Colorado Refreshed Its Protection-Order Forms — What Pro Se Filers Need to Know
By Attorney Charles E. Liken Jr., Colorado court-appointed Child & Family Investigator. The Judicial Branch renumbered and updated the civil protection-order packet. If you're filing on your own, make sure you're using the current forms.
Charles E. Liken Jr., Esq. — On the Legal Front Lines · Former Government Investigator, Denver Human Services · Licensed Colorado Attorney · 20+ Years in Private Practice · Former Colorado Deputy District Attorney · Colorado Court-Appointed Child and Family Investigator
Colorado's Judicial Branch updated its civil protection-order (CPO) forms in 2025, and some of the numbers people remember are now out of date. The complaint you file is still JDF 402, and the instruction guide is JDF 400 — but the temporary order is now JDF 398, the permanent order is JDF 399, and the Information Sheet for Registering a Protection Order, attached to your complaint, is JDF 442.
Filing for a protection order carries no filing fee if you are asking for the order as a victim of domestic violence, stalking, or sexual assault (otherwise the fee is $95 unless the court waives it), and a judge can review your request the same day and, on a finding of a risk or threat of physical harm, or a threat of psychological or emotional harm (C.R.S. § 13-14-104.5(7)(a)), issue a temporary order, with the permanent-order hearing set within 14 days (C.R.S. §§ 13-14-104.5, 13-14-106).
We've assembled every current form, with direct links to the official Colorado Judicial Branch PDFs, on our How to File a Protection Order page. The forms are free — knowing what to put in them, and what a judge needs to hear, is where a lawyer helps.
Ready when you are — talk it through with Attorney Liken.
Start here: a no-charge 20-minute phone call directly with Attorney Liken.
Read the law. Then make it work for you.
A no-charge 20-minute call with Attorney Liken turns information into a plan.