CO Code § 19-3-201 (2021)
2021 Colorado Code|Title 19 - Children's Code|Article 3 - Dependency and Neglect|Part 2 - General Provisions|§ 19-3-201. Venue

     Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection (1), all proceedings brought under this article shall be commenced in the county in which the child resides or is present.    A county department, guardian ad litem, or other person filing a petition for reinstatement of the parent-child legal relationship as set forth in section 19-3-612 must file the petition for the reinstatement of the parent-child legal relationship in the county or city and county that has legal custody of the child. (1.5) For purposes of determining proper venue, a child who is placed in the legal custody of a county department shall be deemed for the entire period of placement to reside in the county in which the child's legal parent or guardian resides or is located, even if the child is physically residing in a foster care or residential facility located in another county. In such circumstance, if a child is placed out of the home, the court shall not transfer venue pursuant to subsection (2) of this section during the period of out-of-home placement to any county other than the county in which the child's legal parent or guardian resides or is located.       When proceedings are commenced pursuant to this article 3 in a county other than that of the child's residence, the court in which proceedings were initiated may, on its own motion or on the motion of any interested party, transfer the case to the court in the county where the child's legal parent or guardian resides or is located unless any of the following circumstances exist:   The transfer would be detrimental to the best interests of the child;    Adjudication has not taken place and the case has not been continued pursuant to section 19-3-505 (5);    The legal parent or guardian has a history of frequent moves unless there is evidence of stability in the most recent move indicating an intent to remain in the new residence for six or more months, such as the legal parent or guardian has signed a lease whose term is six or more months;    The case is likely to be closed within three to six months;    The transfer will disrupt continuity or provisions of services; or    The case is an expedited permanency planning case, unless the requirements of subsection (3) of this section have been met. Pursuant to subsection (3) of this section, the presumption that a transfer of the proceedings is not in the child's best interest has been rebutted by a preponderance of the evidence. (2.5) The county attorney of a county that files a motion to change venue pursuant to this section shall immediately provide notice of the motion to the proposed receiving county. Upon receipt of a motion to change venue, the court shall set a hearing to rule on the motion. The requesting county attorney shall provide fourteen days written notice of the hearing to the office of the county attorney in the proposed receiving county, who shall have a right to file responsive pleadings and appear at the hearing.       In a county designated pursuant to section 19-1-123, if the child is under six years of age at the time a petition is filed in accordance with section 19-3-501 (2), it shall be presumed that any transfer of proceedings pursuant to subsection (2) of this section without good cause shown that results in a delay in the judicial proceedings would be detrimental to the child's best interests. Such presumption may be rebutted by a preponderance of the evidence.      An order granting a change of venue and transferring jurisdiction to the court in the county in which the child resides shall be effective fifteen days after the transferring court signs the order. Within thirty days after signing the order, the transferring court shall forward the court file, including originals or certified copies of all documents and reports, to the receiving court.    The order granting a change of venue and transferring jurisdiction shall include:   Notice to the receiving court of whether a respondent parent's counsel and the guardian ad litem appointed for the child will remain on the case. If a respondent parent's counsel or the guardian ad litem for the child will not remain on the case, the order shall inform the receiving court that the receiving court shall make a new appointment of counsel or guardian ad litem.    Notice that the transferring court shall vacate any existing hearing date after the effective date of the order.          When venue is transferred, as set forth in subsection (2) of this section, the receiving court shall proceed with the case as if the petition had been originally filed or adjudication had been originally made in that court. The receiving court shall hold an initial hearing in the case within thirty days after the effective date of the order granting a change of venue and transferring jurisdiction to the receiving court.    A motion for change of venue shall be made in writing and shall include a certification by the moving party that the moving party has complied with all statutory requirements. The motion for change of venue shall be mailed to all parties and attorneys of record in the case and to the county attorney in the receiving county.      History. Source: L. 87: Entire title R&RE, p. 760, § 1, effective October 1. L. 94: (2) amended, p. 2053, § 5, effective July 1. L. 2010: Entire section amended,(HB 10-1359), ch. 223, p. 968, § 1, effective September 1. L. 2014: (1) amended,(SB 14-062), ch. 77, p. 315, § 2, effective August 6. L. 2016: (2) amended and (1.5) and (2.5) added,(HB 16-1316), ch. 127, p. 362, § 1, effective August 10. L. 2018: IP(2) and (2)(b) amended,(HB 18-1257), ch. 197, p. 1291, § 1, effective August 8.    Editor's note:   This section was contained in a title that was repealed and reenacted in 1987. Provisions of this section, as it existed in 1987, are similar to those contained in 19-1-105 as said section existed in 1986, the year prior to the repeal and reenactment of this title.   ANNOTATION   Annotator's note. The following annotations include cases decided under former provisions similar to this section.   This statute requires that actions be filed in either the county of the child's residence or in the county where the child is present. In the absence of a waiver by the parties, the trial court did not have discretion to maintain the case in another county. People in Interest of T.L.D., 809 P.2d 1120 (Colo. App. 1991).   Venue proper despite technical legal residence elsewhere. When the proper officer files a petition in dependency in the county where the child is found and the conditions alleged as constituting dependency also exist therein, the venue of a dependency action is in that county despite technical legal residence elsewhere. Peterson v. Schwartzmann, 116 Colo. 235 , 179 P.2d 662 (1947).