To get Letters of Guardianship in California, you file a Petition for Appointment of Guardian of Minor (form GC-210), serve notice on the child and parents at least 15 days before the hearing, complete a court investigation, attend the hearing, and then sign the oath (and post a bond if you were appointed over the child’s estate) so the clerk can issue the Letters. The Letters are the single-page document that schools, doctors, banks, and government agencies will ask to see before they deal with you on the child’s behalf.
File the Petition
Everything starts with Judicial Council form GC-210. You complete it with information about yourself, the child, the child’s parents, and the reasons guardianship is necessary. You also tell the court what kind of authority you want: guardianship of the person (day-to-day care and decisions), the estate (money and property), or both.
The filing fee tracks that choice. A petition for guardianship of the person only is $225. A petition that covers the estate, or both person and estate, is $435. If paying would take money you need for basic living expenses, or your monthly income is at or below 125 percent of the federal poverty guidelines, you can ask for a fee waiver.
Give Notice to the Right People
California requires you to notify specific people at least 15 days before the hearing, serving them with a copy of the petition and the notice of hearing. The list includes the child (if 12 or older), anyone who currently has legal custody, and the child’s parents.1California Legislative Information. California Probate Code 1511 The court cannot shorten that 15-day window, so a missed or late service will push your hearing back.
Service follows the methods used in civil lawsuits, typically personal delivery or mail with an acknowledgment of receipt. Keep every proof of service organized; the judge will want to see them before anything else happens at the hearing.
Cooperate With the Court Investigator
Before the hearing, the court appoints an investigator, either a court employee or someone from the local child protective services agency, to decide whether the guardianship is in the child’s best interest.2California Courts | Self Help Guide. Guardianship Investigation Expect a visit to the home where the child will live, interviews with you and often with the child, and a review of school and medical records.
The investigator also runs background checks on you and every adult in the household, looking for criminal history and prior reports of child abuse or neglect.2California Courts | Self Help Guide. Guardianship Investigation If the child is old enough and mature enough, the investigator may speak with them privately. The resulting report carries real weight with the judge, so cooperation matters.
Need Authority Right Now? Temporary Letters
If the child needs to be enrolled in school immediately, requires medical treatment, or is in an unsafe situation, you can file a separate petition for temporary guardianship alongside or after the main one. The petition has to describe facts showing good cause for an immediate appointment, and the court can then appoint you as temporary guardian until it decides the permanent petition.3California Legislative Information. California Probate Code 2250 The filing fee is $60.
At the Hearing, and Why the Order Isn’t Enough
At the hearing, the judge reviews the investigator’s report, hears objections from parents or relatives, and considers the child’s preference if the child is old enough to express one. If the judge agrees, they sign an Order Appointing Guardian. That order establishes your role on paper, but it isn’t the document you’ll be showing anyone. The Letters of Guardianship are a separate court-issued document, and the clerk won’t release them until you finish two more steps.
Sign the Oath and Post Any Required Bond
First, you sign the oath printed on form GC-250, formally promising to carry out your duties as guardian under the law.4Judicial Branch of California. Letters of Guardianship (GC-250) That same form becomes your Letters once the clerk signs and seals it.
Second, if you were appointed guardian of the estate, you almost certainly need to post a surety bond before the Letters issue. The amount is based on the value of the child’s personal property, the expected annual income from all of the child’s property, and any public benefits the child receives.5Justia. California Probate Code Article 3 – Bonds of Guardians and Conservators The court can adjust the figure for good cause. Guardians of the person only, with no estate responsibilities, typically don’t need a bond.
Get Certified Copies to Actually Use the Letters
The Letters sitting in the court file don’t help you at the bank or the school office. What institutions want is a certified copy, stamped and attested by the clerk to confirm the document is current and hasn’t been revoked. A plain photocopy won’t do.
Each certified copy costs $40.6California Courts. Statewide Civil Fee Schedule Order several at once. You’ll likely need them for the school, the pediatrician, insurance, and any financial institution, and some organizations keep the copy you hand them. A fee waiver based on income covers certified copy fees too.
What the Letters Let You Do
Your Letters spell out your exact authority. The document shows whether your power covers the Person, the Estate, or both, and any limitations the judge imposed appear on the face of the Letters.
Guardian of the Person
As guardian of the person, you take over day-to-day care and decision-making: enrolling the child in school, consenting to medical treatment, and choosing where the child lives within California.7California Courts. GC-248 Duties of Guardian
Guardian of the Estate
As guardian of the estate, you manage the child’s money and property: opening bank accounts in the child’s name, handling investments, collecting income, and paying expenses. You’re held to a standard of ordinary care and diligence.8California Legislative Information. California Probate Code 2401 Major transactions like selling real estate require a separate court order.
After You Have the Letters
Getting the Letters doesn’t end your obligations to the court. Every year you must file a Confidential Guardianship Status Report on form GC-251, covering the child’s school, health, and living situation; everyone in your household; the parents’ contact and involvement; and your own ability and willingness to continue. The court mails you a blank form each year. If you’re also guardian of the estate, you file a separate financial accounting of income, expenses, and current assets. Miss these deadlines at your peril: if the court can’t get the information within 30 days, a judge can order you to meet with an investigator or appear in court to explain why you shouldn’t be removed.9California Courts | Self Help Guide. Confidential Guardianship Status Report
If you move, file form MC-040 (Notice of Change of Address). There’s no fee, and without it you’ll miss court notices about the guardianship.10Judicial Branch of California. Update Your Address With the Court If the court later modifies your authority, or your original Letters are lost, file a new GC-250 to get reissued Letters that reflect your current powers.
When the Letters Expire
Guardianship of the person ends automatically when the child turns 18, is adopted, is legally emancipated, or dies.11California Legislative Information. California Probate Code 1600 – Termination of Guardianship At that point your Letters are no longer valid.
One narrow exception: if the ward needs to complete an application for special immigrant juvenile status with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the ward can request or consent to extending guardianship of the person until age 21. Even then, the guardian cannot override the ward’s rights as a legal adult; decisions about medical treatment, education, and where to live require the ward’s express consent.11California Legislative Information. California Probate Code 1600 – Termination of Guardianship