to the court for administration of the estate annually unless the court otherwise directs, and also on resignation, removal, or termination.
- Colorado Revised Statutes § 15-14-413 (Justia 2023): Who may be appointed conservator is set by statutory priorities (nominee, family, person with special skills), not by an occupational license.
- Colorado Judicial Branch, Self-Help Conservatorship: The Colorado Judicial Branch publishes self-represented conservatorship instructions and points filers to the current JDF forms.
- Colorado Judicial Branch, JDF 885 Conservator's Financial Plan with Inventory: JDF 885 is the statewide Judicial Department form used for the conservator's financial plan and inventory packet.
- Colorado Judicial Branch, JDF 875 Petition for Appointment of Conservator: JDF 875 is the Judicial Department petition used to ask a Colorado court to appoint a conservator.
- Colorado Revised Statutes Title 13, Office of Legislative Legal Services CRS PDF: C.R.S. 13-32-101 is the statute that sets Colorado district court docket fees, which clerks collect and which the legislature can amend.
- Colorado Revised Statutes § 15-14-417 (Justia 2023): A conservator is entitled to reasonable compensation from the estate if not otherwise compensated, subject to the court.
- Colorado Revised Statutes § 15-10-401 (Justia 2023): Mailed notice of a Colorado probate hearing must be sent at least fourteen days before the hearing unless a more specific rule applies.
- Colorado Revised Statutes § 15-14-411 (Justia 2023): Certain conservator transactions require prior court approval even after appointment.
- Colorado Judicial Branch, Denver Probate Court: The City and County of Denver has a separate Denver Probate Court; other Colorado districts handle probate in district court.
- Colorado Revised Statutes § 15-14-415 (Justia 2023): The court may require a conservator to furnish a bond and sets the bond terms.
- Colorado Revised Statutes Title 15, Office of Legislative Legal Services CRS PDF: Colorado conservator appointment, inventory, reporting, bond, removal, and termination rules are enacted in Title 15, Article 14 of the Colorado Revised Statutes.
- CFPB, Managing Someone Else's Money: Help for court-appointed conservators: The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau publishes a lay guide telling court-appointed conservators to separate funds and keep written records.
- U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-16-667: GAO concluded the extent of abuse by guardians is unknown, which is why invented national or statewide cost and harm averages should not be treated as fact.