Are Criminal Records Public In Colorado?

By Section 24–72–301 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, Colorado criminal records are public records and are available for inspection and copying by members of the public. Despite this, criminal justice agencies are mandated to remove the following information from public view:

• The identifying and contact information of any victim, confidential informants, or witness
• The home address, personal email address, and personal phone number of a peace officer
• Any mental health or medical information
• Identifying information about a juvenile
• Any disciplinary recommendations that are not yet final

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation Division of the Colorado Department of Public Safety is the central repository that keeps and maintains Colorado criminal records.

What Is Included In A Criminal Record In Colorado?

A Colorado criminal record is a document containing the official information about a person’s arrests, charges, convictions, and criminal history. The data on the record is collected from state and county jurisdictions, including trial courts and correctional facilities in the State of Colorado. Most Colorado criminal records contain the following information:

• The subject’s full name and any known aliases
• Physical descriptors including race, gender, tattoos, hair, and eye color
• The date of birth
• A full set of fingerprints
• A mugshot
• Any past or current address
• Criminal charges
• Past or current warrants
• Former arrests

How To Look Up My Criminal Records In Colorado?

Interested persons can obtain a copy of a Colorado criminal record online or by mail from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, a Division of the Colorado Department of Public Safety. To make a request online, visit the Internet Criminal History Check System. The fee for each search made online is $5.00.

If requesting a criminal record by mail, complete a Public Request for Criminal History Record Information form. The cost of processing a mail-in form is $13.00. Make the payment either by money order, credit card (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express), or business or cashier check. If paying by business or cashier check, make it out to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, sign it and ensure that the date issued is within 90 days.

Payment made by money order must also be made payable to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and must be issued by a United States bank. Send the completed form and payment to:

Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI),

Identification Unit

690 Kipling Street—Suite 3000,

Denver, CO 80215

How Can I Get My Criminal Records For Free In Colorado?

Getting a Colorado criminal record from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation attracts a fee. The cost of a Colorado criminal record depends on the medium used to request for it. An online copy costs $5.00, while a mailed copy is set at $13. The Bureau makes no provision for indigent requestors to get criminal records for free in Colorado.

How To Search Criminal Records Online In Colorado?

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has an Internet Criminal History Check System where interested persons can search online for Colorado criminal records. The website allows users to either create an account or search for criminal records as an individual. Creating an account is generally for companies who may need to carry out regular criminal history checks on different individuals. It also allows users to submit a batch file of various names for a criminal history check.

Therefore, to create an account, the required information includes the company name and address, the billing address, and email address. Also, choose the preferred mode of payment - check or credit card, and the preferred report format. If paying by check, state the Account Login ID in the memo line. Make the check payable to Logikco LLC. Note that this payment method is only effective if the account amount meets the initial minimum payment of $200. Send the check and account information to:

CBI Check

Logikco LLC.

330 Roberts Street, Suite 400

East Hartford, CT 06108

Note, pre-paid services are not activated until the check arrives and clears. A bounced check attracts a penalty of $25. The CBI sends a notification email when the check is processed and ready for use. In the meantime, users can make use of the credit card payment method. The Bureau accepts Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.

For individual users, search for a Colorado criminal record by entering the exact spelling of the first and last name of the subject, as well as the correct date of birth. Narrow down the search by providing the subject’s social security number. The only acceptable means of payment for individual users is by credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or American Express).

Note, each search costs a non-refundable fee of $5.00, regardless of the search results. If there is more than one result for the search parameters entered, select one record to view. Any additional record selected costs an extra charge of $5.00 for each.

Interested persons can also access Colorado criminal case files on the Colorado Court Records website. The site allows users to search for both open and closed cases. Members of the public, however, cannot access sealed, juvenile, and probate cases. Some details included in the case files are also nonpublic. Examples are social security numbers, street addresses, names of the victims, police officers, and jurors.

To search for a case file, provide the last name and either part of the first name, or the full first name of the defendant, respondent, or petitioner. The cost for a Colorado criminal case file per search is $7.00, whether the search yields or does not yield results.

Users can pay each time a search is made or may purchase search credits in advance and draw it down. If the user buys search credits, the amount of search credits remaining is displayed on the search screen and adjusted as additional searches are performed.

The acceptable means of payment is by credit card: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. Contact Colorado Court Records by phone on (866) 277–7006, or via email at cocourts@risk.lexisnexis.com for any inquiries.

Records that are considered public may be accessible from some third-party websites. These websites often make searching simpler, as they are not limited by geographic location, and search engines on these sites may help when starting a search for a specific or multiple records. To begin using such a search engine on a third-party or government website, interested parties usually must provide:

• The name of the person involved in the record, unless said person is a juvenile
• The location or assumed location of the record or person involved. This includes information such as the city, county, or state that the person resides in or was accused in

Third-party sites are independent of government sources and are not sponsored by these government agencies. Because of this, record availability on third-party sites may vary.

How To Get Criminal Records Expunged In Colorado?

Section 24–72–702 of the Colorado Revised Statutes allows the expungement of certain Colorado criminal records. Per this law, the court may expunge the criminal records of a person who was arrested due to mistaken identity. To be eligible under this law, charges must not have been filed against such a person. The law places the responsibility of filing the petition for the expungement of a criminal record on the law enforcement agency that made the arrest.

The agency is to file the petition at the district court in the judicial district where the arrest was made. It should also be done no later than 90 days after it is discovered that the person was arrested as a result of mistaken identity. The expungement petition is at no cost to the individual arrested. There is no filing fee. The court is to then grant the order of expungement within 90 days of filing the petition.

How To Get Criminal Records Sealed In Colorado?

Under Colorado law, a person who was not convicted of a crime may petition to seal the Colorado criminal record if:

• The petitioner was arrested but not charged with an offense, and the statute of limitations has run
• The petitioner was arrested but not charged with an offense and is no longer being investigated for the crime
• The court dismissed the case against the petitioner
• The petitioner completed a diversion program
• The court found the petitioner not guilty of the charges

However, a person is not eligible for sealing Colorado criminal records if:

• The petitioner was not charged due to a plea agreement in another case
• The petitioner did not fulfill all the conditions of the sentence

Note, a petitioner whose trial was dismissed due to a plea agreement in another case is only eligible to seal the criminal record after ten years have passed since the disposition of the case. However, the petitioner is eligible only if the petitioner was not charged with any other crime during those ten years. Colorado criminal record sealing is also unavailable for the following:

• Any class 1 or 2 misdemeanor traffic infraction
• Class A and B traffic offenses
• Driving under the influence convictions
• Convictions for crimes founded on unlawful sexual behavior
• Convictions pertaining to the operator of a commercial motor vehicle or the holder of a commercial driver’s license

Section 24–72–706 of the Colorado Revised Statutes allows the sealing of the following criminal conviction records under certain circumstances:

• A petty or drug petty offense after one year has passed since the final disposition of the criminal proceedings or the release of the petitioner, whichever is later
• A class 2, class 3, or drug misdemeanor if two years has elapsed since the final disposition of the criminal proceedings or the release of the petitioner, whichever is later
• A class 4, class 5, or class 6 felony, a level 3 or level 4 drug felony, or a class 1 misdemeanor, if three years have passed since the final disposition of the criminal proceedings or the release of the petitioner, whichever is later
• Other offenses after five years have elapsed since the final disposition of the criminal proceedings or the release of the petitioner, whichever is later

Note that the law does not allow criminal records to be sealed if the petitioner still owes fines, restitution, court costs, or other fees mandated by the court unless the court vacated the order. A person is also only permitted to file a petition for sealing a criminal record once in twelve months unless the court allows otherwise.

If eligible to seal a Colorado criminal record, complete the petition to seal arrest and criminal records form and file at the appropriate court along with a copy of the criminal record and a $224 filing fee. Indigent citizens who are unable to pay the filing fee may apply for a motion to file without payment and submit to the court with a supporting financial affidavit.

If the court grants the petition, the criminal record becomes inaccessible to members of the public. However, the court has the power to unseal the sealed criminal record if:

• A person files a petition with the court to unseal the record and shows that the public interest in disclosure outweighs the petitioner’s interest in privacy
• The subject of the sealed record is subsequently convicted of a new offense

Who Can See My Expunged/sealed Criminal Record In Colorado?

A sealed Colorado criminal record under Colorado Revised Statutes Section 24–72–703 is unavailable to the public for inspection or copying. The record is, however, not to be destroyed. Regardless, the subject of the record, as well as criminal justice agencies are to deny the existence of the sealed record, upon public inquiry. The sealed record is accessible to the following persons under specific circumstances:

• A court, law enforcement agency, prosecuting attorney, criminal justice agency, or any party or agency required by law to perform a criminal history record check on a person.
• A third party upon petition to the court by the subject of the record or the prosecuting attorney
• The victim of the sealed criminal case, if the victim shows a lawful need for the records to the law enforcement agency or prosecuting attorney
• On the other hand, when a court grants an order for the expungement of a Colorado criminal record, any agency in possession of the record is to remove it from the database. The expunged record is treated as nonexistent by the subject of the record and all criminal justice agencies.