Search Adams County Public Records

How to Request Adams County Public Records

Most Adams County public records requests follow the Colorado Open Records Act path. The basic flow is short. A clear written request, sent to the right office, with a tight description of the records, usually gets the fastest response. The list below walks through a CORA request from start to finish.

1. Identify the custodian. The Clerk and Recorder, the court Records Unit, the Sheriff, and other county offices each hold different records.
2. Submit a written request. State your name, your contact info, the records sought, the date range, and the format you want.
3. Allow the agency a reasonable time to respond under CORA. The statute does not set a single fixed day count for every request; a custodian must act within a reasonable time and may extend in defined cases.
4. Receive the records or a written denial. A denial must cite the legal ground, such as a CORA exception, a CCJRA limit, or a court rule.
5. Appeal if the request is denied. CORA lets the requester seek court review. CCJRA denials follow the criminal justice records review path. Court record denials follow CJD 05-01 review.

Court case files do not follow the same path as CORA. They run under Chief Justice Directive 05-01 and the Public Access to Information and Records Rules. A court-file request goes to the Records Unit at the Adams County Justice Center, not to a county CORA officer.

Colorado's Public Records Framework

Colorado splits public access by record type. The main law for county and executive records is the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) at C.R.S. 24-72-201 to 24-72-205.5. CORA sets a policy of open inspection of public records. CORA names the exceptions, such as personnel files, certain investigation files, medical data, security plans, and trade secrets. The act also lets custodians charge for copies and for research and retrieval time.

Criminal justice records are not handled under CORA. They run under the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (CCJRA) at C.R.S. 24-72-301 et seq. Sheriff records, arrest data, jail data, and most law enforcement files are CCJRA records. The Adams County Sheriff's Office disclaimer notes that criminal justice records cannot be used to solicit business for money.

Court case records run under Colorado Judicial Branch rules, mainly Chief Justice Directive 05-01 and the Public Access to Information and Records Rules. Several Colorado titles also set extra rules: Title 19 controls juvenile records, Title 24 holds the sealing statutes and the CORA fees, Title 14 covers marriage and divorce, Title 15 governs probate, and Title 16 covers criminal procedure. The mix means the same set of facts may sit in different files with different access rules.

Records Maintained by the Adams County Clerk and Recorder

The Clerk and Recorder runs the county's main public records desk for recorded documents. Office leadership: Josh Zygielbaum, County Clerk and Recorder. The office records and preserves real estate documents, maps, plats, and any other document submitted for public recording in the county.

• Recorded real estate documents, including deeds and liens.
• Marriage and civil union licenses and the official record of those events.
• Maps, plats, and survey records filed with the recorder.
• Passport intake on behalf of the U.S. Department of State, by appointment.
• Grantor and grantee index for property records (no tract index).

Office address: 4430 S. Adams County Pkwy., Suite E2400, Brighton, CO 80601. Phone: 720-523-6020 for the Recording Department. Hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The recording desk does not give blank legal forms; the office refers users to title companies or office supply stores for those.

The recorder warns that court matters, such as divorce records, jury duty, and court appearances, do not belong at the recording office. Those go to the Adams County Justice Center at 303-659-1161.

The Recording Department also has an instructions page at adamscountyco.gov that walks users through the recorded-document portal step by step.

The county also publishes a recording fee schedule that shows current copy charges and certified copy fees. See the schedule at the Recording Department fee schedule page. Confirm rates by phone before paying, since fee schedules update from time to time.

Adams County Recorded Document Search

Adams County hosts a free online portal for recorded documents at recording.adamscountyco.gov. The portal lets a user search by name and date range. Uncertified copies can be downloaded or printed at no charge. Certified copies must be ordered by phone or in person.

The portal screen looks like the image below. A direct visit to recording.adamscountyco.gov opens the same view. The portal is the fastest way to confirm a deed, a lien, or a recorded marriage license without a trip to Brighton.

Records Maintained by ACSO and the Court Clerk

The Adams County Sheriff's Office keeps a large set of criminal justice records under the CCJRA. That includes arrest data, jail bookings, warrant data, incident reports where release is allowed, and the inmate roster. ACSO publishes the public records landing page at adamssheriffco.gov and runs the inmate and warrant search tools from that site. ACSO records are not CORA records; the request goes through the Sheriff's records process.

Court case records sit at the Adams County Justice Center. The Records Unit at the Justice Center handles requests for court case files, dockets, orders, and copies. Records Unit phone: 303-654-3239. Email: AdamsRecordRequest@judicial.state.co.us. Court file requests run under Chief Justice Directive 05-01. The Justice Center also handles transcript requests through the court reporter at 17courtreporter@judicial.state.co.us. The 17th Judicial District does not provide audio recordings of hearings except where the law requires it.

Fees for Adams County Public Records

Copy fees at the Clerk and Recorder follow a posted schedule. Court-file copies follow the Colorado Judicial Branch schedule. CORA also sets a maximum hourly rate for research and retrieval. The state legislative council notice on the CORA fee cap says the maximum hourly research and retrieval fee rose to $41.37 effective July 1, 2024, when the entity adopts and posts a revised policy.

Records That Are Confidential or Restricted in Colorado

Not every public record is open. Colorado law lists several categories that are kept back from the public or held under strict release rules. The list below is not full but covers the most common bars seen on an Adams County request.

• Juvenile delinquency and dependency records under Title 19 and CJD 05-01.
• Adoption records and most child welfare files.
• Mental health and competency records.
• Sealed or expunged criminal records under Title 24 and the juvenile expungement statute.
• Grand jury materials.
• CPS and dependency and neglect case files.
• Protected addresses and victim contact data.
• Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and full dates of birth.
• Trade secrets and confidential business material.
• Attorney work product and privileged legal material.

A denial that cites one of these categories should also cite the statute. The legislative council memo on sealing or expunging criminal records walks through the adult sealing and juvenile expungement process at a high level.

Data Requests Under CJD 05-01

Some users do not want a single case file. They want a data set: case counts, financial totals, or probation data. CJD 05-01 Section 4.40 sets a separate path for those data requests. The Colorado Judicial Branch publishes three email addresses for data requests, and Adams County data follows the same route through the statewide office. Costs may apply, and the response time depends on the size of the pull.

• Court data: courtdatarequests@judicial.state.co.us
• Financial data: financialdatarequests@judicial.state.co.us
• Probation data: probationdatarequests@judicial.state.co.us

A data request is not the same as an individual case copy request. A case file copy still goes through the Records Unit at the Adams County Justice Center.

Public Records Contacts

Each office below handles a different slice of Adams County public records. Sending the request to the right office on the first try saves days of waiting.

Related Adams County Records

For Clerk records, see Clerk of Court. For court files, see court records. For marriage and civil union records, see marriage and divorce records. For sheriff arrest data, see criminal records.