Short answer. Up to $82,000 (from January 1, 2024); 10 days after the death; notarized; handed to the holder.
At a glance
- Limit
- Fair market value of everything the person owned, less liens and encumbrances, by year of death: $82,000 for 2024, $80,000 for 2023, $74,000 for 2022, $70,000 for 2020 and 2021, $68,000 for 2019, $66,000 for 2017 and 2018. The form we read stops at 2024. It can't transfer real estate.
- Wait after death
- At least 10 days after the death.
- Notary
- Sworn before a notary public or a deputy clerk.
- Where it goes
- Presented to whoever is paying or delivering the property, who is then discharged as if dealing with a personal representative.
- Official form
- JDF 999, Collection of Personal Property by Affidavit. The Judicial Branch's statewide form, revised March 5, 2024. Open it
Limit by date of death
- January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2018: $66,000
- January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019: $68,000
- January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2021: $70,000
- January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022: $74,000
- January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023: $80,000
- January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024: $82,000
In the official wording
Limit
"Y.O.D. 2024 is $82,000, Y.O.D. 2023 is $80,000"
Wait
"At least 10 days have elapsed since the death of (decedent)"
Notary
"Subscribed and affirmed, or sworn to before me"
Where it goes
"The person or entity paying, delivering, transferring, or issuing personal property pursuant to this affidavit"
Your own numbers: open the checker for this state.
Worth knowing
For deaths in 2025 or 2026, the form we read gives no figure; check the current JDF 999 for the year of death before relying on a number.
Not stated on the pages we read: a separate summary procedure.
Where an affidavit has to be notarized or sworn: MCC Solutions notarizes in New Jersey, with a mobile notary who comes to you and remote online notarization. Elsewhere, a local notary can help.
Official sources
- Colorado Judicial Branch form JDF 999, Collection of Personal Property by Affidavit (rev. March 5, 2024) (checked November 2026)
- Colorado Judicial Branch: Collection of Personal Property by Affidavit (form page) (checked November 2026)
General information, not legal advice; we are not lawyers. Each holder may still ask for its own form, and a lawyer can confirm whether the estate qualifies.
Common questions
What is the small estate limit in Colorado?
Up to $82,000 (from January 1, 2024). Fair market value of everything the person owned, less liens and encumbrances, by year of death: $82,000 for 2024, $80,000 for 2023, $74,000 for 2022, $70,000 for 2020 and 2021, $68,000 for 2019, $66,000 for 2017 and 2018. The form we read stops at 2024. It can't transfer real estate.
How long after a death can the Colorado affidavit be used?
10 days. At least 10 days after the death.
Does a Colorado small estate affidavit need a notary?
Yes. Sworn before a notary public or a deputy clerk.
Is it filed with a court in Colorado?
No. Presented to whoever is paying or delivering the property, who is then discharged as if dealing with a personal representative.
Can real estate pass this way in Colorado?
Not by this affidavit.
Is there an official Colorado form?
JDF 999, Collection of Personal Property by Affidavit. The Judicial Branch's statewide form, revised March 5, 2024.
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