Relinquishment Instructions - Non-Expedited
Colorado · Colorado Judicial Branch · Effective July 1, 2023
This form provides instructions for the process of relinquishment, which is the voluntary giving up of parental rights. It explains what documents are needed and the steps to file the case with the court.
Where this fits in a case
General & infoInformation / general use — not tied to one step of a case
This form is used when a person needs to voluntarily give up their legal rights and obligations concerning a child. The instructions cover filing, serving documents, and required paperwork.
Either party may file.
Common questions
- What is relinquishment?
- Relinquishment means voluntarily agreeing to end one's parental rights. It is also called "Voluntary Termination of Parental Rights."
- Do I need to pay a filing fee?
- No filing fee is required for this process. However, there are fees for things like copying documents or getting a document certified.
- What is the first step in filing?
- The first step is to complete the correct forms based on your situation. You must check the list of required forms to know what to submit.
Revision history
No changes recorded since we started tracking this form on October 10, 2026. The current version took effect July 1, 2023.
Related forms
- JDF452
B Motion for Termination
This form is a Petition for Termination used to ask the court to end a parent-child relationship. It also asks for information about the parties involved, the child, and details about the conception of the child.
Fillable PDFMotions
Eff. Mar 1, 2026
- JDF452
Petition for Relinquishment (Expedited and Non-Expedited)
This form is used to ask the court to officially give up parental rights to a child. It asks the person filing the form to provide details about the child and the parents and state why the relinquishment is happening.
Fillable PDF1 translationStart a case
Eff. Sep 1, 2026
- JDF 453
Affidavit of Relinquishment Counseling
This form is an affidavit that a counselor fills out to state that they provided counseling to someone who is asking the court to give up a child. It lists what topics were covered during the counseling session.
WordHearing
Eff. Jul 1, 2023
- JDF484
Affidavit of Diligent Efforts for Relinquishment
This form is an affidavit where a person swears that they have made several attempts to contact a presumed or alleged other parent. It asks the person to list the efforts made to find the other parent.
Fillable PDFMotions
Eff. May 1, 2026
- JDF 485
Motion for Publication of Notice
This form is used when a person starting a case for the relinquishment of a child asks the court to allow them to serve official notices by publishing them in a newspaper. The form requires the petitioner to state that they could not find the other parent for personal service.
WordMotions
Eff. Jul 1, 2023
- JDF 487
Order for Publication for Relinquishment
This form is an order from the court that allows the court to use publication instead of personal service to notify someone about the relinquishment of a child. It is used when the court believes it is impossible to find the person to serve the notice to.
Fillable PDFWordJudgment
Eff. Jul 1, 2023
- JDF 488
Final Order of Relinquishment
This form is a Final Order of Relinquishment that the court uses to officially end a person's legal rights and duties regarding a child. It records that the court has reviewed evidence and found that the relinquishment is voluntary and in the child's best interest.
Fillable PDFWordJudgment
Eff. Jul 1, 2023
- JDF 490
Notice to End Parent-Child Legal Relationship
This form is a notice informing someone that a request has been made to end a parent-child legal relationship. It tells the person that they have a specific amount of time to respond to the court.
Fillable PDFWordMotions
Eff. Jul 1, 2023