Colorado CBI Background Check for Guardianship: What You Need

Why Background Checks Are Required

Most proposed guardians must provide a name-based criminal history check, a current credit report, and photo ID with JDF 805 (Acceptance of Office) before appointment. A parent who lives with the child is exempt from the criminal-history and credit-report requirements, and a court may waive some or all of those requirements for good cause in an emergency appointment. Check with the court where you will file.

The standard documents are a CBI criminal history check, a credit report, and a government photo ID, subject to the exceptions above.

CBI Name-Based Criminal History Check

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) maintains the state criminal history database. For a minor guardianship petition, the standard check is name-based, not fingerprint-based. The court may require additional background information, including fingerprint-based checks through the CBI and FBI.

You can request your CBI check through the CBI's Internet Criminal History Check system or submit a written public-record request to CBI. The check searches Colorado criminal records associated with your name and date of birth.

A criminal record does not automatically disqualify you from guardianship. The court evaluates the nature of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and whether it affects your ability to care for a child safely. But a history involving child abuse, domestic violence, or certain felonies will draw close judicial scrutiny.

Online results are available immediately; CBI says mailed public requests are returned in three to five business days.

Credit Report

A current credit report is attached to JDF 805 for the court to review when deciding whether the nominee is appropriate. The statute sets no credit-score threshold.

You are entitled to one free credit report per year from each of the three major bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) through the federally mandated free annual credit report program. Use one of those free reports for your filing packet.

If your credit report shows financial difficulties, do not panic. Many grandparents filing for guardianship are on fixed incomes. The court understands this. What matters is whether the child's basic needs will be met, and financial assistance programs (Colorado Works, Medicaid, SNAP) are available to help.

Government Photo ID

Attach a legible copy of your current driver's license or state-issued identification card. This is straightforward — it establishes your identity for the court record.

How to Attach These to Your Filing

Attach any required CBI check and credit report, plus a legible photo ID copy, to JDF 805 (Acceptance of Office) when you file. JDF 805 is one of several forms in the initial filing, alongside JDF 824 (the Petition itself), JDF 705 (Case Information Sheet), and any applicable consent or notice forms.

If multiple adults in the household are proposed as co-guardians, each must complete a separate JDF 805 with their own background documents.

Contested Cases: Additional Screening

In contested guardianship cases, or when the court has specific safety concerns, the judge may order additional screening beyond the standard CBI name check. This can include fingerprint-based FBI criminal background checks or searches of the Colorado Trails database (the state's child abuse and neglect registry). These additional checks are court-ordered and may involve separate fees.

The court may also appoint a court visitor to conduct home visits and interviews, or a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) to represent the child's best interests — both of whom will review the background screening results as part of their evaluation.

Get the Full Filing Checklist

The Colorado Guardianship and Custody Court Process Guide includes a complete filing checklist that shows where each background document fits in the petition packet and how to organize everything for the clerk's counter.

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