# California Conservatorship Statistics (2026): 28 Verified Figures With Sources > California conservatorship statistics: 24,923 filings in FY2024-25, up 60% in ten years, plus DDS, LPS and reform data, each traced to its original publisher. Source: https://ridleylawoffices.com/california-conservatorship-statistics/ By Eric Ridley, attorney, Ridley Law. Updated October 2026. This page collects 28 figures on California conservatorships: court filings from the Judicial Council, developmental disability conservatorships from the Department of Developmental Services, the 2021 and 2022 reform laws, and the separate Lanterman-Petris-Short system. Each figure links to the agency, court or auditor that first published it. Where the number is our own arithmetic on published figures, the text says so. We review the page quarterly. **Cite this page:** Ridley Law, “California Conservatorship Statistics (2026): 28 Verified Figures With Sources,” ridleylawoffices.com/california-conservatorship-statistics/, October 2026. **24,923** conservatorship and guardianship filings, FY2024-25 **+60%** filings growth since FY2015-16 **78%** of those cases disposed in FY2024-25 (clearance rate) **6,253** filings in Los Angeles County, FY2024-25 **57,365** regional center consumers with a conservator other than DDS **343** people DDS served as conservator, January 2026 **Before you quote the 24,923:** the Judicial Council reports conservatorship and guardianship filings as one combined category. It includes guardianships of minors, and the report does not say how many of the filings are adult probate conservatorships. LPS conservatorships (mental health) are a separate system and are covered in their own section below. ## How many conservatorship cases are filed in California each year? ### California courts received 24,923 conservatorship and guardianship filings in fiscal year 2024-25. California’s superior courts received 24,923 conservatorship and guardianship filings in fiscal year 2024-25, according to the Judicial Council of California’s 2026 Court Statistics Report. The Judicial Council reports these as one combined case type, so the figure includes guardianships as well as conservatorships. It is the largest number in the ten-year series. Source: [Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/csr_2026.pdf) (Data for Figures 53-62). ### Filings rose 60 percent in ten years. Conservatorship and guardianship filings rose 60 percent, from 15,529 in fiscal year 2015-16 to 24,923 in fiscal year 2024-25, per the Judicial Council’s 2026 Court Statistics Report. That is 9,394 more filings a year than a decade earlier. The percentage is Ridley Law’s arithmetic on the two published figures (24,923 divided by 15,529). Source: [Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/csr_2026.pdf). ### Filings jumped 20 percent in the latest year. Filings rose from 20,749 in fiscal year 2023-24 to 24,923 in fiscal year 2024-25, an increase of 20 percent, according to the Judicial Council’s 2026 Court Statistics Report. The prior two years also rose: 15,516 in 2021-22, 18,144 in 2022-23, and 20,749 in 2023-24. Source: [Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/csr_2026.pdf). ### Filings are 72 percent above the fiscal year 2020-21 low. The ten-year low was 14,525 filings in fiscal year 2020-21, and fiscal year 2024-25’s 24,923 is 72 percent higher, according to the Judicial Council’s 2026 Court Statistics Report. Filings were also below 16,000 in 2021-22 (15,516). They have risen every year since. The 72 percent is Ridley Law’s arithmetic. Source: [Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/csr_2026.pdf). ### Conservatorship and guardianship filings by fiscal year | Fiscal year | Conservatorship and guardianship filings | Dispositions | Clearance rate | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2015-16 | 15,529 | 10,297 | 66% | | 2016-17 | 15,923 | 12,321 | 77% | | 2017-18 | 16,821 | 13,258 | 79% | | 2018-19 | 16,628 | 12,443 | 75% | | 2019-20 | 14,992 | 11,542 | 77% | | 2020-21 | 14,525 | 12,771 | 88% | | 2021-22 | 15,516 | 12,561 | 81% | | 2022-23 | 18,144 | 13,700 | 76% | | 2023-24 | 20,749 | 14,774 | 71% | | 2024-25 | 24,923 | 19,339 | 78% | Source: [Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/csr_2026.pdf), Data for Figures 53-62. The Judicial Council revises prior years in each edition, so every year here is from the 2026 edition. ### Conservatorship and guardianship make up 37 percent of California probate filings. Conservatorship and guardianship cases were 24,923 of 66,908 probate filings in fiscal year 2024-25, or 37 percent, per the Judicial Council’s 2026 Court Statistics Report. The share was 32.5 percent in fiscal year 2015-16 (15,529 of 47,807). The shares are Ridley Law’s arithmetic. See also the county-by-county breakdown on our [probate filings by county](https://ridleylawoffices.com/california-probate-filings-by-county/) page. Source: [Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/csr_2026.pdf). ### Courts disposed of 19,339 of these cases, a 78 percent clearance rate. Courts disposed of 19,339 conservatorship and guardianship cases in fiscal year 2024-25, a caseload clearance rate of 78 percent, according to the Judicial Council’s 2026 Court Statistics Report. Clearance rate is dispositions as a percentage of filings. It was 66 percent in 2015-16 and 71 percent in 2023-24. Source: [Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/csr_2026.pdf). ### Filings outran dispositions by 5,584 cases. California courts received 5,584 more conservatorship and guardianship filings than they disposed of in fiscal year 2024-25 (24,923 filed, 19,339 disposed), per the Judicial Council’s 2026 Court Statistics Report. The difference is Ridley Law’s subtraction of two published figures. Dispositions in a year can include cases filed earlier. Source: [Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/csr_2026.pdf). ### Almost every disposed case ended without a jury. Of 19,339 dispositions in fiscal year 2024-25, statewide data shows 8,771 decided by the court after trial and 1 by a jury, according to the Judicial Council’s 2026 Court Statistics Report. The report notes that the method-of-disposition categories may not add up to total dispositions because not all courts submitted complete data, and Sacramento, Solano and Ventura reported no method detail. Source: [Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/csr_2026.pdf) (Table 12c). ## Which California counties have the most conservatorship and guardianship filings? ### Los Angeles County alone accounts for a quarter of filings. Los Angeles County recorded 6,253 conservatorship and guardianship filings in fiscal year 2024-25, about 25 percent of the statewide 24,923, per the Judicial Council’s 2026 Court Statistics Report. San Bernardino County was second with 1,845. The share is Ridley Law’s arithmetic. Source: [Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/csr_2026.pdf) (Table 12a). ### The ten busiest counties file 72 percent of all cases. The ten counties with the most conservatorship and guardianship filings (Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, Sacramento, Orange, San Diego, Fresno, Santa Clara, Alameda and Kern) accounted for 17,997 of 24,923 filings in fiscal year 2024-25, or 72 percent. Ranking, the sum and the percentage are Ridley Law’s work from the county rows in the Judicial Council’s Table 12a. County counts sum to the statewide total of 24,923. All 58 counties appear on our [county-by-county probate filings table](https://ridleylawoffices.com/california-probate-filings-by-county/). Source: [Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/csr_2026.pdf) (Table 12a). | County | Filings, FY2024-25 | Share of state (our calculation) | | --- | --- | --- | | Los Angeles | 6,253 | 25.1% | | San Bernardino | 1,845 | 7.4% | | Riverside | 1,716 | 6.9% | | Sacramento | 1,460 | 5.9% | | Orange | 1,443 | 5.8% | | San Diego | 1,350 | 5.4% | | Fresno | 1,326 | 5.3% | | Santa Clara | 897 | 3.6% | | Alameda | 879 | 3.5% | | Kern | 828 | 3.3% | | **Top ten total** | **17,997** | **72.2%** | | **California total** | **24,923** | **100%** | ## How many Californians with developmental disabilities are under conservatorship? ### The state is conservator for 343 people. As of January 1, 2026, the California Department of Developmental Services was the court-appointed conservator for 343 people, according to DDS. DDS accepts a conservatorship only as a last resort, per its own page. The 343 are cases where the state itself serves as conservator. The next figures count conservatorships held by other people. Source: [California Department of Developmental Services, Conservatorship and Alternatives to Conservatorship](https://www.dds.ca.gov/individuals-and-families/conservatorship/) (updated April 2026). ### The state's own conservatorship caseload fell by a third since 2015. DDS was conservator for 516 people in 2015 and 343 people as of January 1, 2026, a drop of about a third, per DDS. DDS’s chart shows 376 conservatees in 2024. The percentage is Ridley Law’s arithmetic on the published 516 and 343. Source: [California Department of Developmental Services, Conservatorship and Alternatives to Conservatorship](https://www.dds.ca.gov/individuals-and-families/conservatorship/) (updated April 2026). ### 57,365 regional center consumers have a conservator other than the state. A national expert panel reviewing DDS’s program reviewed data for 57,365 regional center consumers who were conserved by someone other than DDS, in a report DDS released in March 2023. Regional center consumers are Californians with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The report doesn’t say how many of these are limited conservatorships and how many are general. Source: [California Department of Developmental Services, expert panel report on the DDS conservatorship program](https://www.dds.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ExpertPanelFinalReportMarch2023.pdf) (March 2023). ### The number grew 46 percent in seven years. The number of regional center consumers conserved by someone other than DDS grew 46 percent, from 39,252 to 57,365, over seven years, according to the DDS expert panel report (March 2023). The panel said the increase in conservatorships of transition-aged youth is consistent with national trends. Source: [California Department of Developmental Services, expert panel report on the DDS conservatorship program](https://www.dds.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ExpertPanelFinalReportMarch2023.pdf) (March 2023). ### Three in four of them are between 18 and 34. Among regional center consumers conserved by someone other than DDS, 75 percent are between ages 18 and 34 and 47 percent are between 18 and 24, per the DDS expert panel report (March 2023). About 80 percent of these conservatees live with family, according to the same report. Source: [California Department of Developmental Services, expert panel report on the DDS conservatorship program](https://www.dds.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ExpertPanelFinalReportMarch2023.pdf) (March 2023). ### Most people the state conserves have been conserved for a decade or more. Of the 413 people DDS conserved in August 2022, 317 had been conserved for more than 10 years, according to DDS’s August 2022 news release. DDS also said it receives 20 to 25 petitions for new limited conservatorships a year and declines about one-third of the nominations it receives. Source: [California Department of Developmental Services, news release](https://www.dds.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/NewsRelease8.16.22-DDSConservatorships_FINAL.pdf) (August 16, 2022). ## What changed in California conservatorship law, and who oversees conservators? ### AB 1194 took effect January 1, 2022. Assembly Bill 1194, a probate conservatorship reform law (Stats. 2021, ch. 417), took effect January 1, 2022, according to the Legislative Counsel’s history note on Probate Code section 1860. The bill amended section 1860 and other Probate Code sections that govern conservatorships. Our [guide to conservatorship in California](https://ridleylawoffices.com/conservatorship-california/) describes the process as it stands today. Source: [Probate Code section 1860](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PROB§ionNum=1860) (Legislative Counsel of California). ### AB 1663 took effect January 1, 2023. Assembly Bill 1663 (Stats. 2022, ch. 894) took effect January 1, 2023, and requires a court to consider supported decisionmaking agreements, powers of attorney and advance health care directives before granting a conservatorship, per Probate Code section 1800.3. The same section requires an express finding that the conservatorship is the least restrictive alternative. A person who has those documents in place gives a court less reason to find a conservatorship necessary. Our page on how to [avoid a conservatorship in California](https://ridleylawoffices.com/avoiding-conservatorship-california/) covers them. Source: [Probate Code section 1800.3](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PROB§ionNum=1800.3) (Legislative Counsel of California). ### The Judicial Council owes the Legislature a conservatorship study by January 1, 2027. California law requires the Judicial Council to report to the Legislature by January 1, 2027, on a study of court effectiveness in conservatorship cases, using at least three courts and caseload statistics from fiscal year 2018-19, per Probate Code section 1458. The statute calls for a small, a medium and a large court, and requires recommendations on statewide performance measures and staffing. The report must also present caseload figures for professional fiduciary conservators separately from nonprofessional conservators. Source: [Probate Code section 1458](https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?lawCode=PROB§ionNum=1458) (Legislative Counsel of California). ### 841 professional fiduciaries held active California licenses in 2022. As of September 1, 2022, the Professional Fiduciaries Bureau reported 841 active professional fiduciary licenses, out of 1,333 issued since July 1, 2008. The Bureau licenses non-family fiduciaries, including conservators. Family members serving as conservators don’t need a license. The figure is from the Bureau’s 2023 sunset review and may be out of date. Source: [Professional Fiduciaries Bureau, Sunset Review Report 2023](https://www.fiduciary.ca.gov/forms_pubs/2023_sunset_review.pdf) (January 2023). ## How many LPS conservatorships does California have? ### California has no reliable statewide count of LPS conservatorships. In its 2026 annual report on 2024 data, the Department of Health Care Services said it was unable to meaningfully evaluate the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act data because of limits in what counties submitted. Only 34 counties reported data on temporary LPS conservatorships and 35 reported permanent ones for 2024. LPS conservatorships are a separate system from the probate conservatorships counted above. They are for people found gravely disabled, and the data comes through county behavioral health agencies. Source: [California Department of Health Care Services, 2026 Lanterman-Petris-Short Act Annual Report](https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/hm/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2026-LPS-Annual-Report_5d16bf.pdf) (July 2026). ### At least 2,429 permanent and 1,511 temporary LPS conservatorships were reported for 2024. The state’s open data portal shows at least 2,429 permanent and 1,511 temporary LPS conservatorships reported for calendar year 2024, from the 35 and 34 counties that reported. These are minimums. Ridley Law added the age-group cells in the portal’s Statewide rows for 2024, and DHCS suppresses small cells for privacy, so the true totals are higher. Counties that didn’t report aren’t counted. Source: [California Health and Human Services Open Data Portal, Lanterman-Petris-Short Act Data](https://data.chhs.ca.gov/dataset/lanterman-petris-short-act-data) (DHCS, updated August 2026). ### SB 43 widened who can be placed on an LPS conservatorship in 2024. Senate Bill 43 expanded the definition of grave disability in the LPS Act to include a severe substance use disorder, and DHCS began collecting that data in January 2024. Before SB 43, grave disability under the LPS Act was limited to people unable to provide for themselves because of a mental health disorder. Source: [California Department of Health Care Services, 2026 Lanterman-Petris-Short Act Annual Report](https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/hm/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2026-LPS-Annual-Report_5d16bf.pdf) (July 2026). ### Los Angeles County reported 4,698 LPS conservatorships in fiscal year 2018-19. Los Angeles County had 4,698 conservatorships in fiscal year 2018-19, San Francisco 601 and Shasta 94, according to the California State Auditor’s analysis of Department of Justice mental health data. The Auditor noted that statewide conservatorship data are limited and reviewed three counties. Its table counts conservatorships in the LPS system, and the Auditor’s counts for Los Angeles ranged from 4,389 to 4,919 a year over fiscal years 2014-15 through 2018-19. Source: [California State Auditor, Report 2019-119, Appendix C](https://information.auditor.ca.gov/pdfs/reports/2019-119.pdf) (July 2020). ### Most people placed on an LPS conservatorship in Los Angeles had more than one order. In Los Angeles County, 5,918 of 7,242 people with a conservatorship order, or 82 percent, had more than one order, averaging 5.5 orders each, according to the California State Auditor. The Auditor’s count covers fiscal years 2014-15 through 2018-19 and includes orders renewing a conservatorship as well as new ones. Source: [California State Auditor, Report 2019-119, Appendix C](https://information.auditor.ca.gov/pdfs/reports/2019-119.pdf) (July 2020). ### The LPS conservatorships the Auditor reviewed lasted about three years. In the 60 LPS conservatorship case files the State Auditor reviewed, the average length was 2 years and 8 months in Los Angeles, 3 years and 6 months in San Francisco and 3 years and 3 months in Shasta County. That is a sample of 20 cases per county, not a statewide figure. Source: [California State Auditor, Report 2019-119, Appendix C](https://information.auditor.ca.gov/pdfs/reports/2019-119.pdf) (July 2020). ## How many adults are under guardianship or conservatorship in the United States? ### Nobody knows, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported in November 2016 that the extent of elder abuse by guardians nationally is unknown because of limited data on the number of guardians serving older adults and the number of older adults in guardianships. This is a national finding about guardianship in all states, not a California number. GAO found that none of the six states it examined could give exact counts. Source: [U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-17-33, Elder Abuse: The Extent of Abuse by Guardians Is Unknown](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-17-33) (November 2016). ### About half of California courts combine adult and minor guardianship counts. A California court official told GAO that the number of new adult guardianships is partially estimated because about half of the courts in the state report a combined number of guardianships for minors and adults. The Judicial Council’s conservatorship and guardianship filing number is likewise a combined count. GAO’s interview was in 2016. Source: [U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-17-33](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-17-33) (November 2016, page 6). ## Related pages on this site - [Conservatorship in California: how it works, who can petition, what it costs](https://ridleylawoffices.com/conservatorship-california/) - [Avoiding conservatorship in California](https://ridleylawoffices.com/avoiding-conservatorship-california/) - [California probate filings by county](https://ridleylawoffices.com/california-probate-filings-by-county/) - [California probate statistics](https://ridleylawoffices.com/california-probate-statistics/) - [Conservatorship: definition](https://ridleylawoffices.com/estate-planning-glossary-california/conservatorship/) - [Guardianship: definition](https://ridleylawoffices.com/estate-planning-glossary-california/guardianship/) - [Estate planning statistics and California guides](https://ridleylawoffices.com/estate-planning-statistics-and-california-guides/) - [California estate planning numbers for 2026](https://ridleylawoffices.com/2026-california-estate-law-changes/) ## Methodology We picked sources by who produced the number: the Judicial Council of California for court filings, the California Department of Developmental Services for developmental disability conservatorships, the Department of Health Care Services and the California State Auditor for the Lanterman-Petris-Short system, the Government Accountability Office for national data, and the Legislative Counsel for statutes. News stories, advocacy summaries and other law firms were excluded unless we could follow them to a primary source, and then we cited the primary source. Dates on the page are the publication year of the source. Percentages and differences marked as our arithmetic were computed from the published figures cited beside them. We read each source directly in October 2026. The page is next reviewed in January 2027. To report an error, write to eric@ridleylawoffices.com. Sources - [Judicial Council of California, 2026 Court Statistics Report](https://courts.ca.gov/system/files/file/csr_2026.pdf) - [California Department of Developmental Services, Conservatorship and Alternatives to Conservatorship](https://www.dds.ca.gov/individuals-and-families/conservatorship/) - [California Department of Developmental Services, expert panel report on the DDS conservatorship program (March 2023)](https://www.dds.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/ExpertPanelFinalReportMarch2023.pdf) - [California Department of Developmental Services, news release (August 16, 2022)](https://www.dds.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/NewsRelease8.16.22-DDSConservatorships_FINAL.pdf) - [California Department of Health Care Services, 2026 Lanterman-Petris-Short Act Annual Report](https://www.dhcs.ca.gov/hm/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2026-LPS-Annual-Report_5d16bf.pdf) - [California Health and Human Services Open Data Portal, Lanterman-Petris-Short Act Data](https://data.chhs.ca.gov/dataset/lanterman-petris-short-act-data) - [California State Auditor, Report 2019-119 (July 2020)](https://information.auditor.ca.gov/pdfs/reports/2019-119.pdf) - [U.S. Government Accountability Office, GAO-17-33 (November 2016)](https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-17-33) - [Professional Fiduciaries Bureau, Sunset Review Report 2023](https://www.fiduciary.ca.gov/forms_pubs/2023_sunset_review.pdf)