Colorado Civil Court Records

The Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, the District Courts, and the County Courts are all parts of the Colorado court system. Special Juvenile and Probate Courts have authority over juvenile and probate proceedings.

The Colorado court system offers many levels of conflict resolution for residents. Each court provides a particular role or function.

County Courts and District Courts typically hear civil cases in Colorado.

When it comes to civil matters, the amount at stake in County Courts is higher. The limit for damages in Colorado County Courts is $15,000. Upon request, the County Court permits discovery in all matters.

On the other hand, in civil lawsuits, there is no maximum amount of damages you can demand in Colorado's District Courts.

Most of the time, the District Court is the first level of appeal for the County and Municipal Courts. Conversely, the Court of Appeals is the first level of appeals court for cases from the state's administrative agencies and District Courts.

In Colorado, you must file civil appeals from the District Court with the Court of Appeals within 45 days after the District Court's ruling.

Are Colorado Civil Court Records public? Colorado civil court records are public records that anyone can look at or copy. Colorado's Open Records Act (CORA) ensures that any public member can request and look at records kept by the state government and law enforcement agencies.

A Colorado Bankruptcy Record is a collection of information about people who have filed for bankruptcy in the state.

The U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Denver handles these kinds of cases. The state of Colorado lacks the authority to hear or determine these matters since only federal courts can take and decide bankruptcy cases.

There are many different rules about how to start a bankruptcy case (Chapter 7, Chapter 11, Chapter 13) in Colorado. On the Colorado Court's website, you can find these details in the Guide to Filing Bankruptcy under the "Filing Without an Attorney " section.

After filing a bankruptcy case, there is a meeting where creditors and the trustee can question the debtor(s) under oath. The Bankruptcy Code section 341(a) stipulates that the trustee, not the court, must preside over the Meeting of Creditors.

How can you get bankruptcy records in Colorado? People who want to see records can go to court or send written requests. You can also obtain bankruptcy court records through PACER, a service of the federal judiciary that lets the public see non-confidential bankruptcy records for a fee.

When you get a Colorado Bankruptcy Record, expect to find the following information:

• The name of the debtor and their contact details
• A list of creditors in the bankruptcy petition
• The evidence of successful completion of a federally mandatory credit counseling course
• The chapter of bankruptcy under which the debtor has filed
• The case status (open, closed, dismissed, or discharged)
• List of court notices and filing modifications

In Colorado, a lien gives creditors the legal right to a debtor's assets to fulfill a debt or obligation. If debtors refuse to repay the money they owe, liens give creditors an additional means of retrieving their money.

Colorado courts can impose liens on real estate, vehicles, and other debtor-owned assets.

In a property lien, if the debtor doesn't pay, the creditor can take possession of the debtor's assets. The creditor has this right under the Colorado Statutes Title 38, Article 20, which regulates personal property liens in the state.

Colorado liens can be either general or specific. A general lien covers the debtor's assets, including personal and real property.

On the other hand, a specific lien keeps a particular property as security until the payment. If the debtor fails to repay the loan, the creditor can only foreclose or sell the property with a lien.

A mechanic's lien is a common type of lien often used in Colorado. It Is a document filed at a local clerk's office to notify a property owner of unpaid labor or materials. Section 38-22-101 of the Colorado Revised Statutes states that contractors, laborers, or anyone with a stake in the matter can file this lien type.

Here are the other types of lien in Colorado:

Tax Lien

Colorado's state or local government imposes a tax lien on delinquent taxpayers. According to Article 25.5 of Title 38, a taxing authority may impose a lien on any taxpayer's real or personal property.

Judgment Lien

Section 13-52-102 asserts how to get a judgment lien in Colorado. Most of the time, a defendant's non-exempt property is subject to a lien. These properties are subject to repossession to pay the plaintiff.

Mortgage Lien

In Colorado, a mortgage lien provides a creditor the legal right to any real property secured by a loan. The property acquired or financed with a mortgage often serves as collateral, and the owner faces repossession if they cannot repay the debt.

UCC Lien

Under the U.S. Uniform Commercial Code, a UCC lien is a claim against the assets of your business. Filing a UCC gives the lender a priority claim on your properties if you borrow money. This lien helps the lender collect if your business fails.

Note that a Colorado lien can also be voluntary or involuntary. A voluntary lien is one that the owner consents to, much like a mortgage. It usually involves a contract that doesn't change the property title or the owner's rights.

On the other hand, an unpaid debt can lead to an involuntary lien. A mechanic's lien is an example of this. It removes the property owner's right to sell the property until the debt payment. If you have this lien on the property, you can't sell this, and no one will want to buy a property that doesn't have a clear title.

How To Check for Liens in Colorado?

In Colorado, the county clerk's office and other government offices that keep track of lien records offer free lien searches to interested individuals. If you want a lien search, visit any agency's offices or check if it has a search tool on its website.

If it's a property lien, the searcher needs the property's address to see if it has any liens. You can find liens on personal liens like automobiles, bank accounts, and other assets at the Colorado Secretary of State. In the "search" area of the official website, you can do a name search. The database shows if searched names have liens.

Most successful lien searches in Colorado will often provide you with the following results:

• The lienee's name and address
• The lien type
• The lien status (active, expired, or released)

Colorado Civil Driving Violation Records are traffic infractions (minor traffic offenses) with civil charges.

Traffic infractions can be Class A and Class B offenses in Colorado. Class A traffic violations incur penalty points, and law enforcement agents of the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) of the Colorado Department of Revenue automatically report these on an individual traffic record. . Unlike Class A,  Class B violations carry no points.

Some examples of Class A traffic infractions in Colorado include:

• First-time underage DUI
• Consuming alcohol or holding an open alcoholic beverage container while riding as a passenger on a public roadway
• Safety zone driving
• Openly transporting marijuana on a public roadway
• Driving impaired with a blood-alcohol level between 0.02 and 0.05 at the driving time or within two hours

For Class B traffic infractions, the Colorado transportation department lists the following:

• Driving with an expired license or without a valid license
• Allowing an unlicensed driver to operate a motor vehicle
• Driving without a seat belt
• Permitting a juvenile to drive
• Driving with unlicensed plates

In Colorado, convictions for traffic infractions of classes A and B incur penalties ranging from $15 to $100 plus a surcharge. In addition, you will lose your driver's license if you get too many points in Colorado Civil Driving Violation Records.

How To Look Up Colorado Civil Driving Violation Records?

Residents and drivers of Colorado can access their traffic or driving records by requesting the Colorado DMV.

Requests in writing must include the following information:

• Full name
• Birth date
• Signature of the motorist
• License plate number (if available)
• Photocopy of driver's photo ID with signature
• Completed form
• Proof of payment

You can obtain both certified and uncertified copies of the motor vehicle records. The DMV will send the certified copies of the driving record through postal mail and email the uncertified ones.

A judgment is a court's official decision about who is right and wrong in a lawsuit.

Rule 54 of the Colorado Code of Civil Procedure suggests that a judgment is an appealable order or decree.

These Colorado Legal Judgment Records are official documents made and kept by the judicial branch of the state. Like other court records, you can view judgment records if you formally request them.

Depending on the specifics of a case, a court may deliver various decisions, and there are two fundamental types of judgments: oral and written.

Urgent cases and courts with severe caseloads have oral judgments. Complex, likely-to-be-challenged, or significant matters may result in a written ruling. Regardless, a verdict is legitimate only when a Colorado court issues it.

How Can You Look Up a Judgment in Colorado?

If you want to see a legal judgment record in Colorado, visit the court where the case occurred. This record is easy to get from court clerks because they have it written down on paper. You can also fill out an online Record Request Form to get the record in three business days.

Rule 60 of the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure asserts that county court judgments in Colorado are valid for six years. On the other hand, district court judgments are good for 20 years. However, Rule 54 (h) allows for the reversal of decisions in the state.

Small Claims Courts in Colorado hear civil cases valued at up to $7,500, not including costs and interest. A small claims case starts when a person, called the plaintiff, sues another person, called the defendant.

The plaintiff's claim must explain what happened before the claim, and the plaintiff must pay a fee to file the claim. The plaintiff must bring suit in the county where the defendant operates a business or in the defendant's county of residence. The plaintiff may also bring suit in the county where the incident that gave rise to the claim occurred.

Small Claims Court sessions in the state are casual and don't rigorously follow evidentiary requirements to resolve claims quickly and cheaply. In a Colorado Small Claims Court, the people involved in the case can't use lawyers or have a trial with a jury. The court also doesn't let pre-trial discussions, depositions, or discovery happen.

In Colorado, Small Claims Courts have concurrent jurisdiction with the County Courts and District Court over the following cases:

• Contract enforcement
• Covenants imposing restrictions on residential property
• Money recovery
• Property damage
• Personal harm
• Security payments
• Torts

After filing, all information about these small claims cases will be part of the official documents called Colorado Small Claims Records. These records include petitions, summonses, notices, and judgment orders, made at the beginning and end of a case.

If you want to find records from the Colorado Small Claims Court, visit or call the Clerk of Court in the county where the claim happened.

In Colorado, a judge can give you a divorce or a legal separation if the marriage is beyond repair. In nearly all circumstances, you must meet the state's residency requirements if you want to file for a divorce.

When you file for divorce in Colorado and the court grants the petition, the filing becomes a matter of public record. And these public Colorado Divorce Court Records can be as follows:

Divorce Certificate

This certificate is the most basic kind of divorce document since it simply contains the names of the divorced parties and the place and date of the divorce's completion. Typically, divorced parties can obtain these papers to petition for a name change or a new marriage certificate.

Divorce Decree

Divorce decrees are more informative since they include the parties' judgments and responsibilities. It provides information on property and debt distribution, living arrangements, child custody, scheduling, insurance contracts, and child and spousal support. Typically, this document is exclusive to the divorce parties and their respective counsel.

Divorce Record

Divorce records are the most detailed and include the most information. This record contains every file, document, and transcript created throughout the procedures. The general public can access and may see these documents, but only the parties and their counsel can acquire certified copies.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has Colorado Divorce Court Records from 1900 to 1939 and from 1975 to the present.

Records for divorces finalized between 1939 and 1975 are typically available in the county court where the divorce happened. In case you are not under these years, the Colorado State Archives retain certain documents not kept by the county clerk.

In most circumstances, probate refers to administering a deceased individual's estate. Colorado Probate Court procedures include:

• Gathering deceased persons' assets
• Liquidating their obligations
• Paying applicable taxes
• Transferring their property to their heirs

The Colorado Probate Court has authority over all probate issues, such as:

• Wills
• Trusts
• Guardianships
• Conservatorships
• Settlement of Decedents' Estates
• The Appointment of Guardians
• The Settlement of their Respective Accounts
• The Adjudication of the Mentally Ill

The Colorado State Archives is the repository for the probate records of different county courts.

You can search for all of these probate cases using the Archives Search database by entering the name of the searched individual.

If you find a probate court record for the individual you seek, inform the Archives staff of the case number and county.

If you can't discover a name, the State Archives don't have their probate. For this probate matter, contact the filing District Court.

Most of the time, a Colorado Probate Court Record contains the following:

• A will
• The estate name
• Name of the deceased
• Date of death
• Case number
• The filing date
• Valuation of the estate and tax payable
• Real and personal property description
• Names of close relatives

You can find civil court cases in Colorado online. You can use the Court Docket Search tool on the Colorado Judicial Branch website to find out about trial court cases.

Note that you can't get to confidential or blacked-out court records with this tool. You can only find information about a case.

You will need to visit the local courthouse to look at or get copies of actual court documents and other types of Colorado civil court records.