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Colorado public records: who holds what

In Colorado, deeds are recorded by the County Clerk and Recorder in most places, birth and death certificates come from the CDPHE Office of the State Registrar of Vital Statistics and requests for other government records fall under the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA). Below: who holds every other record, what copies cost and the official link for each office.

Last checked against official sources on .

On this page
  1. Who holds what in Colorado
  2. Public records law in Colorado
  3. How Colorado organizes its records
  4. Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps
  5. Counties in Colorado
  6. Warnings from official sources
  7. Official copies vs look-alike sites
  8. Official directories
  9. Sources

Who holds what in Colorado

The office that keeps each record, and the fee the law or the office sets for a copy. Open a record type for the full rules, ordering steps and older records.

RecordWho holds itCopy fee
DeedsCounty Clerk and Recorder of the county where the property is located (Denver: Denver Clerk and Recorder, Recording Division).1Statute: copies are charged under C.R.S. 24-72-205(5), up to $0.25 per standard page (30-1-103(2)(j)). Counties checked: $0.25 per page (El Paso, Denver).2
Property recordsCounty Assessor discovers, lists, classifies and values all property.3—
Court recordsState court system (Colorado Judicial Branch: county and district trial courts, listed by county), except Denver County Court, which is administered separately from the state courts.4Under CJD 06-01: copies $0.25/page (max $15 for parties); certified/exemplified copy $20.00 per document; name search $5.00; transcript of judgment $25.00; certificate of satisfaction $20.00; research/redaction $30.00/hour after the first hour; off-site retrieval at actual cost.5
Marriage recordsCounty Clerk and Recorder of the county that issued the license (certified copies); CDPHE Office of the State Registrar issues marriage/civil union verifications.6County certified copy: $0.25 per license/application plus $1.00 certification (El Paso).2
Divorce recordsClerk of the District Court where the dissolution was granted (Colorado Judicial Branch); CDPHE issues dissolution verifications only.6Court: certified copy $20.00 per document plus $0.25/page copies; CDPHE dissolution verification $25.00 first, $20.00 additional.5
Birth certificatesCDPHE Office of the State Registrar of Vital Statistics (Denver) and local (county) vital records offices.7$25.00 first certified copy; $20.00 each additional copy ordered at the same time; heirloom $35.00; $25.00 search fee if no record found; credit card convenience fee variable; UPS for VitalChek orders $21.00.8
Death certificatesCDPHE Office of the State Registrar of Vital Statistics and local vital records offices. State Archives holds older records; certificates issued after 1908 are not at the Archives.7$25.00 first certified copy; $20.00 each additional at same time; $25.00 if no record found; search with unknown date $1.00 per year searched.8
Probate and willsDistrict Court of each county; in Denver, the Denver Probate Court (exclusive jurisdiction under Colo. Const. art. VI, §9(3)).9Denver Probate Court: $5.00 name search, $0.25/page copies, $20.00 certification, $20.00 exemplification, $15.00 off-site retrieval per case; other counties per CJD 06-01 (same certification fee).9

Public records law in Colorado

Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) (C.R.S. 24-72-200.1 to 24-72-205.5 (24-72-206 is repealed) (criminal justice records: Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act, C.R.S. 24-72-301 et seq.)) Read the law10

This law covers records that agencies hold, such as a county office's correspondence or a property file. Recorded deeds, vital records and court files usually have their own rules, set out in each record section.

Who can ask
Any person; no residency requirement stated. A custodian may not require identification to request or inspect records, except under 24-72-204(3.5)(g) or when a confidential record is accessible only to the person in interest (C.R.S. 24-72-203(1)(a)).11
Response time
Three working days is the presumed reasonable time when records are not readily available (C.R.S. 24-72-203(3)(b)); custodian may extend up to seven more working days only for the listed extenuating circumstances, with a written finding within the three-day period, and never for a single specifically identified document. County clerks may take extra time for election-related records during an election (24-72-203(3)(d)).11
Copy fees
Copies: custodian may charge up to $0.25 per standard page, and no per-page fee for digital or electronic records (C.R.S. 24-72-205(5)(a)). Research and retrieval: first hour free; after that a fee only under a previously published written policy, up to the maximum hourly fee the General Assembly posts (24-72-205(6)). Examples: Attorney General $0.25 per page and $41.37 per hour; Secretary of State $41.37 per hour after 1 hour, copies free up to 20 pages then $0.07 per page. Where another law sets a specific fee, that fee applies.11
If a request is refused
No administrative appeal body. The applicant may request a written statement of the grounds for denial (C.R.S. 24-72-204(4)). Before suing, file written notice with the custodian at least 14 days ahead (at least 3 business days for a stated expedited need); the custodian must meet or talk with the applicant in that period. Then apply to the district court where the record is found. Unless the court finds the denial proper, it orders inspection and awards court costs and reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing applicant, with statutory exceptions (24-72-204(5)).11
What is exempt
Most writings made, maintained or kept by a government office are public, but CORA requires withholding of certain records under C.R.S. 24-72-202 and -204; criminal justice records fall under the CCJRA where only 'records of official action' must be open and others are at the custodian's discretion. Court case records are governed by Chief Justice Directive 05-01, not CORA.12
Official guide
Attorney General Formal Opinion No. 01-1, "Colorado Open Records Act: Nineteen Frequently Asked Questions" (July 5, 2001), hosted by the Secretary of State; AG's own CORA/CCJRA policy page.13

How to write a public records request

How Colorado organizes its records

  • County Clerk and Recorder (one office) records deeds, issues marriage/civil union licenses, runs elections and county motor vehicle offices1
  • Denver County Court is outside the state court system; requests go directly to that court4
  • Denver Probate Court has exclusive probate jurisdiction for the City and County of Denver; elsewhere probate is in district court9
  • Flat $43 county recording fee at the counties checked (statutory $40 plus surcharges, C.R.S. 30-1-103, 30-10-421) from July 1, 2025; certificates of death recorded free2
  • Court case records available online only through paid Judicial-approved vendors; no free official statewide case search4
  • Automatic sealing of eligible convictions (C.R.S. 13-3-117); CBI portal states sealed records are not available to the public14
  • Common-law marriage recognized; affidavit may be recorded with county clerk15
  • Trade names (DBAs) are statewide SOS filings, not county16

Other records: background checks, voters, businesses, maps

Criminal history checks

State repository
Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) — Internet Criminal History Check System (ICHC), Colorado fingerprint-supported arrest records only.17
Fee
$6.00 per online result viewed; $13.00 for a mailed-in manual search (official/notarized response, up to 3 business days).18
Who may order
Public name-based search (first and last name and date of birth required); one-time searches need no account.17
Excluded
Warrants, sealed records and juvenile records are not released to the public.17

Sex offender registry

Official registry
CBI Colorado Convicted Sex Offender Search: apps.colorado.gov/apps/dps/sor19
Complete list
The CBI site points to the local police department, county sheriff, or CBI for a complete list. By statute any person may request the registry list from the CBI, showing proper identification; the list excludes juvenile-only registrants (C.R.S. 16-22-110(6)(c),(e)). Local agencies must release registrant information to persons residing in their jurisdiction, again excluding juvenile-only registrants (16-22-112(2)(a)).19

Inmate and jail lookups

State prisons
Colorado Department of Corrections offender search ("Find an Inmate"): doc.state.co.us/oss20
Accuracy
CDOC warns the search database may contain inaccurate information and asks users to confirm with the department.21

Voter records

Public or restricted
Voter registration records are public and open to examination by any person (C.R.S. 1-2-227(1)(a)). The Secretary of State sells the statewide list and voter history at $50.00 per report (Statewide Registered Voter List EX-003, Master Voter History EX-002), or a $1,000 election-cycle subscription.22
Check your registration
Voters can look up their own registration on the SOS 'Find my registration' page (GoVoteColorado).23
County office
County clerk and recorders run elections; SOS lists each county's clerk and election office.24

Business names (DBA)

Assumed names (DBA)
Trade names (DBAs) are filed statewide with the Colorado Secretary of State, not counties; required for for-profit businesses and individuals not using their true/legal name.16
Fee
Statement of Trade Name $20.00; renewal $5.00; withdrawal $10.00 (online only).25
Search
SOS Business organizations search; certificates of good standing and certified copies are free.25
Duration
Individual/non-reporting entity trade names last one year and must be renewed annually.16

Liens and UCC filings

UCC filings
UCC financing statements and many statutory liens are filed centrally with the Secretary of State; searches and certified searches are free; filing $8.00.26
Fixture and real estate
Real estate and fixture filings go to the county clerk and recorder.27
Federal tax liens
Federal tax liens against real property are recorded with the county clerk and recorder (C.R.S. 38-25-102); others with SOS.28
Vehicles
Liens on titled motor vehicles are filed with the county motor vehicle office.27
Bulk data
Complete UCC dataset free on the Colorado Information Marketplace.26

GIS and parcel maps

State GIS portal
Colorado Geospatial Portal (state GIS hub): geodata.colorado.gov29
Parcel data
State publishes "Colorado Public Parcels" and a "Colorado Public Parcel Map" on the Colorado Geospatial Portal, aggregated by the OIT GIS team; parcels are not a tax or ownership record of the state.30

Historical and genealogy records

State archives
Colorado State Archives (archives.colorado.gov) holds pre-1908 county birth/death records, the 1890-1939 statewide marriage index, some old divorce, probate, naturalization, census and corrections records; birth records are open only if at least 100 years old.31
Fees
Archives vital record request (birth, death, or marriage) $11; certification $16 per record; self-serve copies $.25/page.32
CDPHE
CDPHE requires a certified-copy application for family history research; genealogists need a notarized family release.15

Counties in Colorado

14 counties with a full guide

Each guide lists the office for every record type, the official online searches, copy fees, phones and hours.

All 64 counties

Names in bold open our guide. Names with an arrow go to the county's own website, where the US Census Bureau lists one and it opened when we checked.33

Warnings from official sources

  • Deed-copy solicitation mailers (e.g., National Deed Service, $49.50-$69.50) (Pueblo County District Attorney (Tenth Judicial District) with Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder)34
  • State law limits deed-copy solicitation fees to 4x the clerk's fee and requires disclosures (HB18-1154) (Colorado General Assembly)35
  • Rise in fraudulent deeds, mortgages and liens filed without owner's knowledge (El Paso County Clerk and Recorder)36
  • Commercial court-record sites are not the official record (Colorado Judicial Branch)4

Official copies vs look-alike sites

A certified copy comes only from the office that holds the record; reports and "research copies" sold by commercial sites are not issued by any Colorado office. How to tell an official record source from a paid look-alike.

Official directories

Lists that name the office in every county.

Sources

Every fact above links to the official page it comes from; all 37 sources were checked on November 4, 2026. Fees and rules change, so check the office's own page before you pay or travel.

  1. Recording - El Paso County Clerk and RecorderEl Paso County Clerk and Recorder
  2. Recording FeesEl Paso County Clerk and Recorder
  3. El Paso County Assessor
  4. Access Guide to Public RecordsColorado Judicial Branch
  5. Record/Document Request Form (fees under CJD 06-01)Colorado Judicial Branch
  6. Birth, death, and other vital recordsColorado Department of Public Health and Environment
  7. Order certificate nowColorado Department of Public Health and Environment
  8. Office of the State Registrar of Vital Statistics Fee schedule (Effective 1/1/2026)Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
  9. About the Denver Probate CourtColorado Judicial Branch
  10. Colorado Open Records Act & Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (Department of Law policy)Colorado Attorney General (Department of Law)
  11. Colorado Revised Statutes 2026, Title 24 (CORA, CCJRA)Colorado General Assembly, Office of Legislative Legal Services
  12. Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) Policies and ProceduresColorado Department of State
  13. Formal Opinion No. 01-1, Colorado Open Records Act: Nineteen Frequently Asked Questions (Attorney General Ken Salazar), hosted by SOSColorado Attorney General (via Colorado Secretary of State)
  14. Sealed Case SearchColorado Judicial Branch
  15. Vital records - other topicsColorado Department of Public Health and Environment
  16. Business FAQs - Trade namesColorado Secretary of State
  17. Internet Criminal History Check System (ICHC) - Official CBI Colorado Name-Based Background CheckColorado Bureau of Investigation
  18. ICHC FAQsColorado Bureau of Investigation
  19. CBI: Sex Offender Registry (Colorado Convicted Sex Offender Search)Colorado Bureau of Investigation
  20. Colorado Department of Corrections home (Find an Inmate)Colorado Department of Corrections
  21. CDOC Offender Search disclaimerColorado Department of Corrections
  22. Elections & Voting Fee ScheduleColorado Secretary of State
  23. Voter - Find registration (GoVoteColorado)Colorado Secretary of State
  24. County Election Offices / Colorado county clerks and recorders websitesColorado Secretary of State
  25. Business Organizations Fee ScheduleColorado Secretary of State
  26. Uniform Commercial Code Fee ScheduleColorado Secretary of State
  27. UCC FAQs - General lien questionsColorado Secretary of State
  28. UCC FAQs - Federal/State tax liensColorado Secretary of State
  29. Colorado Geospatial PortalState of Colorado (OIT GIS)
  30. Colorado Geospatial Portal catalog: parcelsState of Colorado (OIT GIS)
  31. Birth RecordsColorado State Archives
  32. Our FeesColorado State Archives
  33. Government Units List 2026US Census Bureau
  34. Scam Alert - Deed Services (Tenth Judicial District Attorney / Pueblo County)Pueblo County (Office of the District Attorney, Tenth Judicial District)
  35. HB18-1154 Deeds and deeds of trust - limits on fees for providing a copyColorado General Assembly
  36. Property ProtectionEl Paso County Clerk and Recorder
  37. Trial Courts by CountyColorado Judicial Branch