The Colorado CAPS check authorization form is the consent document an applicant signs so an employer or court can search the state’s Adult Protective Services registry for any substantiated finding of mistreatment against an at-risk adult. The applicant fills in personal and address history and signs under penalty of perjury; the employer then uploads the signed form through the Colorado CAPS Check Unit portal, pays the fee, and receives results within five business days.
Who Signs the Form and Why
Colorado law requires employers who place staff in direct-care roles with at-risk adults to run a CAPS check before hiring. That covers CDPHE-licensed health facilities, case management agencies, program-approved service agencies, HCBS providers, Area Agencies on Aging and their contractors, state-run Mental Health Institutes, Regional Centers, Veterans Community Living Centers, and staffing agencies that place workers with any of the above. Colorado courts must also request a check before appointing a guardian or conservator of an at-risk adult.1Colorado CAPS Check Unit. Statute and Rule Requirements
The applicant’s signature is what makes the search legal. Without it, the state will not run the check, and most covered employers cannot finalize a hire.
What to Fill In
The form has three sections: agency information, applicant information, and the signed declaration.
Agency Information
The employer fills in the agency name, address, and CAPS Check Employer ID. The Employer ID is issued by the CAPS Check Unit when the agency sets up its account and is used to submit requests through the portal.2Colorado CAPS Check Unit. Set up a CAPS Check Requestor Account
Applicant Information
The applicant provides:
- Full legal name — first, middle, last — plus any maiden name, previous names, or aliases.
- Date of birth and the last four digits of the Social Security number. The form does not ask for the full SSN.
- DORA license number, if the applicant holds a Colorado professional license. Licensed professionals also include a work phone extension.
- Personal email, work email, and phone numbers.
- Five years of previous employers, listed by name.
- Five years of residential history with no gaps. Every address needs a start date; every past address needs an end date.
P.O. boxes are not accepted. For an international address, enter the city and country, leave the state field blank, and use “00000” for the zip code.3Colorado Judicial Branch. CAPS Background Check Authorization Form
Signature and Declaration
The applicant signs and dates the form, declaring under penalty of perjury that the information is true and complete. Knowingly submitting false information is a class 2 misdemeanor in the employer-check process, and a class 1 misdemeanor when the check is tied to a court appointment as guardian or conservator.4Cornell Law Institute. 12 CCR 2518-1-30.960 – Employer CAPS Checks
How the Employer Submits It
Submissions go through the CAPS Check Unit’s online portal. An agency using the system for the first time needs to set up a requestor account before it can submit anything.
From the CAPS Check Unit homepage, a designated staff member selects “Request a CAPS Check” in the menu bar, enters the agency’s Employer ID, and clicks validate. On the login page, click “Sign Up” to create credentials. The email address used becomes the user ID for future logins.2Colorado CAPS Check Unit. Set up a CAPS Check Requestor Account
Once logged in, the employer uploads the signed authorization, enters the applicant’s details, and pays the fee at the time of request. The posted fee for fiscal year 2025–26 is nine dollars per check. Regulations cap it at $16.50, and the CAPS Check Unit can adjust it with thirty days’ notice on its website, so confirm the current amount in the portal before paying.4Cornell Law Institute. 12 CCR 2518-1-30.960 – Employer CAPS Checks
When the Results Come Back
Results are returned electronically within five business days. Agencies that opted into postal mail receive a letter in the same window.5Colorado CAPS Check Unit. CAPS Check Request Received
The result states whether the applicant has a substantiated finding of mistreatment on the registry. If one exists, the result includes the date of the report, the county department that investigated, and the type and severity of the mistreatment. The letter also lays out how the information may be used and the criminal consequences for releasing it to anyone unauthorized.4Cornell Law Institute. 12 CCR 2518-1-30.960 – Employer CAPS Checks
A substantiated finding does not automatically disqualify the applicant. The statute lets the employer use the information to inform the hiring decision or to investigate further.
The 30-Day Shelf Life
A CAPS result is only good for thirty days. If more than thirty days pass between the check and the hiring decision, the employer has to run a fresh one before bringing the person on. The same rule applies to rehires: an employee who left more than thirty days ago needs a new check before returning.4Cornell Law Institute. 12 CCR 2518-1-30.960 – Employer CAPS Checks
If You Are on the Registry and Want to Appeal
Someone who appears on the registry can challenge the finding through the Child and Adult Mistreatment Dispute Review Section (CAMDRS) at the Colorado Department of Human Services.
When a county department substantiates a finding, it mails a “Notice of Substantiated Finding” explaining the finding and the appeal process, with a paper appeal form enclosed. Keep that notice. It has to be submitted with the appeal.
The appeal must reach CAMDRS within ninety calendar days of the date on the county notice. Miss that window and the chance to appeal may be gone for good. The appeal needs contact information, a written statement explaining why the finding is wrong, and a copy of the county notice. Mail the paper form to the Child and Adult Mistreatment Dispute Review Section at 3550 W. Oxford Ave., Denver, CO 80236, or file online through the CDHS website.
CAMDRS and the appellant have up to 120 calendar days from receipt of the appeal to resolve it, and both sides can agree to extend that if a settlement is close. If settlement talks fail, the case goes before an Administrative Law Judge. An appellant can also skip settlement discussions and go straight to a hearing, and either party can withdraw at any point.6Colorado Department of Human Services. Child and Adult Mistreatment Dispute Review Section
Guardianship and Conservatorship Appointments Work a Bit Differently
Since January 2022, Colorado courts have been required to request a CAPS check before appointing a guardian or conservator of an at-risk adult. The court itself submits the request, and the CAPS Check Unit responds within seven calendar days instead of five business days. If the person has a substantiated finding, the state discloses the details to the court along with notice that the individual has the right to appeal. The finding does not automatically disqualify the appointment; the court weighs it at its discretion. Emergency appointments are not held up waiting for the result.7Colorado General Assembly. HB21-1123 CAPS Checks For Substantiated Mistreatment Of Adult