Fremont County Probate Court
Probate in Fremont County is handled through the District Court at Fremont Combined Court. The Colorado Judicial Branch lists Cristy James as Clerk of Court and Probate Registrar for Fremont County in the 11th Judicial District. The probate filing and record location is Fremont Combined Court, 136 Justice Center Rd, Canon City, CO 81212. The main court phone is 719-269-0100, and the fax is 719-204-2275. The court's general email is for questions, not emailed pleadings.
The local probate path is court-centered. Estates, wills filed in an estate, guardianships, conservatorships, and protective proceedings belong with the District Court and Probate Registrar. The Fremont County Clerk and Recorder may hold recorded documents that arise after probate, such as deeds or affidavits, but the recorded document is not the full probate case file. That split should be kept clear when searching for both an estate case and land records connected to an estate.
Fremont Combined Court
Probate Registrar: Cristy James
136 Justice Center Rd
Canon City, CO 81212
719-269-0100
Fax: 719-204-2275
Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.; clerk lunch closure 12:00-12:30 p.m.
Fremont Probate Record Types
Probate records cover more than wills. Estate files can include an application or petition, acceptance or appointment of a personal representative, letters, notices, creditor claims, inventories, accounting filings, and closing documents. Guardianship files may involve a minor or incapacitated adult. Conservatorship files address authority over property or financial affairs for a protected person. Trust-related actions and protective proceedings may also appear when the District Court must enter an order.
Some probate records are open for ordinary inspection or copy request, while others are partly restricted. Medical details, financial account data, minor information, protected-person reports, and sealed portions may not be released as a routine public copy. The Judicial Branch record/document request form warns that probate records may require U.S. government-issued photo ID. The Clerk of Court can also limit access under statutes, Supreme Court rules, Chief Justice Directives, local administrative orders, directives, and other authority.
- Testator
- A person who made a will.
- Personal representative
- The person appointed to manage an estate in probate.
- Intestate
- Dying without a valid will.
- Guardianship
- A case about authority to care for a minor or incapacitated adult.
- Conservatorship
- A case about managing property or financial affairs for a protected person.
The assigned Colorado Judicial Branch probate self-help page provides statewide probate context for Fremont County probate records.
Statewide probate guidance helps explain the process, but local copies and filings still route through Fremont Combined Court.
Search Fremont County Probate Records
There are three practical probate search routes. Use Colorado Judicial Branch Docket Search when the goal is a hearing date. Use the Judicial Branch Record/Document Request Form when the goal is a copy of a probate filing, order, letters, or a case file document. Use the Fremont County Clerk and Recorder public records portal only for recorded documents connected to probate, such as later deeds, not for the court estate file itself.
- Decide whether the record is a court probate case or a recorded document tied to an estate.
- For hearings, search the docket with 11th Judicial District, Fremont County, Fremont Combined Court, and the date plus another filter.
- For documents, use the court record/document request form and select Probate as the case type.
- Provide case number if known, filing year, decedent or protected-person name, and the document requested.
- Be ready to provide government photo ID if the file is protected, suppressed, or contains confidential information.
| Request field | Use for probate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Case Number | Matches the probate file directly. | Include if known. |
| Case Type | Select Probate. | The form also lists civil, divorce, juvenile, traffic, and other types. |
| Year case was filed | Helps locate older estate or protective files. | The form supports old filing years. |
| Party information | Decedent, protected person, applicant, petitioner, personal representative, guardian, or conservator. | Use names that match the court file. |
| Document requested | Order, letters, inventory, accounting, will, or full file copy. | Specific requests reduce delay. |
The assigned Colorado Judicial Branch open an estate page gives estate-opening context for probate records.
Estate-opening guidance is separate from a document request, but it helps explain why the court file may contain petitions, letters, and orders.
Fremont Probate Record Fields
A probate file can be searched and requested more accurately when the expected fields are known. A docket entry may show a hearing schedule, while a requested document may show the appointment, authority, inventory, accounting, or order. Because the research did not identify a county-run probate database with full image access, the most reliable route for document copies remains the Judicial Branch request form or direct contact with Fremont Combined Court.
| Field | What it may show |
|---|---|
| Case number | Probate case identifier used by the court. |
| Case type | Estate, guardianship, conservatorship, protective proceeding, or related probate matter. |
| Decedent or protected person | The person whose estate or protection case is before the court. |
| Applicant or petitioner | The person asking the court to open or act in the matter. |
| Personal representative, guardian, or conservator | The appointed person and role, when appointment has been entered. |
| Orders and letters | Documents showing court authority or court decisions. |
| Restricted portions | Medical, financial, minor, sealed, or protected information that may not be released. |
Fremont Probate Fees
The research did not locate a specific local probate filing or copy fee schedule from an official Fremont source. That gap should be handled plainly. Probate filing fees, certified copy charges, and document-copy costs should be confirmed through the Colorado Judicial Branch fee forms or Fremont Combined Court before filing or ordering. For recorded probate-related documents held by the Clerk and Recorder, the county recording copy fees from the Clerk's office may apply instead.
| Item | Amount or source status |
|---|---|
| Probate filing fee | Not located in official Fremont research; confirm with Fremont Combined Court. |
| Court document copy | Use the Judicial Branch request process and obtain current quote from the court. |
| Recorded probate-related document copy | $3 online copy or $2 with subscription where the Tyler route applies. |
| Physical recorded copy | $0.25 per page, with postage possibly applying. |
| Oversized physical recorded copy | $5 per page where applicable to Clerk and Recorder records. |
Note: A fee not found in official sources should not be filled with a statewide guess when the court can quote the current amount.
Restricted Fremont Probate Records
Probate records can include sensitive facts that are not present in ordinary civil files. Guardianships and conservatorships may include health, capacity, family, and financial details. Estate files may include inventories, claims, and accountings with private financial information. Protected-person information, minor details, medical records, and sealed portions can be restricted. The Judicial Branch request form specifically warns that probate records may require government-issued photo ID when a file is suppressed or protected.
Recorded documents should be checked separately. A deed recorded after probate might appear through the Fremont County Clerk and Recorder, while the probate order that supports it remains a court document. For marriage status or divorce decrees that affect an estate, use the appropriate Fremont County marriage and divorce records channel before assuming the probate file contains every family-law document.