Register a Guardianship

Page Contents

• Registration Requirements
• How to Register a Guardianship
• Online System Resources (i.e., how to register slideshow, and online registration user guide)
• Links to the Online System and Guardianship Training Modules
• Contacting the Guardianship Registration (GR) Department
• Frequently Asked Questions

Our licensing team is unable to accommodate walk-in customers. If you need assistance, please contact this department via the contact information at the bottom of this page. If we are unable to resolve matters by email, please feel free to request an appointment by phone, or a virtual call with a licensing specialist via Zoom for further assistance.

Inquiries Regarding Paperwork

Please be advised that we review and process applications as soon as possible in the order in which they are received. Given the various factors involved, including the high volume received in this department and multiple entities being involved in the registration process, we are unable to provide a more specific timeframe.

Applicants can confirm receipt of their applications, the status of their applications, and their applications progress by referring to the View Pending Online Applications page of their online profiles. From this page, they can verify the following information 24/7:

1. Confirm receipt of documents uploaded to their application by looking at the number reflect next to the Document(s) link.
   • If it shows (0), the document was not uploaded (i.e., it was not received).
   • If it shows (1), or any number other than 0, the document was uploaded (i.e., it has been received).
2. Check their applications status.
   • By hovering their mouse over the status, they'll also be able to see descriptive text that explains what the status means.
3. Check the progress of their applications by clicking the View Details link to see which items on their application's checklist have been completed, and which are still pending. For example, it allows them to:
   • See if the court has been notified of their registration.
   • See if their background check has been completed.
   • See if the background check was sent to the court.
   • See if the review of their guardianship information has been completed.
   • See if we've received their qualification date from the court.

Applicants are also sent automated email confirmations when their application has been received, and when their applications are approved.

We receive many inquiries for status checks, and each takes time to research and respond to which can cause delays in processing. So that we may process applications as quickly and efficiently as possible, we strongly encourage applicants, and the attorney's representing them, to fully utilize the online system to keep up with their applications. We appreciate your patience and understanding during this process.

Registration Requirements

Texas attorneys, Texas certified guardians, Texas guardians appointed prior to June 01, 2018, and corporate fiduciaries are not required to complete the criminal history background check or the guardianship training.

To register a guardianship with the JBCC, you must do the following (in the order shown below):

1. File for guardianship with the county where the ward resides.
   • Under section 10.2 (a) of the JBCC Rules, this must be completed prior to submitting your registration application to the JBCC.
2. Complete the guardianship training module.
   • Texas certified guardians, Texas guardians appointed prior to 06/01/18, Texas attorneys, and corporate fiduciaries are exempt from the training requirement.
   • To access the training module, click on the big, red button below on this page.
   • Use Google Chrome to complete the training.
   • The training module is free of charge.
   • Mobile and Apple devices may be incompatible to complete this training.
   • The course will take approximately 1 hour.
   • Once completed, you must download a copy of your training certificate.
     • A copy must be provided to the court.
     • A copy must be provided to the JBCC by uploading it to your online application.
3. Submit the New Guardianship Registration application. You must submit the registration via our online system.
   • Please ensure your device (i.e., PC, laptop, etc.) is set up to allow for pop-ups as this is required to use our online system.
   • You must submit one registration application for each guardianship of person, estate, or both.
   • Co-guardians must submit separate registration applications and must complete the guardianship training module separately.
   • The name of the proposed guardian, and the name of the ward, listed on your Guardianship Registration form must reflect your legal name (i.e., the name indicated on your government issued identification or driver's license). Preferred names are not permitted.
   • In the field for Former Names, if you do not have any former names, you must enter "N/A" in this field.
   • The contact information in the Guardian's Information section of the form, must only be that of the actual proposed guardian.
   • Contact information of the attorney must only be entered in the Attorney's Contact Information section. 
     • Because the guardian's information is used for multiple purposes, including with law enforcement, do not enter contact information for the attorney in the Guardian's Information section. Only the guardian's information can go there. 
   • Enter the physical address for the ward.
   • Registrations are not required to be renewed with the JBCC.
4. Complete the criminal history background check. Please refer to the Criminal History Information page of our website for more information on background checks, including who is exempt from the background checks. 

How to Register a Guardianship

Under section 10.2 (a) of the JBCC Rules, registrations must be submitted via our online system. Those who do not have internet access to apply online can contact us to request a form be mailed to them. Our phone number and mailing address are located at the bottom of this page.

Guardianship Registrations are free of charge. If you are asked to pay a fee, please be advised that is not the correct application and you must withdraw it.

We strongly recommend that you view the “Watch How to Register a Guardianship Slideshow”, in the Online System Resources section below, prior to starting the registration process.

1. Go to our online system by clicking the big, red button below.
2. Select the "Guardians" tab, then select "Guardianship Registration: To Register a Guardianship".
   • Note: first time users must create a login name and password.
3. Enter the guardian’s profile and contact information.
4. Enter the guardianship information (i.e., the ward's legal name, physical address, case information, etc.)
5. Read, complete, and sign the attestation page.
   • Note: the name entered in the signature field must be that of the guardian, not the name of the individual who helped them complete the application.
6. Upload a copy of your training completion certificate to your application.
7. Submit your registration application.
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Online System Resources

• Watch How to Register a Guardianship- Slideshow (pdf) (Updated 04/19/24)
  o This walks you step-by-step/page-by-page through the registration process.
  o This shows you how to track your application’s status online.
  o This shows you how to track your application’s progress online so you can see which items on your application's checklist are complete and which items are pending.
• Guide to Using the Online System (pdf) 
  This resource provides various information, including the following:
  
  o How to add information, edit, or continue an incomplete application.
  o How to update your contact information.
  o How to reset a forgotten password.
  o How to attach documents to pending application. 

  Online System and Guardianship Training Modules

Contacting the Guardianship Registration (GR) Department

IMPORTANT: Under section 155.155 of the Government Code, please be advised that the JBCC cannot confirm registration data to anyone outside of law enforcement and the county where the registration is filed. If you are a guardianship program, a guardian, a proposed guardian, or an attorney that represents a proposed guardian that needs to confirm registration data (i.e., information about the guardian, the ward, or the case), you must do the following:

• Contact the court where the guardianship is filed, or
• Login to your online profile and go to the Additional Information page of your profile. You will find all registrations submitted to us on that page.

The following tips can help staff to clearly ascertain the situation so they may better assist you.

• Include your first and last name so we know with whom we’re corresponding.
• Provide details regarding the matter for which you need assistance.
• If your inquiry pertains to an application you submitted, include the transaction number and the date you submitted the application.

Contact by Email:

1. Non-criminal history matters: jbccguardianregistration@txcourts.gov
2. Criminal history matters: jbccbackgroundspecialist@txcourts.gov 

• You get an error message saying your data already exists in the system. Do not create another profile. 
• You were unable to obtain your login name and/or reset your password using the Forgot Login/Password link. Do not create another profile. 
• You made a mistake on your application and need to correct it. Do not create another profile or submit another application.

To help us better assist you, and help to prevent your email from being tagged as suspicious and being quarantined before we can see it, communications by email should also:

• Include a subject line that briefly indicates what the email pertains to. Please do not leave the subject line blank. For example, good subjects would be “Registration help for Jane Doe”, or “Registration Inquiry for John Doe”, and bad subjects would be “Help”, “Call Me”, or other non-descript subjects.
• Ensure that any document attachments are named in a way which clearly identifies the document. For example, “Contact Update for Jane Doe”, “Screenshot-Login page”, etc.  
  • Documentation must only be in one of these formats: PDF, Word, JPG, JPEG, or PNG.
  • For security purposes, do not submit documents by way of external links (i.e., linking to a cloud such as Adobe, One drive, or other equivalent source). 

Contact by Phone: 

• 512-463-1656, or
• 512-475-4368, Ext. #2.

Additional contact information is located at the bottom of this page in the footer.

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