Chaffee County Court Records

Chaffee County court records are official documents preserved in physical or electronic format, which detail proceedings and outcomes of legal cases handled by courts within the county. These documents include motions, affidavits, pleadings, defenses, exhibits, witness statements, orders, rulings, and court judgments. Court records are generally divided into civil or criminal cases. Depending on the case, the details of the record may vary slightly, including additional documents such as the Chaffee County arrest records, charges, sentencing, and incarceration details. Court records are maintained to provide transparency in how legal matters are decided.

Are Court Records Public in Chaffee County?

Court records in Chaffee County, Colorado, are open records, meaning members of the public may gain access to court records upon request. However, the public's right of access is not absolute. The Clerk of Court can restrict access to court files or portions of court files under the authority granted by the Public Access to Court Records Directive, statute, or court order. Such files include criminal case files involving charges of sexual assault, cases involving a child victim, and expunged records. Where portions or entire records are sealed, access will be granted only upon presentation of a court order demonstrating good cause.

Chaffee County Court Records Search

Chaffee County court records are collected and maintained by the Clerk of Court. A search for court records can be conducted using designated online or offline resources provided by the appropriate custodian. These include email applications, mail-in requests, or in-person visits.
Individuals may also direct record requests to the State Court Administrator for electronic court-related data to be extracted from the Department's case management system.

Chaffee County Courts

Chaffee County is part of the Eleventh Judicial District and the Colorado State Judicial Branch of Government. Courts within the County are located at:

Chaffee Combined Court
142 Crestone Avenue,
P.O. Box 279,
Salida, CO 81201,
United States,
Phone: (719) 539-2561,
Fax: (719) 530-7017

Chaffee County Criminal and Civil Records

There are several ways to access Chaffee County Criminal and Civil court records. These include contacting the court where the action was filed or visiting its location during operating hours.

Chaffee Combined Court
142 Crestone Avenue
P.O. Box 279
Salida, CO 81201
United States
Phone: (719) 539-2561
Fax: (719) 530-7017

Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Clerk's Office is closed for lunch daily from 12:00 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. The Colorado Judicial Branch website provides remote access to court records. It allows individuals to search for case information by name, number, or date. Requests may also be submitted using the Record/Document Request Form page.

State Court Administrator's Office
1300 Broadway
Denver, CO 80203
(720) 625-5000
(800) 888-0001

Chaffee County Marriage Records

Chaffee County marriage records are available at the Chaffee County Clerk and Recorder's office. Individuals can request to inspect or obtain copies of these records at the Recorder's Office. The office address is:

104 Crestone Avenue
Salida, CO 81201
Phone: (719) 539-4004
It is advisable to call ahead before visiting.

For convenience, the Clerk & Recorder's office provides an alternative means of accessing marriage records through the Clerk & Recorder Document Search portal. To access these records:

• Visit the portal, and click either name search or document search
• Click the marriage search on the left to open the search field for marriage records.
• The page has a guide on the right, which assists users with the search process.

Although the Recorder's Office holds the bulk of the County's marriage records, it does not hold everything. The Colorado State archive holds some of these records, particularly records of individuals who got married before 1960.
The types of marriage records held by the Colorado State Archives:

• Marriage License
• Marriage Application
• Marriage Certificate
• Marriage Record or Register

To find out if the record sought is held by the Colorado State Archives, check their Archives Search database. Submit a request using this Archives Request Form.

Chaffee County Divorce Records

The Colorado State Archives maintain Chaffee County divorce records. However, the Department does not have all the records. To know which records the State Archives hold, requesters may need to check the State Archives database for a list. If the record case number is not on the list, contact the Chaffee County District Court. Divorce petitions in Chaffee County are filed there. The District Court address is provided above.

Chaffee County Birth Records

Birth records are classified as Vital Records in Chaffee County. They are issued by the Chaffee County Public Health. Unlike court records, vital records are not open to just anyone. Individuals seeking access to birth certificates and other related records will need to provide valid identification and proof of their relationship to the person's record being requested. Details of acceptable identification and relationship proofs are on the application forms.

For in-person access and to request certified copies of a Colorado Birth Certificate, visit https://bit.ly/ChaffeeVRappointments to make an appointment with the Chaffee County Public Health Vital Records Team.

Vital Records
448 E 1st Street, Ste 137
Salida, CO 81201
Phone: (719) 539-4510
Email inquiries:

Customers may also order certificates online via the secure email portal. Requests can be sent to vitalrecords@chaffeecounty.org only through the designated email portal; no other mode is accepted.

For added convenience, the Chaffee County Public Health also accepts mail-in requests. Requestors who prefer to order birth certificates by mail can do so by filling out the Chaffee County Birth Certificate Request form. Mail the completed form along with a copy of identification, proof of relationship, and payment (check or money order payable to the Chaffee County Public Health) to:

Chaffee County Vital Records
448 East 1st St. STE 137
Salida, CO 81201

Note: A $8 surcharge applies for mailing the certificate back to the provided return address. Orders are mailed within 30 business days of receipt of the request.

Chaffee Death Records

Death records are also classified as vital records, and like all vital records, access to these records is restricted. Only the immediate family members of the person on record can obtain a certified death certificate. To see the complete list of eligible individuals, visit: https://www.colorado.gov/cdphe/vitalrecords

The Chaffee County Public Health Department issues death certificates. Requests may be submitted to the Department through the secure email portal or by mailing a completed Chaffee County Death Certificate Request form along with a copy of identification, proof of relationship, and payment (check or money order payable to the Chaffee County Public Health) to:

Chaffee County Vital Records
448 East 1st St. STE 137
Salida, CO 81201

Records can also be accessed physically in the Department's Office.

Chaffee County Probate Court Records

Probate County court records are public but subject to certain statutory exemptions and court orders. To access probate records in Chaffee County, Colorado, requesters typically need to contact the Chaffee County District Court. The District Court maintains probate records at the combined court location (provided above). Individuals can request records in person by submitting a research request form to the court clerk through the State Judicial Branch website.

Chaffee County Property Records

Individuals can access property records in Chaffee County, Colorado, through several official sources. Records searches can be conducted on the Chaffee County Assessor's Record Search database. The link is available on their website. Individuals may look up property values, ownership, and parcel information on the database. In-person requests can also be made at the Assessor's Office located at:

104 Crestone Avenue,
Salida, CO.
Phone: (719) 539-4016

The Search Portal on the Clerk and Recorder's Office provides an alternative for accessing property records. Individuals can search for a parcel by entering the parcel ID in the document search section of the portal.

Chaffee County Court Records Online

The Colorado Judicial Branch website provides remote access to court records. It allows individuals to search for case information by name, number, or date. Some third-party sites, like Coloradocourtrecords.us, may also provide access to court records. However, these sites operate independently of any government agency and cannot guarantee the accuracy of search results.