Search Custer County Booking Reports

Custer County booking reports are on file at the sheriff's office in Westcliffe, a small mountain town in the Wet Mountain Valley of south-central Colorado. The county has a population under 5,000 and sits between the Sangre de Cristo and Wet Mountain ranges. All jail bookings in Custer County are handled by the sheriff, and those booking records are public under Colorado's open records laws. This page lays out the steps for getting booking information, what online tools exist, and how state law protects your right to access these records.

Custer County Sheriff's Office

The Custer County Sheriff's Office is the sole custodian of booking records for the county. Any arrest that happens within Custer County results in a booking at the county jail in Westcliffe. Staff collect fingerprints, take a booking photo, and enter the arrest details into the records system.

The sheriff does not have an online inmate lookup tool. You will need to contact the office to get booking data. Call 719-783-2270. Have the person's full name ready and a date of birth if you know it. The staff can search their records and give you the information over the phone. You can also drive to Westcliffe and ask in person at the front desk. Either way, the process is straightforward in a small county like Custer.

Custer County Records Through State Tools

While there is no local online search, you have two statewide options. The VINE system is free and shows whether someone is currently in a Colorado county jail. Search by name and look for results in Custer County. You can register for alerts that notify you when the person's custody status changes. VINE runs 24/7. The phone number is 1-888-263-8463 if you prefer to call rather than use the website.

The CBI Internet Criminal History Check costs $6.00 per name search. It pulls arrest records from all 64 Colorado counties. If someone was booked in Custer County, it should show up along with any other arrests from the state. The CBI report includes the arresting agency, the date, the charges, and case dispositions. This is a good option when you want a complete arrest history, not just current jail status.

Note: VINE and the CBI check serve different purposes. VINE tells you who is in jail right now. The CBI tells you about past arrests across the state.

Custer County Booking Report Access Laws

Colorado's Criminal Justice Records Act protects your right to see booking reports. C.R.S. 24-72-301 says that records of official actions like arrests must be open for inspection. The Custer County Sheriff's Office follows this law when handling records requests.

What goes into a booking report is defined by C.R.S. 24-72-302. Arrest records include the accused person's name and date of birth, the identity of the arresting agency, the date and place of the arrest, and the charges filed. You have the right to inspect this information. The sheriff has 3 working days to respond. For complex requests, up to 7 more days are allowed.

The Colorado Attorney General's office provides guidance on how CORA and the CCJRA work together to guarantee records access.

Both CORA and the CCJRA set rules for how agencies like the Custer County Sheriff must handle public records requests.

Fees and Requirements

The first hour of research and retrieval costs nothing. After that, Custer County can charge up to $33.58 per hour for staff time. Paper copies are $0.25 per page. Most single booking report requests stay within the free hour, so you would only pay for copies.

You need to sign a form stating that the records will not be used for direct solicitation of business for monetary gain. This is a statewide rule under the CCJRA.

Sealed and Restricted Records

Not every Custer County booking record stays available forever. Colorado allows record sealing through court petitions and through automatic CBI sealing when no charges are filed within a year of an arrest (for arrests after January 1, 2022). Once sealed, a record cannot be released by the sheriff or found through a CBI search.

Booking photos are public but protected from misuse. Under C.R.S. 24-72-305.5, posting mugshots online and charging for removal is a misdemeanor. Fines can reach $1,000. This law targets extortion-style websites, not regular records requests from the sheriff's office.

Note: Juvenile arrest records are not public. Only arrests of adults are available through the normal booking report process.

Nearby Counties

Custer County is in south-central Colorado. If you are unsure which county handled a booking, check with the sheriff in each neighboring county.