Most Colorado public court records are open to anyone. You can search civil, criminal, domestic relations, probate, and water court files online through one of three authorized vendors, or request copies directly from the clerk of the court where the case was filed. A handful of case types — juvenile delinquency, mental health, adoption, dependency and neglect, paternity, guardianship, conservatorship, and truancy — are closed to the public, and sealed records will not appear in any public search.
Search Online Through an Authorized Vendor
The Colorado Judicial Branch does not run its own public search site. It authorizes three private vendors to provide online access to court records: Background Information Services, LexisNexis (Colorado Courts Record Search), and Tessera Data.1Colorado Judicial Branch. Access Guide to Public Records Each sets its own fees for searches and document downloads. Links to all three sit on the Judicial Branch’s Access Guide to Public Records page.
A case number is the fastest way in. Without one, you’ll need the parties’ full legal names, the county or judicial district where the case was filed, and an approximate year. Common names return long result lists, so narrowing by location and date range saves both time and vendor fees.
The state’s e-filing system is a separate tool, used mainly by attorneys and parties already in a case. Viewing documents through the e-filing portal is free, but printing costs $12.00 per transaction plus $0.04 per page.2Colorado Judicial Branch. E-Filing Pricing Model It is not the same as the public vendor searches, and it is not designed for general public lookups.
Request Records from the Court Clerk
You can submit a request in person, by mail, or through the Colorado Judicial Branch’s online record request form. The form asks for the case number, party names, the court location, and a description of the documents you want.3Colorado Judicial Branch. Record/Document Request Form If you mail your request, include a self-addressed stamped envelope so the clerk can return paper copies.
How Long the Clerk Has to Respond
Under the Colorado Open Records Act, the custodian must produce the records within three working days. If the request involves a large volume of files, off-site storage, or material that needs screening for restricted content, the custodian may extend the deadline by up to seven additional working days, but must notify you of the extension within the original three-day window.3Colorado Judicial Branch. Record/Document Request Form
What It Costs
Copy fees are set by statute. Single-sided copies are $0.25 per page, double-sided $0.50. Parties to the case have their total copy charges capped at $15.00. Certified copies carry an extra $20.00 fee per document.4Colorado Judicial Branch. List of Fees Search and retrieval fees vary by court, but CORA caps the hourly rate for research time at $41.37 as of July 2024.5Colorado General Assembly. Colorado Open Records Act Maximum Hourly Research and Retrieval Fee Electronic copies are often free when the court can deliver them digitally, and walk-in visitors can typically pay at the counter and leave with documents the same day.
What You Can Access by Case Type
The open-access presumption covers most civil and criminal case files, along with domestic relations matters (divorce, legal separation, custody), probate cases, and water court disputes. In a typical file you can review the docket sheet, filed motions, court orders, judgments, and sentencing records. Individual documents inside an open case — settlement agreements, expert reports, financial affidavits — may be restricted by protective order, but the docket and final orders are almost always public.
Criminal cases follow a slightly different rule. The Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act treats records of “official actions” — the fact of an arrest, the charges filed, how the case was resolved, and any sentencing or probation decisions — as always open.6Colorado Attorney General. Colorado Open Records Act and Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act Investigative files and internal law enforcement records fall outside that category and are released only at the custodian’s discretion. A CORA request for criminal justice records is automatically handled under the CCJRA instead.
Records the Public Cannot See
Chief Justice Directive 05-01 lists case types that are excluded from public access entirely. No vendor search or clerk request will turn these up unless you fall within a narrow group of authorized individuals or obtain a court order.7Colorado Judicial Department. Chief Justice Directive 05-01 – Concerning Access to Court Records
- Juvenile delinquency files. A defined group can view them without a court order: the juvenile, their parents or guardians, attorneys of record, law enforcement, the probation department, and certain state agencies. The general public cannot.8FindLaw. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 19 – 19-1-304
- Mental health evaluations and commitments.
- Adoption, dependency and neglect, and paternity cases.
- Guardianship and conservatorship (probate protected proceedings), including adult and minor guardianships and related protective matters.
- Truancy cases.
Criminal cases involving a sexual assault charge receive additional protection. Before victim-identifying information is redacted, the file is accessible only to judges, court staff, criminal justice agencies, the victim or their representative, and the parties themselves. Everyone else needs a court order.7Colorado Judicial Department. Chief Justice Directive 05-01 – Concerning Access to Court Records The case will appear on the docket, but the victim’s name and identifying details are stripped from any public-facing version.
Sealed Records Will Not Appear
When a criminal record is sealed, agencies must respond to any public inquiry by saying no public record exists for that person. The file is not destroyed — law enforcement, courts, and prosecutors can still access it for investigations and future cases — but it disappears from public search results and cannot be used against the person by employers, landlords, or licensing agencies.9FindLaw. Colorado Revised Statutes 24-72-703 – Sealing of Records – General Provisions
Non-conviction records — cases that ended in acquittal, dismissal, or completion of a diversion program — can be sealed at no filing cost. Conviction records carry waiting periods that vary by offense severity, starting at one year after disposition for petty offenses and running longer for misdemeanors and felonies. The filing fee for a conviction-sealing petition is $224.4Colorado Judicial Branch. List of Fees Some offenses are excluded entirely, including those involving unlawful sexual behavior and certain domestic violence charges.10Colorado Judicial Branch. Sealing Criminal Records
Colorado’s Clean Slate Act created an automated sealing process for certain low-level criminal convictions beginning in July 2024, and a follow-up law extended automatic sealing to certain non-conviction records starting in July 2025. Eligible records are sealed without any petition or fee. The rollout has been gradual, so checking your own record periodically to confirm it has come off public search is worth the time.
If Your Request Is Denied
A denial is not the end of the process. Start by asking the custodian for a written explanation of why the records were withheld. That explanation matters if you escalate.
The next step under CORA is to send the custodian written notice that you intend to file an application in district court. You must then wait at least fourteen days before filing. During that window, the custodian is required to meet with you in person or by phone to try to resolve the dispute. If you need faster access and can explain why, an expedited track lets you file after three business days of notice with no meeting required.11FindLaw. Colorado Revised Statutes 24-72-204
If the custodian still refuses, you file a petition in the district court where the records are held. The court will order the custodian to show cause for withholding, and the hearing is set as quickly as practical. If the court finds the denial improper, it will order the records disclosed and award you court costs and reasonable attorney fees.11FindLaw. Colorado Revised Statutes 24-72-204 That fee-shifting provision is what gives the statute its practical force. You can represent yourself, though the complexity of a show-cause hearing often makes legal help worth the cost.