Washington State minor guardianship forms are free downloads from the Washington Courts website, and the core packet you file in the Superior Court of the county where the child lives is built around GDN M 102 (the petition), GDN M 103 (the supplemental declaration), GDN M 410 (the confidential information form), GDN M 001 (summons), GDN M 101 (notice of hearing), and the two proof-of-service forms, GDN ALL 007 and GDN ALL 009. The forms match the framework in RCW Chapter 11.130, which took effect January 1, 2021.
The Core Forms Packet
For a standard minor guardianship, gather these before you start filling anything out:
- GDN M 001 — Summons. The formal notice to parents and other parties that a guardianship case has been filed and that they have a deadline to respond.
- GDN M 101 — Notice of Hearing about a Minor Guardianship Petition. Tells parties the date, time, and location of the hearing.
- GDN M 102 — Minor Guardianship Petition. The main filing identifying the child, the proposed guardian, and the legal basis for the guardianship.
- GDN M 103 — Declaration Explaining Reasons for Minor Guardianship. A sworn statement describing why the child needs a guardian and why you are the right person.
- GDN M 410 — Confidential Information Form. Collects personal identifiers for the guardian, parents, and children; sealed from public view.
- GDN ALL 007 — Proof of Personal Service. Completed by the process server after hand-delivery.
- GDN ALL 009 — Proof of Service (Other than Personal Service). Documents service by mail or other court-approved method.
Two optional forms show up often enough to mention. GDN M 104 (Visitation Attachment) goes with the petition if you want the court to set specific visitation terms for parents. GDN M 106 (Motion to Withhold Certain Documents from the Minor) applies if the petition contains information that could harm the child. After the hearing, the judge signs GDN M 105 (Minor Guardianship Findings and Order) and the clerk issues GDN ALL 004 (Letters of Guardianship), which is your proof of authority going forward.
Which Legal Ground You’re Checking on the Petition
The petition makes you declare which legal ground supports the guardianship, and the evidence you have to produce changes with that answer. Under RCW 11.130.185, a court can appoint a guardian for a minor if the appointment is in the child’s best interest and one of three things is true:
- Each parent, after being fully informed of the nature and consequences of a guardianship, consents to the appointment.
- All parental rights have already been terminated by a court.
- Clear and convincing evidence shows that no parent is willing or able to exercise parenting functions.
A consent-based case moves faster and involves little adversarial litigation. A case built on the third ground has to meet “clear and convincing evidence,” the second-highest burden of proof in civil cases, which directly affects how much detail you write into GDN M 103.
Filling Out the Petition (GDN M 102)
RCW 11.130.190 lists what has to appear in the petition. Beyond your own name, address, and relationship to the child (and any attorney you have), you give the court, to the extent you know it:
- The child’s name, age, and current address, plus the address where the child would live if the guardianship is granted.
- Each parent’s name and address.
- The name and address of anyone who had primary care of the child for at least 60 days in the past two years, or at least 730 days in the past five years.
- Any attorneys for the child or parents.
- Which ground under RCW 11.130.185 you are relying on.
- The proposed guardian’s name, address, and the reason that person should be selected.
- A general description and estimated value of the child’s property, if the child has assets beyond personal effects.
- Interpreter or communication needs for the child or any parent.
- Any other pending proceedings in any court involving the child’s care or custody.
The statute directs you to keep the factual reasons for the guardianship out of the petition itself and put them in a separate supplemental declaration. That split matters: a judge reviews the petition for the jurisdictional facts and reads the declaration for the narrative.
Filling Out the Supplemental Declaration (GDN M 103)
GDN M 103 asks three questions: why the children need a guardian, why a guardianship is in their best interest, and why the person you propose should be appointed. Write in plain language and stay concrete. Describe the actual situation — a parent’s incarceration, substance use, abandonment, military deployment, hospitalization, or whatever is true — with specific examples and approximate dates rather than general statements. If both parents consent, say so and explain how the agreement came about. If you are proving that no parent is willing or able, the “clear and convincing evidence” standard means more detail protects you at the hearing.
Filling Out the Confidential Information Form (GDN M 410)
GDN M 410 is filed with the petition but sealed from public view. Only court staff and certain state agencies can see it. It collects Social Security numbers, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers, race, addresses, and employer information for the proposed guardian, both parents, other parties, and each child. It also asks whether any restraining or protection orders are in effect, whether the children have lived with anyone other than the petitioner or parents in the past five years, and whether anyone besides the parents has custody or visitation rights. If you are not a parent and are seeking custody, you must list every adult living in your home with their name and date of birth.
Collect the information before you sit down with the form. Missing data — especially Social Security numbers for parents you have been out of contact with — slows processing. If you genuinely cannot get a piece of information, note that on the form instead of leaving a blank with no explanation.
Filing the Packet and Paying the Fee
Take the originals and at least two copies of each form to the Superior Court Clerk’s office in the county where the child lives. Some counties accept electronic filing; check your county clerk’s website.
In King County, the filing fee for a minor guardianship petition is $290, and the fee is waived entirely when the proposed guardian is a relative of the child. Other counties charge under the same statutory authority (RCW 36.18.020), so the fee is generally comparable, though surcharges vary by county. If you cannot afford the fee and do not qualify for the relative waiver, ask the court to waive or reduce it under General Rule 34. The GR 34 packet on the Washington Courts forms page includes a motion and declaration, a financial statement for your income, expenses, and assets, and a proposed order. You qualify if your income is at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, or if your basic living expenses prevent you from paying.
Once the clerk processes payment or approves the waiver, your case gets a number and goes to a judge or department. That case number goes on every document from this point forward.
Serving the Forms on Parents and Other Parties
Service is where self-represented petitioners most often stumble. RCW 11.130.195 splits the people who have to be notified into two groups.
Who Must Be Personally Served
These parties get hand-delivery of the petition, supplemental declaration, and notice of hearing from a process server or any adult who is not a party:
- The child, if the child is 12 or older. The court can order sensitive information withheld from an unrepresented minor for good cause.
- Each parent of the child, or, if no parent can be found, the nearest adult relative who can be located with reasonable effort.
- Any existing guardian or person with a nonparental custody order.
- Any other person the court specifically orders to receive personal service.
Who Can Be Notified by Mail
- Any adult who has primary care and custody of the child but is not a parent, guardian, or custodian under a court order.
- Anyone who had primary care of the child for at least 60 days in the past two years, or at least 730 days in the past five years.
- Anyone the child (age 12 or older) has nominated as guardian.
- Any person nominated as guardian by a parent.
- Each grandparent and adult sibling of the child, if known.
- Any conservator acting for the child in any jurisdiction.
The court can waive notice to people in the mail group for good cause, including situations where giving notice could put the child at risk.
Proof of Service and Response Deadlines
Whoever delivers the documents fills out GDN ALL 007 for personal service or GDN ALL 009 for mail, recording the date, time, and method. File every completed proof of service with the clerk before the hearing. A judge will not proceed without proof that required parties received notice.
GDN M 001 tells parents they have 20 days to file a written response if served inside Washington, or 60 days if served outside the state or in a jail, detention, or prison facility. If a parent does not respond in that window, the court can enter a default order and proceed without their input.
After Filing: The Hearing and the Order
After filing, the court usually appoints a court visitor or guardian ad litem to interview the child, the proposed guardian, the parents if available, and other relevant people, inspect the proposed home, and file a written report with a recommendation. You do not pick the visitor; the court does. Be cooperative and candid — the report carries real weight. Some counties charge the petitioner for the visitor’s fee, so ask the clerk about local practice.
At the hearing, the judge reviews the petition, declaration, proofs of service, and the visitor’s report. The judge has to find that the appointment is in the child’s best interest and that one of the RCW 11.130.185 grounds is established. If the judge approves the guardianship, they sign GDN M 105, which contains the court’s findings of fact and conclusions of law. The clerk then issues GDN ALL 004, the Letters of Guardianship — your official proof of authority. Keep a certified copy on you. You will show it to enroll the child in school, authorize medical care, and handle other administrative tasks.
The Reporting Form You File After Appointment
A guardianship is not one-and-done. Washington requires guardians to file periodic reports on the child’s living situation, health, education, and overall well-being using GDN R 204 (Guardian/Conservator’s Report). Your appointing order or the clerk’s office will tell you the schedule, which is typically annual. Missing a report can trigger a review hearing or, in serious cases, removal. If your address changes, the child’s needs change substantially, or a parent re-emerges and seeks custody, notify the court promptly. The guardianship stays in effect until the child turns 18, the court terminates it, or another order replaces it.