What is the residency requirement for adoption in Colorado?

Colorado has no minimum residency period for adoption. There is no set number of months you must have lived in the state before you can file a stepparent adoption petition. The residency and venue provisions are in C.R.S. §§ 19-5-201, 19-5-204.

What this means for you

• If you recently moved to Colorado, you do not have to wait out a residency clock before filing.
• What matters more is where you file. Colorado's adoption statute ties the petition to a county, not to a length of time in the state.
• For a person aged 18 up to (not including) 21 who is adopted under the child-adoption provisions, the petition is filed in the petitioner's county of residence or where the placement agency is located (C.R.S. §§ 19-5-201, 19-5-204).

Where you file

Stepparent adoption petitions are handled by the District Court. Colorado has 64 counties, and each one has its own clerk's office and local filing practices. Cities like Denver, Colorado Springs, Aurora, Fort Collins and Lakewood each sit within a county court system, so your county of residence is usually the place to start. The District Court clerk in your county can confirm exactly where your petition should be filed and how they accept it.

Adult adoptions

Adult adoption follows a slightly different path. An adult of any age may be adopted "as heir at law" under C.R.S. § 14-1-101. That petition is filed in the juvenile court of the county where the person adopting lives or where the person being adopted lives. Details such as whether a home study is required are not settled in the statute sections we have reviewed, so check with the clerk or an attorney before you file.

Other points that often come up alongside residency

• Child's consent: A child who is 12 or older must consent to their own adoption (C.R.S. § 19-5-203).
• Other parent's consent: If the other biological parent has had no meaningful contact for 12 months or more, that period can be relevant to the case (C.R.S. § 19-5-203(1)(d)(II)). Contested situations or an unknown parent depend on the facts, so talk to the District Court clerk or an attorney about your specific circumstances.
• Home study: Colorado does not require a home study for stepparent adoptions (C.R.S. § 19-5-209(1)).
• Timeline and cost: Stepparent adoptions typically take 3-6 months. Court filing fees typically run $200-$500, and the total cost is typically under $1,000 when you prepare the paperwork yourself.
• Birth certificate: After the adoption is final, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Vital Records handles the updated birth certificate.

Not sure about your situation?

If you have lived in more than one county or state recently, or you are unsure which county fits your family, call the District Court clerk in the county where you live. They can confirm filing details that depend on your facts.

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 one adult adoptee) and $99 for each additional child. Court-ready documents are delivered within 24-48 hours after you finish the questions.