California Form GC-211 is the one-page Judicial Council form that records, in advance of the hearing, who consents to a proposed guardianship of a minor, who is nominating the guardian, and who is giving up their right to formal notice. You fill out only the numbered item that matches your role, collect wet signatures from each participant, and file the signed original with the probate clerk in the superior court of the county where the child lives — almost always at the same time as the guardianship petition (Form GC-210 or GC-210(P)).1California Courts. Consent of Proposed Guardian, Nomination of Guardian, and Consent to Appointment of Guardian and Waiver of Notice (GC-211)
Which Item You Sign Depends on Your Role
GC-211 has four numbered items. Each person signs only the one that fits their role in the case.
- Item 1 — Consent of Proposed Guardian. The person who has agreed to serve as guardian signs here. The language reads, “I consent to serve as guardian of the person / estate of the minor.” Check the box for person (day-to-day care), estate (finances), or both. This signature tells the court the proposed guardian accepts the role and its responsibilities, and it is a threshold requirement the case cannot move without.
- Items 2 and 3 — Nomination of Guardian. These two identical items let up to two people nominate a guardian. Under California Probate Code Sections 1500 through 1502, a parent may nominate a guardian when the other parent agrees to the same nominee, is deceased, or lacks capacity to consent. A person who has given property to the child may also nominate a guardian for that property. Each nominator checks the “parent” or “donor” box, writes the nominee’s name and address, and signs.2California Legislative Information. California Code Probate Code 1502 – Nomination of Guardian
- Item 4 — Consent to Appointment and Waiver of Notice. Anyone entitled to notice of the hearing — typically the parents, relatives within the second degree, and anyone with legal custody — can sign Item 4 to consent to the guardianship and waive the 15-day advance notice that Probate Code Section 1511 would otherwise require. The signer fills in the date the petition was filed, then signs.3California Legislative Information. California Code Probate Code 1511 – Notice of Hearing for Guardianship
Each item has its own signature line, date field, and space for a printed name. The form has only one slot for Item 4, so when more than two people need to consent and waive notice, use additional copies of the form, each with original wet signatures.
Filling Out the Form Step by Step
Download the current version of GC-211 from the California Courts website or pick one up from your superior court clerk’s office. Before anyone signs, complete the header:
- Case caption. Fill in the attorney or party name, the superior court’s county, and the case number. Leave the case number blank if you are filing the petition and GC-211 together for the first time.
- Minor’s name. Use the child’s full legal name. If the guardianship covers more than one child, list each or attach additional pages.
- Guardian’s name. Enter the proposed guardian’s full legal name exactly as it appears on the guardianship petition.
Once the header is complete, route the form to each person who needs to sign. The proposed guardian completes Item 1 and checks the box for person, estate, or both. Parents or donors complete Item 2 or 3, check their relationship, and write the nominee’s name and address. Parents, relatives, or others entitled to notice complete Item 4, enter the petition’s filing date, and sign.
Signatures do not need to be notarized. Probate Code Section 1204 allows a person to waive notice by a signed writing filed in the proceeding, without a notary seal.4California Legislative Information. California Probate Code Section 1204 Every signature does need to be legible and match the printed name below it, because the clerk will compare names on GC-211 against the names in the petition.
Filing GC-211 With the Court
File the signed original with the probate clerk in the superior court of the county where the child lives. In nearly every case, GC-211 is filed at the same time as the guardianship petition. Form GC-210 includes checkboxes confirming which GC-211 items are attached: Item 1 for the guardian’s consent, Items 2 and 3 for nominations, and Item 4 for consent-and-waiver signatures.5Judicial Council of California. Petition for Appointment of Guardian of Minor Make photocopies of the signed form before you turn it in. The court keeps the originals.
Companion Forms in a Typical Guardianship Packet
GC-211 is one piece of a larger filing. A typical packet includes:6Superior Court of California, County of Orange. Probate: Guardianship
- GC-210 or GC-210(P), the guardianship petition. Use GC-210(P) for guardianship of the person only; use GC-210 for estate-only or combined cases.7Judicial Council of California. Petition for Appointment of Guardian of the Person
- GC-020, Notice of Hearing.
- GC-212, Confidential Guardianship Screening Form.
- FL-105/GC-120, UCCJEA declaration. Required for person guardianships, not estate-only cases.
- ICWA-010(A), Indian Child Inquiry Attachment. If the child is or may be a member of a federally recognized tribe, additional federal notice requirements apply.8California Courts. Indian Child Inquiry Attachment (ICWA-010(A))
Filing Fees
Under California’s statewide civil fee schedule effective January 1, 2026, a petition for guardianship of the person only costs $225. A petition for guardianship of the estate, or of the person and estate combined, costs $435 — slightly higher in Riverside, San Bernardino, and San Francisco counties because of a local courthouse-construction surcharge. A petition for temporary guardianship letters costs $60.9Superior Court of California. Statewide Civil Fee Schedule Effective January 1, 2026
If you cannot afford the fee, file Form FW-001 to request a waiver. You qualify automatically if you receive certain public benefits, including Medi-Cal, CalWORKs, SSI, CalFresh, or county general assistance. You can also qualify by showing household income too low to cover basic needs plus court costs.10Judicial Council of California. Information Sheet on Waiver of Superior Court Fees and Costs (FW-001-INFO)
What Signing the Waiver Actually Gives Up
Without signed waivers, the petitioner must formally serve every person entitled to notice at least 15 days before the hearing. Probate Code Section 1511 lists who must be served: the child if 12 or older, both parents, anyone with legal custody, relatives within the second degree, and any person nominated as guardian. Parents and the child must be personally served, meaning someone physically hands them the papers. Most relatives can receive notice by mail. Tracking down and serving uncooperative or hard-to-find relatives can delay the case by weeks.
When those same people sign Item 4 instead, the petitioner does not need to arrange service on them. Each waiver you collect is one fewer person the process server needs to find. In a fully cooperative case, where both parents, the proposed guardian, and all relatives sign, the hearing can be scheduled as soon as the court’s calendar allows.
The flip side is that waiving notice means giving up the procedural runway notice provides. If you think there is any chance you may want to contest the guardianship later, think carefully before signing Item 4.
Can You Withdraw Consent After Signing?
Yes, but it gets harder once the court has acted. Before the judge grants the permanent guardianship, a parent who has second thoughts can file an Objection to Petition for Appointment of Guardian (Form GC-215) explaining why the guardianship is no longer needed. The court then holds a contested hearing.
After a guardianship has been granted, the parent must file a Petition for Termination of Guardianship (Form GC-255) and show that circumstances have changed enough that ending the guardianship serves the child’s best interest. The court is not required to terminate just because a parent asks; the judge’s focus stays on what is best for the child.
Common Mistakes That Delay the Case
Most problems with GC-211 are clerical, but they can stall the filing.
- Name mismatches. Names on GC-211 must exactly match those on the petition. A nickname on one form and a legal name on the other will trigger a rejection or a request for correction.
- Wrong item signed. A parent who signs Item 1 instead of Item 2 or Item 4 has signed a section that does not apply to them. Read the item heading before signing.
- Missing filing date in Item 4. The waiver references the petition “filed on (date).” If you leave the date blank because the petition has not been filed yet, fill it in as soon as the clerk stamps the petition.
- Forgetting additional copies. If more than two people need to sign Item 4, you need multiple originals of the form, each with its own wet signature. Photocopied signatures are not accepted for the filed version.