Colorado Executor & Trustee Checklist
You've been named executor or trustee in Colorado — and probably handed no instructions. This is the ordered list of what to do, in the sequence Colorado expects it, with the deadlines and terminology that are specific to this state. Work down it, check things off, and nothing important slips.
- Who administers the estate
- Personal Representative (UPC term)
- Court
- District Court in the county of domicile; Denver County uses a dedicated Denver Probate Court
- Appointment document
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- Creditor claim window
- Not earlier than 4 months from first publication, or 1 year from date of death, whichever is first
- Inventory deadline
- Within 3 months of appointment
- Trustee notice deadline
- 60 days
- State death tax
- No Colorado estate tax and no inheritance tax
If you're the Executor / Personal Representative
The probate track — administering the estate through the District Court in the county of domicile; Denver County uses a dedicated Denver Probate Court.
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This is the document that proves you have authority to act as Personal Representative (UPC term).
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Publication is optional but protective (C.R.S. 15-12-801). Known creditors get direct written notice with the later of the published deadline or 60 days from mailing — never past 1 year from death (C.R.S. 15-12-803).
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Within 3 months of appointment (C.R.S. 15-12-706); filed with the court only if closing formally, otherwise served on interested persons who request it.
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30 days — the PR must send an information notice within 30 days of appointment to heirs and devisees (C.R.S. 15-12-705).
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Get an EIN for the estate from the IRS (free at irs.gov, ~10 minutes) — the estate is its own taxpayer and you'll need it before a bank will open an account.
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Open a dedicated estate bank account — every dollar in or out flows through it; commingling estate money with your own is the fastest way to get into trouble.
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Keep receipts and records of every transaction and decision — not just what you did, but why; your final accounting is built from this and it's your protection if a choice is ever questioned.
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Pay valid claims and taxes before distributing anything, in the statutory order — paying family first can leave you personally liable. No Colorado estate tax and no inheritance tax.
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Collect a signed receipt or release from every beneficiary when you distribute.
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Informal — a sworn Closing Statement (C.R.S. 15-12-1003). Formal — petition for complete settlement and court order. No distribution before the 4-month claim period expires.
Celestial Divide keeps the inventory, valuations, creditor claims, and beneficiary distributions organized in one place — so nothing on this checklist slips through the cracks.
14 days, no credit card
If you're the Trustee
The trust track — administering a trust outside of probate.
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Locate and read the entire trust document, including any amendments and restatements — your powers, limits, and timelines live there.
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60 days — Colorado UTC (C.R.S. 15-5-813(2)): notify qualified beneficiaries within 60 days after a trust becomes irrevocable (e.g., settlor's death).
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Publication is optional but protective (C.R.S. 15-12-801). Known creditors get direct written notice with the later of the published deadline or 60 days from mailing — never past 1 year from death (C.R.S. 15-12-803).
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Get an EIN for the trust from the IRS — the trust becomes irrevocable at death and files its own returns from that point.
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Retitle and gather the trust assets; hunt down anything never moved into the trust — it may need probate.
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Keep trust assets separate from your own, always — separate accounts, separate records, no exceptions.
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Document every decision, valuation, and distribution as you go.
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Account to the beneficiaries at least annually and at termination.
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Distribute according to the terms of the trust and collect signed receipts and releases.
Good to know in Colorado
Collection of Personal Property by Affidavit (Form JDF 999) — $88,000 for 2026 deaths (indexed annually), no real property; usable 10 days after death (C.R.S. 15-12-1201).
Informal — a sworn Closing Statement (C.R.S. 15-12-1003). Formal — petition for complete settlement and court order. No distribution before the 4-month claim period expires.
Strong informal-probate system — most estates never see a judge. Small-estate affidavit threshold is inflation-indexed annually ($88k for 2026). Denver County uniquely has a standalone Probate Court.
Sources — investigate further
The steps above are drawn from Colorado's own statutes and courts. To dig deeper:
We'll email you a copy so it's always one click away. No spam — just the checklist and the occasional estate-settlement tip.
Celestial Divide keeps the inventory, valuations, creditor claims, and beneficiary distributions organized in one place — so nothing on this checklist slips through the cracks.
14 days, no credit card
General information, not legal advice. Laws change and county practice varies. When in doubt, talk to a probate attorney licensed in the relevant state.