How to Modify Parenting Time in Colorado: A Step-by-Step Guide

This article is for informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. GoFile is not a law firm. Using our platform or reading this article does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you need legal advice for your specific situation, consult a licensed Colorado attorney.

In this article:

• When Parenting Time Can Be Modified
• What Courts Consider: Colorado’s Best Interests Standard
• Two Paths: Stipulation vs. Motion
• Required Forms and Filing Process
• When Parenting Time Changes Affect Child Support
• Frequently Asked Questions

Life changes. Kids get older. Jobs relocate. The parenting schedule that made sense three years ago may not work anymore — and Colorado law allows parents to ask the court to modify it. But “allowed” and “simple” are different things. Parenting time modifications come with their own set of rules, including a waiting period that catches many parents off guard and a legal standard that’s more subjective than the 10% threshold used in child support cases.

This guide walks through how the process works in Colorado, from the initial eligibility question through filing, service, and what comes next.

When Parenting Time Can Be Modified

Colorado courts can modify parenting time orders under C.R.S. § 14-10-129, but the statute imposes a timing restriction that doesn’t exist for child support modifications.

The two-year rule. Under C.R.S. § 14-10-129(1.5), if a motion to substantially modify parenting time — one that also changes which parent the child lives with most of the time — has been filed previously, no subsequent motion of the same type can be filed within two years after disposition of the earlier one.

This rule applies specifically to motions that change the majority-time parent. Modifications that adjust the parenting schedule without flipping the primary residence — like adding overnights or restructuring weekends — are governed by the general best interests standard and don’t trigger the two-year bar.

The exceptions. The statute carves out an exception when “the child’s present environment may endanger the child’s physical health or significantly impair the child’s emotional development.” That language is directly from C.R.S. § 14-10-129(2). What the statute doesn’t do is define what counts as “significant impairment.” The court’s self-help pages don’t attempt to either.

There’s also a separate track for emergency situations. Under C.R.S. § 14-10-129(4), a parent can file a motion to restrict parenting time alleging imminent physical or emotional danger, which the court must hear within 14 days.

What Courts Consider: Colorado’s Best Interests Standard

Unlike child support modifications, which rely on a mathematical threshold (the 10% rule under C.R.S. § 14-10-122), parenting time modifications are evaluated under the “best interests of the child” standard. This is inherently more subjective.

Under C.R.S. § 14-10-124(1.5)(a), courts consider all relevant factors when determining parenting time, including:

• The wishes of the child’s parents
• The wishes of the child, if sufficiently mature to express reasoned and independent preferences
• The interaction and interrelationship of the child with parents, siblings, and other significant persons
• The child’s adjustment to home, school, and community
• The mental and physical health of all individuals involved
• The ability of each party to encourage the sharing of love, affection, and contact between the child and the other parent
• Whether either party has been the victim of domestic violence
• Whether either parent has committed child abuse or neglect
• The ability of each party to place the child’s needs ahead of their own

This list comes directly from the statute. Courts aren’t limited to these nine factors — the law says “all relevant factors, including” this list, which means a judge can weigh anything relevant to the child’s wellbeing.

Two Paths: Stipulation vs. Motion

Colorado offers two procedural paths for modifying parenting time, just as it does for child support:

Stipulation (JDF 1423). When both parents agree on the new schedule, they can file a Stipulation Regarding Parenting Time Modification. Both parents sign the document, and both signatures must be notarized. The court reviews the proposed changes and, if it finds the modification serves the child’s best interests, enters a new order. The court may enter the order or set a hearing. Court review of a stipulation often takes about 2–4 weeks, but timing depends on the district and its docket.

Motion (JDF 1406). When the parents don’t agree, the filing parent submits a Motion to Modify Parenting Time. The other parent has 21 days to file a response. The court schedules a hearing where both sides present their positions. Timing depends on the district’s docket and hearing schedule.

The Motion path has a detail worth knowing: JDF 1406 is titled “Motion and Affidavit.” It includes a section where the filing parent must write a narrative statement explaining why the proposed changes serve the child’s best interests. That narrative requirement is what makes parenting time the most complex modification type from a self-help perspective.

Here’s an example of how the two paths differ. Say a parent in El Paso County (4th Judicial District) accepted a promotion that requires relocating from Colorado Springs to Thornton — roughly 75 miles. The current schedule includes every-other-weekend and Tuesday evening visits for the other parent. If both parents can agree on an adjusted schedule, JDF 1423 is the form for that agreement. If the other parent won’t sign, JDF 1406 puts the question to a judge, and the hearing date depends on that district’s docket.

Required Forms and Filing Process

The Colorado Judicial Branch’s instruction document (JDF 1406i, revised April 2026) lays out the required forms in two steps.

Step 1 — Core parenting time forms (always required):

For the Motion path, the starting form is JDF 1406. For field-level help, see the JDF 1406 guide. For the Stipulation path, it’s JDF 1423.

Both paths require JDF 1113 (Parenting Plan), which must include the proposed new schedule. Both paths also require JDF 1424 (Order Re: Modification of Parenting Time) — this is the proposed order that the judge signs if the court grants the modification.

Step 2 — Child support forms (only if also modifying child support):

If the parenting time modification will also include a child support recalculation, additional forms are required: JDF 1111 (Sworn Financial Statement), the Child Support Worksheet (JDF 1821 under the current unified format), JDF 1104 (Certificate of Compliance), and JDF 1313 (Certificate of Service for the worksheet).

Filing. Modifications are filed in the county where the original case was entered — not necessarily where either parent currently lives. E-filing through Colorado Courts E-Filing (CCE) is available statewide, which means a parent who’s relocated doesn’t need to drive back to the original courthouse.

Filing fee. The modification filing fee is $105. The responding parent pays $146 if it’s their first filing in the case or if they’re requesting additional changes. Fee waivers are available using JDF 205 and JDF 206.

Service. After filing, the other parent must receive copies of all filed documents. For post-decree motions, service can be accomplished by first-class or certified mail.

A warning from the instructions themselves. The JDF 1406i document states: “If you file a motion the Court finds frivolous, groundless, or vexatious, you may have to pay the other parent’s attorney fees and costs.” Under C.R.S. § 14-10-129(5), fee-shifting is a real risk.

When Parenting Time Changes Affect Child Support

This is where parenting time modifications get financially complicated.

JDF 1406 includes a checkbox that reads: “Check only if applicable. Due to this request to modify parenting time, I request that child support also be modified.” Whether to check that box is a separate decision — and one this article can’t make for anyone.

Here’s what’s relevant: under the unified Child Support Worksheet (JDF 1821, effective March 1, 2026 under HB 25-1159), each parent’s overnight count is entered into the Parenting Time Table at C.R.S. § 14-10-115(8)(h). The table assigns a graduated credit percentage based on the number of overnights — more overnights produce a higher credit that reduces the parent’s share of the support obligation.

That means any change to the parenting schedule that changes overnight counts will change the numbers on the child support worksheet. Whether the resulting change meets the 10% threshold required for a child support modification under C.R.S. § 14-10-122 depends on both parents’ current incomes, the number of children, and the specific overnight shift.

Cross-modification adds forms, extends the timeline, and increases complexity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I modify parenting time if the other parent and I just agree to change the schedule informally?

Parents often adjust schedules informally, and courts don’t monitor day-to-day compliance. But informal agreements aren’t enforceable. If a disagreement arises later, the original court order is what governs.

Where do I file if I’ve moved to a different county?

Modifications are typically filed in the county where the original case was entered. A parent who has relocated files in the original county, not their new county of residence. E-filing through CCE avoids the need to physically travel to the original courthouse.

How long does a parenting time modification take?

Court review of a stipulation often takes about 2–4 weeks, but timing depends on the district and its docket, and the court may set a hearing. For a contested motion, timing depends on the district’s docket and hearing schedule.

Does the two-year rule apply to every parenting time change?

No. The two-year bar under C.R.S. § 14-10-129(1.5) applies specifically to motions that change which parent the child lives with the majority of the time. Schedule adjustments that don’t change the majority-time parent can be filed at any time.

Can the court change my parenting time and child support even if I only filed for one?

Colorado courts have broad authority in domestic relations cases. While a court generally addresses what’s been requested, a judge can raise child support recalculation if the parenting time change significantly affects overnight counts.

What if I can’t afford the filing fee?

Colorado offers fee waivers for parents who meet income guidelines. The application requires JDF 205 and JDF 206. Note that fee waiver applicants cannot use e-filing — the waiver application must be filed in person or by mail.

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Parenting time modifications involve more subjective judgment than child support changes. The best interests standard gives courts wide discretion, and the two-year rule adds a timing dimension that doesn’t exist for other modification types. The Colorado Judicial Branch’s self-help page for changing parenting time has the current form downloads and instruction documents.