California Guardianship Petition Checklist: Every Form and Step

The Filing Sequence

Filing for guardianship of a minor in California requires completing multiple Judicial Council forms in the right order and meeting strict service deadlines before the hearing. Missing a form or a deadline means the hearing gets continued — and you wait weeks longer.

Here is the sequence from start to finish.

Before You File

• Generally file in the Superior Court Probate Division in the county where the child lives. If a custody case is already pending, disclose it on FL-105/GC-120 and check whether the petition should be filed in that court or transferred.
• Check your county's local filing rules — some counties (Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento) require local cover sheets or supplemental forms in addition to the statewide Judicial Council forms
• Decide whether you also need a temporary guardianship (if the child needs immediate protection, file the temporary petition simultaneously with the general petition)

Forms to Prepare

Complete these before going to the courthouse or submitting an e-filing:

1. GC-210(P) — Petition for Appointment of Guardian of the Person. The main petition establishing who you are, who the child is, why the child needs a guardian, and who the parents are.
2. GC-210(CA) — Guardianship Petition Child Information Attachment. One for each child. Covers the child's background, current living situation, and identifies all people entitled to notice.
3. GC-212 — Confidential Guardian Screening Form. Every proposed guardian completes one. Covers residential history, employment, criminal record, and relationship to the child.
4. FL-105/GC-120 — Declaration Under Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA). Discloses any prior or pending custody cases involving the child, in any state.
5. ICWA-010(A) — Indian Child Inquiry Attachment. Required on every petition. States whether the child is or may be an Indian child under the federal Indian Child Welfare Act.
6. ICWA-020 — Parental Notification of Indian Status. Each parent completes this form.
7. FW-001-GC — Request to Waive Court Fees (if applicable). The fee waiver is based on the child's financial situation, not yours. If the child receives Medi-Cal, CalFresh, SSI, or the child's household income is below poverty guidelines, you likely qualify.
8. GC-205 — Information Pamphlet on Guardianship acknowledgment, if your county requires it.

If you are also filing for temporary guardianship:

9. GC-110(P) — Petition for Appointment of Temporary Guardian of the Person. Filed at the same time as GC-210(P).

Filing

• File all forms at the court clerk's office or through the county's e-filing system
• Pay the $435 filing fee (or submit FW-001-GC for a waiver)
• Temporary guardianship adds a $60 fee (also waivable)
• The clerk assigns a hearing date; check your county court's calendar for the expected timing

After Filing: Service and Notice

You must serve notice on all required parties at least 15 days before the hearing:

• Personal service (Form GC-020(P)): Living parents, the child if 12 or older, and any current legal custodian
• Mail service (Form GC-020(MA)): Maternal and paternal grandparents, all siblings (including half-siblings), and the county welfare agency
• Service must be performed by someone other than you — a registered process server, the sheriff, or any disinterested adult aged 18 or older

If a parent agrees, they can sign GC-211 (Consent and Waiver), which waives their notice rights.

If the court knows or has reason to know the child may be an Indian child, send formal notice using ICWA-030 by registered or certified mail with return receipt requested to the child's tribe(s), the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Secretary of the Interior. Notice must be received at least 10 days before the hearing, or 15 days if a tribe requests it; the proceeding is stayed during this notice period.

If a parent cannot be found, you must conduct a due diligence search (voter rolls, utility records, inmate locators, social media, known contacts) and file a Declaration of Due Diligence. Then ask the court for an Order Dispensing with Notice (GC-021) or Order Prescribing Notice (GC-022, which may authorize service by publication).

Before the Hearing

• Submit to Live Scan fingerprinting for background checks through DOJ and FBI — all proposed guardians and adult household members
• Review Probate Notes posted online by the court 3 to 5 days before the hearing. These notes flag any procedural deficiencies (missing proofs of service, incomplete forms, outstanding background clearances) that must be corrected before the judge will hear the case.
• Prepare your hearing folder with copies of all filed forms, proofs of service, background clearance receipts, and the child's school and medical records

At the Hearing

• You, the child (if 12 or older), and your attorney (if you have one) attend
• The judge reviews the investigator's report and any objections
• If everything is in order and uncontested, the hearing is usually brief
• The judge signs GC-240 (Order Appointing Guardian of the Minor)
• The clerk issues GC-250 (Letters of Guardianship) — the operative document proving your authority

What Our Guide Adds

This checklist covers the sequence. Our California Guardianship & Custody Court Process Guide goes deeper: item-by-item form completion guidance, a service tracking log, a due diligence search checklist, a hearing folder organizer, and a post-order compliance calendar for everything after the order is signed.

See more California guides →