What are the adoption laws in Colorado?

Colorado adoption law is found in Colorado Revised Statutes Title 19, Article 5, and for a stepparent adoption it is fairly straightforward: you file a petition in your county's District Court, and Colorado does not require a home study or a minimum residency period.

Where you file. Stepparent adoptions are handled by the District Court. Colorado has 64 counties, and the clerk in your county can tell you about local filing procedures, including Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Fort Collins, Lakewood and elsewhere.

Residency. Colorado has no minimum residency period before you can file. The residency provisions are in C.R.S. §§ 19-5-201, 19-5-204.

Consent.

• A child who is 12 or older must consent to their own adoption (C.R.S. § 19-5-203).
• The abandonment period in Colorado is 12 months (C.R.S. § 19-5-203(1)(d)(II)). If a biological parent has had no meaningful contact for that long, the adoption may proceed without that parent's consent.
• Contested cases, or cases where a parent cannot be located, depend on the specific facts. Ask the District Court clerk or an attorney about your particular situation.

Home study. Colorado waives the home study for stepparent adoptions (C.R.S. § 19-5-209(1)).

Who can adopt. An adopter generally must be 21 or older, and foster parents are included. A minor may petition only with court approval (C.R.S. § 19-5-202).

Name change. You can change the child's name as part of the stepparent adoption at no additional cost.

Timeline and cost. A stepparent adoption in Colorado typically takes 3-6 months. Court filing fees generally run $200-$500. Attorneys commonly charge $3,000-$5,000+, while the total cost with a document preparation service is typically under $1,000.

Adult adoption. Colorado permits it, with two routes:

• A person aged 18 up to (not including) 21 may be adopted as a child with court approval, and the child-adoption provisions apply (C.R.S. § 19-5-201).
• An adult of any age may be adopted "as heir at law" under C.R.S. § 14-1-101. The decree declares the person the petitioner's heir at law, entitled to inherit as if born to the petitioner, and may change the adoptee's name. The person being adopted must file a written answer that either consents or disclaims. If they disclaim, the petition is dismissed. This petition is filed in the juvenile court of the county where the petitioner or the adoptee lives.
• Whether a home study or a hearing is required for an adult adoption, and whether a spouse must join the petition (C.R.S. § 19-5-202), should be confirmed with the court clerk or an attorney.

Why families do it. A stepparent adoption establishes inheritance rights, medical decision-making authority, and eligibility for Social Security and insurance benefits. It also allows a name change for the child.

How we help. StepParent Adoption 360 is a document preparation service, not a law firm. You answer questions online, and we prepare the complete court document package for your county. You then file it yourself without an attorney. The price is $349 for the first child (or for one adult adoptee) and $99 for each additional child.