A Colorado parenting time modification changes the schedule in an existing court order for when each parent has the children. Colorado law calls this part of the allocation of parental responsibilities, and only a new court order changes it. This page summarizes the terms Colorado uses, the standard the court applies and the two-year rule. It also covers agreement or motion, moving within Colorado and the link to child support. Each section links to the guide that covers the topic in depth.
Parenting time, decision-making and "custody"
Many people say "custody," but Colorado's statutes use different words. The allocation of parental responsibilities has two parts, set out in C.R.S. § 14-10-124.
- Parenting time is the schedule for when the children are with each parent.
- Decision-making responsibility covers major decisions about the children.
A parenting plan records both parts. The Judicial Branch's form for it is JDF 1113, the Parenting Plan. A change can cover the whole plan or only part of it.
The standard the court applies
Colorado courts decide parenting time based on the best interests of the child. Under C.R.S. § 14-10-124, the court gives paramount consideration to the child's safety and the child's physical, mental and emotional conditions and needs. The statute lists factors the court considers, including:
- the wishes of the parents and the child;
- the child's relationships with parents, siblings and others;
- the child's adjustment to home, school and community;
- each party's ability to encourage the child's relationship with the other parent;
- the physical distance between the parties' homes.
The modification statute, C.R.S. § 14-10-129, applies that standard to changes. The court may modify parenting time whenever the change would serve the child's best interests. The statute limits restricting a parent's time. The court can do so only if parenting time would endanger the child's physical health or significantly impair the child's emotional development.
Larger changes and the two-year rule
Some changes face a stricter test. These are changes that substantially change parenting time and also change the parent the child lives with most of the time. Under C.R.S. § 14-10-129, the court keeps the existing schedule unless one of the listed circumstances applies. Those circumstances include:
- the parties agree to the change;
- the child has been integrated into the moving party's family with the other party's consent;
- the parent the child lives with most of the time intends to relocate in a way that substantially changes the child's geographical ties to the other party;
- the child's present environment endangers the child's physical health or significantly impairs emotional development, and the harm of a change is outweighed by its advantages.
The same statute sets the two-year rule. Once a motion of that kind is filed, granted or not, no new one may be filed within two years after it is decided. The exceptions are endangerment shown by affidavit, and a planned relocation that substantially changes geographical ties. The motion form, JDF 1406, asks whether a request to change parenting time was filed in the last two years.
The Judicial Branch's instructions add a warning about frivolous motions. If the court finds a motion frivolous, groundless or vexatious, the filer may have to pay the other parent's attorney fees and costs.
When parents agree, and when they don't
If both parents agree to a new schedule, the Judicial Branch lists JDF 1423, a stipulation about parenting time. If they do not agree, one parent files JDF 1406, the Motion and Affidavit to Change/Restrict Parenting Time. The motion asks you to describe the current schedule and the schedule you are requesting, and why. The other parent has 21 days to file a written response.
The JDF 1406 form also notes that some current orders require mediation before a motion is filed. After filing, the court may ask the parties to mediate or may set a hearing. The full sequence is in how to modify parenting time in Colorado. For the motion form section by section, see the JDF 1406 guide.
Moving within Colorado
Colorado's relocation rules are not limited to moves out of state. C.R.S. § 14-10-129 applies when the parent the child lives with most of the time intends to move. It covers a move that substantially changes the child's geographical ties to the other party. The statute does not give a mileage figure.
A parent planning that kind of move must give the other party written notice as soon as practicable. Under the statute, the notice states where the parent intends to live, the reason for the move and a proposed revised parenting time plan. If a relocation is disputed, the court weighs factors such as the reasons for the move and its effect on the child. The details are in moving within Colorado and your parenting plan.
How a new schedule affects child support
Overnights are part of Colorado's child support calculation. Since March 1, 2026, under HB 25-1159, a parenting time table gives each parent a credit based on the number of overnights. Before that date, the calculation changed at 93 overnights a year; that threshold no longer applies. The summary of the 2026 law is in Colorado's new child support law (HB 25-1159).
A new parenting schedule does not change the support order by itself. The parenting time motion, JDF 1406, asks whether you also need to change child support. If so, the form points to JDF 1403, the Motion to Modify Child Support. Read how parenting time changes affect child support, or see the Colorado child support hub for the support side.
For other family court topics, go back to all Colorado family court guides.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between parenting time and custody in Colorado?
Colorado's statutes use "allocation of parental responsibilities" where many people say custody. It has two parts: parenting time, which is the schedule, and decision-making responsibility for major decisions. Read: How to modify parenting time in Colorado.
Is there a waiting period between motions?
After a motion to change the parent the child lives with most of the time, C.R.S. § 14-10-129 bars another for two years. The exceptions are endangerment shown by affidavit and a relocation that substantially changes the child's geographical ties. Read: The JDF 1406 guide.
Does changing parenting time change child support?
Overnights feed the child support calculation, so a new schedule can change the calculated amount. The support order changes only through a child support modification, and JDF 1406 asks whether you also need one. Read: How parenting time changes affect child support.
How does Colorado law treat a move within the state?
C.R.S. § 14-10-129 covers a majority-time parent's move that substantially changes the child's geographical ties to the other party, in state or out. That parent must give written notice as soon as practicable, with the new location, the reason and a proposed revised parenting time plan. Read: Moving within Colorado and your parenting plan.
What standard does the court apply?
The court applies the best interests of the child, giving paramount consideration to the child's safety and needs under C.R.S. § 14-10-124. Under C.R.S. § 14-10-129, the court may modify parenting time whenever the change would serve the child's best interests. Read: How to modify parenting time in Colorado.