Find Colorado Booking Reports
Colorado booking reports are public records that sheriff's offices keep in all 64 counties across the state. Each county runs its own jail and logs every booking that takes place. These records show who was booked, when it happened, and what charges were filed at the time of arrest. You can search Colorado booking reports through county inmate lookup tools, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, or the statewide VINE notification system. Most sheriff's offices post current inmate data on their websites at no charge. This page covers how to find and search booking reports in Colorado and the laws that control public access to these records.
Colorado Booking Reports Quick Facts
Where Colorado Booking Reports Are Kept
Booking reports in Colorado are held at the county level. Each sheriff's office runs the local jail and handles the booking process. When a person gets arrested, they go to the county detention facility for processing. Staff take fingerprints and photos. They log the person's name, date of birth, charges, and arrest details into a booking report. Colorado has no single statewide database for all county jail bookings. You need to check each county on its own. Many Colorado counties now post inmate records on the web. You can search from home in most cases. For counties without an online tool, call the sheriff's office or visit in person to ask about a specific booking report.
The Colorado Department of Corrections handles a separate set of records from county jails. CDOC keeps track of people who serve time in state prison facilities. If someone was convicted and sent to a state prison, you can search for them on the CDOC Offender Search System. This tool lets you look up state inmates by name or ID number. It shows their facility, sentence length, and custody status. But that is not the same as a county booking report. Booking reports come from the local sheriff when someone first gets processed into a county jail after an arrest in Colorado. People sometimes mix up the two systems. For a recent arrest, start with the county sheriff. For state prison records, the CDOC website is the right place. Under C.R.S. § 24-72-302, arrest and criminal records information in Colorado includes the arresting agency, the date and place of the arrest, the name and date of birth of the person, and the nature of charges filed. You can view the CDOC Offender Search portal at doc.state.co.us/oss to check on state prison inmates.
This search tool only covers state prison inmates. It does not include county jail booking data. Start with the county where the arrest happened for the most current booking information in Colorado.
Search Colorado Booking Reports Online
Many Colorado counties run their own inmate search tools on the web. These are free and open to the public. You can search by name, booking number, or date of birth on most systems. Results show the person's name, booking date, charges, and bond amount. Some counties update their data every few minutes. Others refresh once a day. Larger counties like Denver, El Paso, Adams, and Jefferson all have their own search portals. Smaller counties may not have a web-based system. For those, you need to call the sheriff's office and ask about a person by phone. The county website will have the phone number for the jail or records unit.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation offers a criminal history check that pulls arrest data from agencies across the state. The CBI maintains records from law enforcement throughout Colorado. Their Internet Criminal History Check, known as the ICHC, is a name-based search you can run from home. It costs $6.00 for a standard check. The ICHC goes beyond a single county booking report because it draws from multiple agencies. It shows a person's full criminal history in Colorado, not just one jail stay. You can access the ICHC at cbirecordscheck.com. Results come back fast for online checks. Keep in mind that the CBI system shows overall history. It may not reflect a booking that happened just hours ago. For real-time jail status, the county sheriff's inmate search works better. The CBI records page at cbi.colorado.gov has full details on how to request criminal history information in Colorado.
The CBI also handles fingerprint-based searches for more thorough results. A standard Colorado booking report includes certain data points. Most sheriff's offices use the same general format across the state. You will see the full name and date of birth of the person booked, the arrest date and time, the arresting agency, the charges filed, and the bond amount if one was set. Booking photos are part of the record too. Under C.R.S. § 24-72-305.5, Colorado law makes it a crime to post booking photos and charge people a fee to take them down. That kind of mugshot extortion carries fines up to $1,000.
Note: Not all county search tools show the same fields. Some display more detail than others, so check the sheriff's website for the county you need.
Colorado Criminal History Check
The CBI's Internet Criminal History Check is one of the most used search tools in the state. You can access it at cbirecordscheck.com. The ICHC runs a name-based search through Colorado's criminal history database. It pulls records from agencies across all 64 counties. The fee is $6.00 per search. Each result you download may have a separate charge. Payment for mail requests must be by money order or certified funds. Online payments use standard methods. The CBI also offers a fingerprint-based check for $39.50 that covers both Colorado and FBI records. You can find the full fee schedule and forms on the CBI website. Results from the ICHC cannot be notarized. For a notarized copy, you have to send in a mail request. The CBI ICHC information page walks through the process step by step. Mail results arrive within 3 business days in most cases.
This portal covers arrest records and booking data from agencies across all of Colorado. There are some limits on what it shows though. Juvenile arrests do not appear unless the person was tried as an adult. Traffic arrests for people under 16 are left out too. Records sealed by court order will not show up in results. Colorado has a record sealing process that lets people petition to seal certain arrests. The CBI also seals some arrest records on its own when no charges get filed within a year, for arrests after January 1, 2022. A CBI check gives you the most complete public picture of a person's arrest history in Colorado, but sealed and juvenile records stay hidden.
Colorado VINE Inmate Lookup
Colorado VINE is a free tool that lets you search for inmates and sign up for custody alerts. VINE stands for Victim Information and Notification Everyday. The system runs around the clock, every day of the year. You can use it to check if someone is in custody at a participating Colorado jail. When you register for alerts, VINE sends you a notice by phone, email, or text if an inmate gets released, transferred, or moves to a different status. The toll-free number is 1-888-263-8463. Anyone can use the search feature, not just crime victims. It covers most county jails in Colorado though not every facility takes part in the program. The VINELink portal at vinelink.com is the main search page for Colorado inmates.
VINE alerts are free and come in English and Spanish. To register, go to vinelink.com and choose Colorado. Search by last name and add at least the first letter of the first name to narrow results. You can pick a specific jail or search all Colorado facilities at once. If you find the person, click to register for updates. Choose how you want to be notified and set up a PIN for phone alerts. The Colorado VINE website has more details on how the state program works and which counties take part in the system.
Not every county jail in Colorado participates, so check with the local sheriff if you do not find results. VINE works best for tracking an inmate over time. For a quick look at who is in jail right now, the county sheriff's inmate search tool tends to give more booking details in most Colorado counties.
Colorado Booking Report Laws
Colorado has specific laws that control access to booking reports and other criminal justice records. The main law is the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act, or CCJRA. You can read the full text at C.R.S. § 24-72-301 et seq. This law says that records of official actions must be open for public inspection. An arrest is an official action under the statute. That means booking reports, arrest records, and related documents are public records in Colorado. You do not need to be the arrested person or a crime victim to make a request. Anyone can ask. The agency must respond within 3 working days. They can extend that by up to 7 more working days for large or complex requests. The Colorado Attorney General's office provides guidance on how records requests work across the state.
The CCJRA works alongside the Colorado Open Records Act, called CORA, to set the rules for public records. Under CORA, the first hour of research and retrieval for any records request is free. After that, agencies can charge up to $41.37 per hour for staff time. Paper copies cost $0.25 per page. You must sign a statement saying you will not use the records for direct solicitation of business for monetary gain. This rule applies to booking reports as well. Colorado also has record sealing laws under C.R.S. § 24-72-701 through § 24-72-709. These let people petition a court to seal certain arrest records from public view. The Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition publishes a guide that covers both CORA and the CCJRA in plain language.
Note: Agencies can deny access to records that are part of an active criminal investigation. Once the case wraps up, those booking records usually become available to the public in Colorado.
Fees for Colorado Booking Reports
What you pay for booking reports in Colorado depends on the agency and how you submit your request. Many county sheriff's offices let you search current inmates online for free. You only pay when you need copies of official records or documents. Under the CCJRA, the first hour of research and retrieval is free for most requests. After that first hour, agencies can charge up to $41.37 per hour. Paper copies run $0.25 per page. Electronic copies on a CD or DVD cost $15.00 at some offices. El Paso County offers a better deal with the first two hours of research free and a rate of $29.50 per hour after that. Each county sets its own policy within state law limits, so call the sheriff's office to confirm fees before you submit a request for Colorado booking reports.
The CBI has its own fee schedule for criminal history searches in Colorado. Costs vary based on the type of search you need. You can submit a records request through the CDOC records request page for state prison records. County booking report fees are separate from CBI and CDOC charges. Under C.R.S. § 24-72-306, agencies can set reasonable fees for search, retrieval, and copying of criminal justice records in Colorado. Here are the main CBI costs:
- ICHC online search: $6.00 per check
- Name-based mail search: $13.00
- Fingerprint-based search (Colorado and FBI): $39.50
- Paper copies from any agency: $0.25 per page
- Staff research time after first free hour: up to $41.37 per hour
Browse Colorado Booking Reports by County
Each county in Colorado has its own sheriff's office that keeps booking reports. Pick a county below to find local contact info, search tools, and resources for booking records in that area.
Booking Reports in Major Colorado Cities
City police make arrests, but booking reports are kept by the county sheriff's office. Select a city below to find out which county handles its booking records and how to search them.