privateadoption.orgState overview
Colorado
A few of the basics in Colorado, in plain words. Tap a card to read it in full with its official source.
A petition is filed in the county where the petitioner lives or where the placement agency is located. Relinquishment procedures apply to any child in Colorado or for whom Colorado is the home state, including when the child will be adopted outside Colorado.
C.R.S. 19-5-204; 19-5-103(12) · as of 2026-10-21
The home study is done by a county department of human or social services, a designated qualified individual, or a child placement agency approved by the state department of human services.
C.R.S. 19-5-207(2); 19-5-207.5(2); 19-5-209(1) · as of 2026-10-21
Colorado's adoption article has the court ask the known parent about any possible father, and gives each identified possible father notice. See notice to fathers. Ask a Colorado adoption attorney how this applies.
C.R.S. 19-5-105(2),(3) · as of 2026-10-29
Relinquishment petitions are heard in juvenile court. An adoption petition is filed in the county of the petitioner's residence or where the placement agency is located. Adoption hearings are closed to the public unless the court orders otherwise.
C.R.S. 19-5-103(1)(b); 19-5-204; 19-5-210(5) · as of 2026-10-21
Who to ask
These entries describe what Colorado law and agencies say. For what they mean for your family, ask an adoption attorney licensed in Colorado.
The PrivateAdoption guide app
The whole adoption, step by step
The guide app walks you through every stage in order. It keeps your document checklist, estimates your costs, reminds you of key dates, suggests questions for your attorney, and lays out the interstate steps if the birth is in another state. Every state rule comes with its official source, including all of Colorado's.
Now covering 11 states: Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. More being added.
Get the guide app - $199One time, no subscription. You can also give the guide app as a gift for the same $199.
A short note when pages change
Occasional, and only when a state page or article is added or updated. No other mail, and you can leave any time.