How to Search Colorado Court Records (Start Here)

Colorado court records are filed with the Clerk of the District Court. The District Court / County Court handles trial-level cases. Colorado offers a statewide court search through Colorado Judicial Branch, which covers most case types across all counties courts.

What this page covers: Colorado state court case records — criminal, civil, family, and probate filings. What it does not cover: Federal court cases (those are on PACER) or sealed/juvenile records.

Where to start: Use Colorado Judicial Branch for online case search. If you need documents beyond docket information, contact the Clerk of the District Court in the specific county where the case was filed.

Common mistake: Colorado Judicial Branch covers state courts only. Federal cases filed in Colorado (bankruptcy, federal criminal, federal civil) require PACER — a separate federal system.

Trial court of general jurisdiction
Statewide criminal docket search
Number of counties
64 counties
Population
5,957,493
Households
2,331,517
Median Income
$92,911
Median Home Value
$502,200
SearchSystems Editorial
Edited by — Editor & Owner, SearchSystems.net. Public records professional since 1999. NAPBS founding member. Full bio & credentials.
Last reviewed: June 04, 2026 · Methodology: all Colorado court URLs verified against the official .gov / state-judiciary publisher on the review date. 5 primary .gov / .uscourts.gov sources cited below.

Colorado Court Records — Key Numbers (FY2025)

Colorado's annual report covers Appellate, Trial court, and Probation client statistics, plus a Smart Act report on operations.
Colorado Judicial Branch
Court system
Statewide
FY2025
Latest fiscal year
Official .gov data
.gov
Primary source
Never data brokers
Free
Public access
Most case records
June 04, 2026
Last reviewed
By SearchSystems editorial
How to access court records — typical costs
Search online
$0
View docket entry
$0
Download document
$1
Certified copy
$5
Expungement filing
$50
Unit: USD typical fee. Fees and access policies vary by court; see Primary Sources below.

What Changed in 2026 — Colorado Court Records

2026
Colorado FY2025 caseload report active
The Colorado Judicial Branch publishes its current FY2025 case filings, dispositions, and trends on the official statistics portal.
2026
Colorado statewide case-access portal live
Colorado Judicial Branch's public case-access portal continues to operate at www.courts.state.co.us with statewide coverage.
2026
Latest Colorado judiciary annual report
The most recent annual report from the Colorado Judicial Branch is publicly available with full statistical addenda.
2026
Colorado courts main directory
Colorado's primary judicial-branch directory at www.coloradojudicial.gov continues to be the canonical entry point for all state court matters.

The 4-Step Colorado Court Records Pathway

1
Step 1 — Identify the court level
In Colorado, civil and criminal trial cases sit in Colorado Judicial Branch trial courts. Appellate matters go to the state's appellate courts.
2
Step 2 — Use the state case-access portal
Start at https://www.courts.state.co.us/dockets/ — the official public case-access for Colorado.
3
Step 3 — Federal cases are separate
Federal cases involving Colorado parties live on PACER (pacer.uscourts.gov), not the state system.
4
Step 4 — Sealed / expunged records
Records sealed or expunged under Colorado law are NOT searchable on public portals. To verify, contact the originating court clerk directly.

Five Things People Get Wrong About Colorado Court Records

❌ Myth: "Colorado court records are on PACER."
✓ Truth: False. PACER only has federal cases. Colorado state court records live on www.coloradojudicial.gov.
❌ Myth: "All Colorado case files are free."
✓ Truth: Partly true. Searching and viewing dockets is usually free. Downloading full documents or certified copies often costs $1-$5 per item.
❌ Myth: "Sealed = deleted in Colorado."
✓ Truth: False. Sealed records still exist — they're just hidden from public search. The court clerk and law enforcement can still access them.
❌ Myth: "Third-party search sites are official."
✓ Truth: False. Only www.coloradojudicial.gov and the linked official portals are authoritative for Colorado.
❌ Myth: "Same-day filings show online immediately."
✓ Truth: False. Most Colorado courts have a 24-48 hour processing lag before new filings appear in public search.

Primary Sources (All .gov / Official)

Related Court Records Resources

Related Public Records
National view of this topic: All states: Court records
Sample Colorado counties: Adams · Alamosa · Arapahoe · Archuleta · Baca

Court Records Databases

10 official Colorado court records sources.

Court Records

Docket Search | Colorado Judicial Branch
Official Free
Colorado Judicial Branch · Courts · Trial Courts by County · Trial Courts by District · Court of Appeals · Supreme Court · Water Courts · Community and Educational Resources · Livestreaming · Probation · Self-Help and Forms · Self-Help Resources · Self-Help Forms · Programs · Court Services · Financial Services · Probation Services · Vendor Resources · Public Access · Access Guide to Public Records ...
Access Guide to Public Records | Colorado Judicial Branch
Official Free
If you seek Denver County Court records, you may contact that court directly at: coradatarequests@denvercountycourt.org · If you are requesting compiled or aggregate data that is not related to a specific court case or person, you may submit a request to the applicable address below.
Wholesale / Colorado Court Records
Official Free
Home | CARE Login · (800) 433-6010 · Our Companies BIS ChemScreen Wholesale · Client Access CARE Login Online Order Login ChemScreen Login · Screening Solutions Employment and Volunteer Drug, Alcohol & Health Residential Global Self · Integrations Partners & Associations Announcements ...
Colorado District Court | PACER: Federal Court Records
Official Free
An official website of the United States government · Here’s how you know
Court of Appeals Protocols | Colorado Judicial Branch
Official Free
When the court announces an opinion, it provides copies of the opinion to all parties, the trial court or agency, the press, and the public. Opinions selected for official publication also are provided to West Publishing and The Colorado Lawyer and are available on the court’s website.
Supreme Court | Colorado Judicial Branch
Official Free
Back row left to right: Maria Berkenkotter, Richard L. Gabriel, Carlos A. Samour, Jr., Susan Blanco Front row left to right: Brian D. Boatright, Monica M. Márquez, William W. Hood, III. (© Colorado Judicial Department) The Supreme Court's opinions are now available on a searchable website.
https://ecf.cod.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/CourtInfo.pl?...
Official Paid
District of Colorado · 901 19th Street, Denver, CO 80294 · (General E-mail) newcases@cod.uscourts.gov (CM/ECF Help) cod_cmecf@cod.uscourts.gov · 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Monday-Friday, excluding federal holidays · (303) 844-3433 · 100 MB · 75.0 MB · PACER Service Center, P.O.
CM/ECF Live Database
Official Paid
Welcome to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado

Colorado Counties

64 Colorado counties are indexed on SearchSystems.net — top 28 counties shown below. Browse the full directory or click any county for local court, sheriff, recorder and assessor links.

Frequently Asked Questions

Colorado's trial courts publish case lookups through the Colorado Judicial Branch. Start at www.coloradojudicial.gov — most case dockets, filings, and hearing calendars are searchable by name, case number, or filing date. County-level clerks publish additional searches; see the cards below for direct county court links.

The Colorado Judicial Branch operates Colorado's official statewide judicial portal at www.coloradojudicial.gov. Basic case lookups are typically free of charge; certified copies and bulk-data exports may incur a per-document or per-search fee. Federal cases for Colorado residents are searched separately through PACER.

Trial courts in Colorado handle the original filing of civil, criminal, family, probate, and traffic matters. Appellate courts review questions of law from trial-court decisions. The Colorado Judicial Branch publishes the full court structure, judge rosters, and jurisdiction maps at www.coloradojudicial.gov.

Online coverage varies by court and case type. Most Colorado county courts have digitized records from approximately the late 1990s or early 2000s forward; older case files may require an in-person clerk visit or a written record request. Check the Colorado Judicial Branch portal at www.coloradojudicial.gov for each court's coverage window.

No. Colorado courts redact or remove sealed, expunged, juvenile, and certain confidential records from public-facing searches as required by state statute and court rule. If a record was previously visible and has since been sealed, it will no longer appear in the Colorado Judicial Branch portal. For verification you can contact the county clerk where the case was filed.