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A non-family member can petition the court to adopt a child they are caring for if: 

• The birth parents have abandoned the child for one year or more, or 
• The birth parents have failed to provide reasonable support for the child, such as failing to pay child support, for one year or more. 
• The non-family member must have legal custody over the child established either through an Allocation of Parental Responsibilities (APR) or Guardianship case. The non-family member will petition the court for a “Custodial Adoption.” C.R.S. § 19-5-203(k)

There are five security levels for documents filed with the court:

• Public: Access to court, all case parties, and public.
• Protected: Access to the public following redaction.
• Restricted: Access to judges, court and Judicial Department staff, all case parties (including parties' attorneys), and criminal justice agencies.  
• Suppressed: Access to judges, court and Judicial Department staff, and all case parties (including parties’ attorneys).
• Sealed: Access to judges and court/Judicial Department staff.

See Chief Justice Directive 05-01 for detailed definitions of these security levels.

There are three security levels for serve-only documents:

• Public: All case parties and public.
• Suppressed: All case parties only.
• Private: Filing parties and served parties only.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment will prepare and issue the child’s new birth certificate.  

Vital Records, Birth Unit 
4300 Cherry Creek Drive 
South Denver, Colorado 80246-1530 
(303) 692-2200 
Link to Website: https://cdphe.colorado.gov/vitalrecords 

Steps to a new birth certificate

Step 1 

Complete a Report of Adoption Form found on the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment website or by clicking on this link: https://cdphe.colorado.gov/adoption-information A report of Adoption must be completed for each child that has been adopted. Fill it out very carefully! This form will be used to create the new birth certificate. A form with cross outs and white out over mistakes will not be accepted. 

Step 2 

Submit the original Report of Adoption Form and 2 additional copies to the court on the date of the adoption hearing. The court will certify the Report of Adoption and send it along with a certified copy of the Final Decree to the Colorado Vital Records Division. 

Step 3 

Vital Records Division will process a new birth certificate. The Vital Records Division will contact you within 4-6 weeks of the hearing and ask the adoptive parents to:

• Complete a Vital Records application
• Provide photo identification of the adopting parents
• Pay a processing and a birth certificate fee