Probate and Recording Deeds in City and County of Denver, Colorado
Where to file a will or open probate, and where to record a deed, in City and County of Denver — with the state rules that apply.
Probate court
Address: 1437 Bannock Street, Room 230, Denver, CO 80202
Phone: 303-606-2303
Recording deeds
Denver Clerk and Recorder - Recording Division
E-recording: yes - submitters listed include eRecording Partners Network (EPN), Corporation Service Company (CSC), Simplifile (same page)
Recording fee: Per document: $43 (paper, maximum size 24 x 36 inches) Fee schedule
Colorado rules that apply
| Small estate affidavit | A successor can collect the decedent's personal property (bank accounts, safe deposit box contents, vehicles, stocks, money owed) by presenting an affidavit (form JDF 999) to whoever holds it, if at least 10 days have passed since death, no personal representative has been appointed or applied for anywhere, and the estate's value less liens is no more than the inflation-adjusted limit for the year of death: $88,000 for 2026 deaths, $86,000 for 2025, $82,000 for 2024. The affidavit is not filed with the court and cannot be used to transfer real estate. The limit is twice the inflation-adjusted exempt property amount and changes each year. |
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| Probate steps | File in the district court of the county where the decedent lived (Denver Probate Court in Denver), no sooner than 120 hours after death; most proceedings must start within three years of death. Choose informal or formal probate, with or without a will (for example, Application for Informal Probate JDF 910, or Petition for Formal Probate JDF 920). After appointment, the personal representative files an acceptance (JDF 911), receives letters (JDF 915), sends an Information of Appointment (JDF 940) to interested persons within 30 days, publishes notice to creditors, prepares an inventory (JDF 941) within three months (sent to interested persons on request rather than filed with the court), pays claims, distributes the estate, and may close by sworn statement no earlier than six months after appointment or one year after death, whichever comes first. |
| Signing and recording a deed | Deeds are recorded with the county clerk and recorder of the county where the property is located; an unrecorded deed is not valid against a later buyer who records first. A deed acknowledged before a notary or other proper officer in the statutory form is prima facie evidence of proper signing. Each deed must be accompanied by a Real Property Transfer Declaration signed by the grantor or grantee. A state documentary fee of one cent per $100 of consideration applies when the consideration is over $500 (none if $500 or less). |
| Transfer-on-death deed | Yes, called a beneficiary deed. The owner signs a deed naming a grantee-beneficiary that says it 'conveys on death' or 'transfers on death' (or otherwise shows it takes effect at death) and records it with the county clerk and recorder before the owner dies. The beneficiary has no rights during the owner's life, and the owner can revoke or change it by recording a new instrument (not by will). The statute provides a form. |
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General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.