Letters of Guardianship Colorado: How to Get and Use JDF 830

What Are Letters of Guardianship?

Letters of Guardianship (JDF 830) are the official court-sealed document that proves you are the legal guardian of a minor child in Colorado. The court issues them after appointment and after you file JDF 800 (Acknowledgment of Responsibilities); JDF 705 (Probate Case Information Sheet) should already be in the case file.

The Colorado Judicial Branch identifies the Letters as proof that you are the guardian. Schools, hospitals, insurance companies, Social Security offices, and benefits agencies may ask for proof of your authority; check with each institution about what it accepts.

How the Letters Are Issued

You fill in the caption section of JDF 830 (the case number, your name, and the child's name) before filing it with the court. But the court clerk completes the rest of the form — including the date of appointment and the court seal — after the guardianship order is entered.

The sequence:

1. The judge signs JDF 827 (Order Appointing Guardian) at the hearing
2. You file JDF 800 (Acknowledgment of Responsibilities) with the court
3. You confirm JDF 705 (Probate Case Information Sheet), filed with the initial packet, is on file
4. The court clerk issues JDF 830 with the official court seal

Until all four steps are complete, you do not have Letters of Guardianship — and without them, your legal authority is not portable to the institutions that need to see it.

Get Multiple Certified Copies

Request multiple certified copies from the clerk's office immediately after the Letters are issued. You will need separate copies for:

• School enrollment — the school registrar will keep a copy on file
• Medical providers — the pediatrician, dentist, and any specialists
• Health insurance — to add the child to your policy
• Public benefits — Colorado Works (TANF), Health First Colorado (Medicaid), SNAP applications through Colorado PEAK
• Banks and financial institutions — if you are managing assets for the child
• Your own records — keep at least one certified copy in a safe place at home

Each certified copy costs $20 under the Judicial Branch fee schedule. Getting five or six copies up front saves you return trips to the courthouse.

What the Letters Let You Do

With certified Letters of Guardianship, you can:

• Enroll the child in school and participate in IEP or 504 meetings
• Consent to medical treatment, vaccinations, dental care, and mental health services
• Add the child to your health insurance plan
• Apply for Colorado Works child-only grants, Medicaid, SNAP, and other public benefits
• If the child has income or assets that need management, ask the court whether a separate conservatorship is needed
• Access school records and medical records
• Make educational decisions including school choice and special education placements

A guardian may consent to the ward's marriage. The court must specifically authorize the guardian to consent to adoption, and relocation outside Colorado requires prior court approval.

Keeping Your Letters Current

The guardianship order usually ends when the child turns 18, or at age 21 in a qualifying Special Immigrant Juvenile case. Depending on the court, the Letters may be valid for only one year and may be renewed after you file JDF 834. Maintain compliance with the court's requirements:

• File JDF 834 (Annual Guardian's Report) each year, usually on the child's birthday
• Inform the court whenever the child's custodial dwelling or address changes
• Report any significant changes in the child's circumstances

If you lose your certified copies, request replacements from the court clerk's office using the case number.

When You Need More Than Letters

Letters of Guardianship establish your authority within Colorado. If you need to act on the child's behalf in another state — enrolling them in school during a family visit, for example — the other state's institutions should recognize Colorado's court order, but practices vary. Carry your certified Letters and the signed Order (JDF 827) together when dealing with out-of-state institutions.

For international travel, Letters of Guardianship are essential but may need to be supplemented with notarized travel consent letters. Consult the destination country's entry requirements.

The Colorado Guardianship and Custody Court Process Guide walks you through the entire process from petition to Letters — including the exact forms to file after the hearing so the clerk issues your Letters without delay.

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