Colorado Criminal Records
Colorado criminal records refer to an individual’s complete criminal history, including arrests and past convictions, if any. Under the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA), criminal records are public and are open to inspection and copying by submitting a record request through the Colorado Bureau of Investigation.
Details on a criminal record in Colorado would vary from person to person, but they commonly include the following information:
- Person’s name and any aliases
- Date of birth
- Address
- Phone number
- Personal descriptors
- Mugshots
- Criminal charges
- Convictions
- Arrest records
- Bail and bond conditions
What Are the Types of Crimes in Colorado?
Colorado classifies crimes according to the level of offense, with felonies being the most serious and traffic infractions as the least serious, as follows:
- Traffic infractions
- Unclassified offenses
- Drug petty offenses
- Petty offenses
- Misdemeanor traffic offenses
- Drug misdemeanors
- Misdemeanors
- Drug felonies
- Felonies
Punishments and applicable fines vary depending on the state's crime level.
Felonies
Depending on the severity, the punishment can be a minimum of one (1) year in jail plus a $1,000 fine to a maximum death sentence without any mandatory parole.
Felony offenses include murder in the first degree, kidnapping, assault during an escape, human trafficking, burglary, theft, and child prostitution.
Drug felonies
This includes the unlawful distribution, manufacturing, dispensing, or sale of controlled substances, with punishments ranging from six months to 32 years of imprisonment and a fine of $1,000 to $1,000,000. Mandatory parole for drug felonies ranges from 1-3 years.
Misdemeanors
Misdemeanors involve extraordinary risk of harm like third-degree assault, sexual assault, failure to register as a sex offender, telemarketing fraud, theft of at least $750, but not more than $2,000, and defacing property, as a few examples.
Offenses under this category are punishable by a minimum of 10 days of jail time to a maximum of two years and a fine of $150 to $5,000.
Petty offenses
Petty offenses include offenses that disrupt public peace, order, and decency, including loitering, disorderly conduct, bringing alcoholic beverages to major league baseball stadiums, gambling, failure to carry a concealed carry permit, fighting by dueling, and abuse of health insurance to name a few. Offenses like this can have a maximum penalty of six months of jail time and a $500 fine.
How Does Probation Work in Colorado?
In some cases, Colorado criminal records might show probation, an alternative to jail time. The Supreme Court offers probation to offenders who wish to rehabilitate themselves without confinement in jail. Under probation, an offender must follow certain conditions and duly report to their assigned probation officer. They are also required to pay any dues or fines imposed by the court and perform random drug or alcohol testing when required.
Under probation, an offender can work or pursue vocational training for future employment. Offenders can also seek medical treatment and meet responsibilities like supporting their dependents.
Depending on the type of offense, Colorado probation may last three (3) months up to two years.
How Does Parole Work in Colorado?
Parole is somewhat similar to probation since they are both supervised by an officer before an inmate is finally released. But where probation follows jail time, parole applies to offenders who commit felonies and is mandatory for all incarcerated individuals in Colorado.
To be eligible for parole, an inmate must complete 50 percent of their full sentence, complete treatment requirements, if any, and have successful supervision under their parole officer. However, for violent crimes such as second-degree murder, aggravated robbery, and kidnapping, a defendant can only become eligible for parole after serving a minimum of 75 percent of their sentence.
The only crimes not eligible for parole in Colorado are crimes classified as Class 1 felony offenses, including treason, assault while escaping incarceration, first-degree kidnapping, and first-degree murder.
How Does Expungement Work in Colorado?
A person may file a petition to expunge their Colorado criminal records in the municipal, county, or district court where their records were filed. Note that expungement and sealing of criminal records come with a $65 fee for a single conviction and $224 for sealing multiple convictions. Records that resulted in an acquittal or dismissal can be sealed free of charge.
How To Obtain a Criminal Record in Colorado?
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation allows the public to obtain criminal records through the state’s Internet Criminal History Check (ICHC). The public can access their criminal record by creating an account and also search for criminal records for $6.85, which applies to every search. To search for a Colorado criminal record, requesters must provide a name, date of birth, and the reason for performing the search.
Interested parties may also use third-party websites to obtain criminal records, but with limited information depending on availability.
Counties in Colorado
- Adams
- Alamosa
- Arapahoe
- Archuleta
- Baca
- Bent
- Boulder
- Broomfield
- Chaffee
- Cheyenne
- Clear Creek
- Conejos
- Costilla
- Crowley
- Custer
- Delta
- Denver
- Dolores
- Douglas
- Eagle
- El Paso
- Elbert
- Fremont
- Garfield
- Gilpin
- Grand
- Gunnison
- Hinsdale
- Huerfano
- Jackson
- Jefferson
- Kiowa
- Kit Carson
- La Plata
- Lake
- Larimer
- Las Animas
- Lincoln
- Logan
- Mesa
- Mineral
- Moffat
- Montezuma
- Montrose
- Morgan
- Otero
- Ouray
- Park
- Phillips
- Pitkin
- Prowers
- Pueblo
- Rio Blanco
- Rio Grande
- Routt
- Saguache
- San Juan
- San Miguel
- Sedgwick
- Summit
- Teller
- Washington
- Weld
- Yuma