Free Colorado Warrant Search (See Details of Anyone Wanted)

Free Colorado Warrant Search
Find out if you or someone else has a warrant out for their arrest in Colorado, free of charge.

Complete a free Colorado warrant search in no time using the links and guidance throughout this resource.

Warrants are public records, and due to Colorado statutes and the federal Freedom of Information Act, all levels of government must grant citizens access to these records.

While nearly all warrant records are readily available to the public, some may not be accessible because they haven’t been served or are part of an active investigation. State and local warrant searches are typically free, but knowing how to look them up is vital. This helpful resource covers all you need to know to find warrant details in Colorado.

The Public Availability of Warrants Issued in Colorado

There are several types of warrants and searching for one might depend on which one the searcher is looking for, and whether it’s been executed. In some instances, the details of a warrant might not be released publicly yet, as the information might hamper law enforcement investigations.

The groundbreaking Open Records Laws cleared the way to establish its state-wide public records search, the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA).1 The origins of the creation of CORA lie in the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which set forth the fundamental principle that every citizen in the United States is informed about their freedom to request public records without stifling regulations or barriers.2

Colorado’s CORA program, along with additional public record requests, are available from agencies such as counties, municipalities and essential public services, including police departments, sheriff’s services and state and local court systems.

No person in this country should ever face denial when requesting public records, and each citizen of the U.S., knowing their rights to public record searches, is one more person holding up the standards of the democracy we live by.

Essential Information To Perform a Warrant Search in Colorado

There are a number of avenues searchers can follow to find whether they, or someone else, has a warrant in Colorado. Usually, the name and last name of the person is enough to find a record. Other information such as the date of birth and period might narrow the search down further.

Colorado has several agencies that can assist with a warrant search. Statewide, there isn’t a consolidated service that would enable applicants to search the entire database. While there are paid and free private agencies that provide this service, searchers can still approach their local governments for the information.

There are 64 counties in Colorado and each county may have a different way to present their warrant information. For instance, some counties may have all the information centralized at a records department in a courthouse or the local government office. Others may offer this service through the local sheriff’s departments.

Knowing where the warrant was issued will speed up the search process. The type of warrant also makes a difference. For instance, arrest warrant information might be available through law enforcement agencies, while others might be at government level. The local government might oversee financial warrants, whereas the sheriff’s department handles arrest instructions.

How To Run a Colorado Warrant Search on Yourself or Someone Else Online: Free

Colorado state considers warrant information public records and thus it is accessible to members of the public. The state adopted its Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) ensures that citizens have access to this information.

Colorado doesn’t have a unified online records search system, and requests need to be made to the Secretary of State’s office in writing. The information is available in other states too, and there are no limitations on where the applicant resides to obtain the information. .

Citizens can request a warrant search or a search for additional records stored in the Secretary of State’s office. This is done by using the convenient Colorado Division of Criminal Justice CORA Records Request form.3

A hand-typed or written request can be mailed or emailed to the CORA Custodian for later pick up. Or download the CORA Records Request Template.4

CORA Custodian
1700 Broadway, Suite 550
Denver, CO 80290

Email: CORA@coloradoSOS.gov

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is a division of the Department of Public Safety and offers an Internet Criminal History Check System (ICHC) form on its website.5

A screenshot showing a Colorado criminal history check with search filters such as first and last name, date of birth, social security number, and IDT number from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Department of Public Safety website.
Source: Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Department of Public Safety5

The agency is the only repository for criminal history records in Colorado. Records are retrieved from a detailed Computerized Criminal History (CCH) database and are based on documents with fingerprints only.

The fee for each record request is $4.00, even if the search does not return results. If the search returns more than one record, each one costs an additional $4.00.

Once the user agrees to the terms and conditions, they’re taken to the actual search form. The only required fields are the first name, last name and date of birth.

Users only need to enter one letter for the first and last name to conduct the search. However, there may be numerous results using this method.

The input of any additional information helps to refine these results. Once the inquirer identifies the name they’re searching for and clicks continue, they’ll have to fill out personal information and provide billing details to view the record.

Look Up Warrants via Counties Throughout CO

Counties in the state have individual methods to perform a warrant search, each originating from different but similar departments. County departments that may handle the records request include municipal courts, police departments or the highway patrol.

The following chart includes the larger counties in Colorado with warrant search options. Some of the searches only provide a request for criminal or court records online, with the warrant requests as a separate application.

In El Paso County, applicants can request warrant information by phoning the Colorado Springs Warrant Office. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office also offers an inmate and sex offenders search, which details warrant information too.6, 7

Colorado Springs Warrant Office
224 East Krawa Street, 
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Phone: 719-385-6153
Email: municipalcourtviolations@coloradosprings.gov

El Paso County Sheriff’s Office 
27 East Vermijo Avenue, 
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Phone: 719-520-7100

A screenshot showing a booking detail displaying information such as name, date of birth, eyes, hair, height, weight, race, sex, scars or marks, location, and charges.
Source: El Paso County Sheriff’s Office6

The Denver District Attorney’s Office directs searchers to a telephone number to both find and clear their warrants.

The Denver County Court offers an online search function for those who have a valid case number.8 If not, applicants need to request the information from the clerk of the county court. The cost is $0.25 per page and further costs may apply if the information contains a lot of redaction.

Denver District Attorney’s Office
204 West Colfax Avenue, 8th Floor
Denver, Colorado 80202

Phone (felony): 720-865-8301 Option 8
Phone (misdemeanors or lower): 720-337-0464
Fax: 720-913-9035
Emails: info@denverda.org

Denver County Court – Criminal & Municipal Cases
Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse
Rm 160, 520 West Colfax Avenue
Denver, CO 80202

Phone: 720-337-0410
Fax: 720-337-0807

Denver County Court – Traffic & Civil Cases
City & County Building
Room 135, 1437 Bannock Street,
Denver, CO 80202

Warrant information in Arapahoe County is available through the Aurora Municipal Court. The Warrant Lookup Tool requires you to enter the first and last names and date of birth of the person you’d like to search.9 You can also request the information through the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Department.10

Aurora Municipal Court
15151 East Alameda Parkway,
Aurora, CO 80012

Phone: 303-739-7000
Email: access@auroragov.org

Arapahoe County Sheriff
Records Section
5334 South Prince Street
Littleton, CO 80120

Phone: 720-874-3875

A screenshot displaying a records request portal from the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office website requiring details to be filled out, such as first and last name, phone number, email address, and confirmation.
Source: Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office10

The Jefferson County Combined Courts take care of warrant requests in this region. Information can be obtained via email or directly at the courts.

Jefferson County Combined Courts
100 Jefferson County Parkway,
Golden, CO 80419

Phone: 303-271-6237

The Adams County Sheriff’s Office offers a warrant search function on its site.11 Users need to provide the first and last names and date of birth of the person to request the information.

Adams County Sheriff’s Office
Warrant Division
4430 South Adams County Parkway, 1st Floor, Suite W5400
Brighton, CO 80601

Phone: 303-654-1850

Retrieve Warrant Records via Municipal Courts & Law Enforcement Agencies in Colorado

Like county agencies, municipal organizations offer warrant search options. The results from public record requests for the cities below may or may not include warrant information, and several cities offer a most-wanted list.

Obtaining fugitive details from most wanted lists can provide extra information to assist the searcher using other public record search websites.

In Denver, the information is available through the Denver Police Department by using the online police records search function.12

Denver Police Department Police Records
Police Administration Building
1331 Cherokee Street
Denver, CO 80204

Phone: 720-913-6755

Searching for warrants in Colorado Springs takes place through its municipal courts. The warrant information requests are made in writing.

City of Colorado Springs Municipal Courts Warrants
224 East Kiowa Street, Room 108
Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Phone: 719-385-6153

Aurora offers warrant information via their online search tool. Searchers can also approach the Aurora Municipal Court for information.

Aurora Municipal Court Warrant Information
15151 East Alameda Parkway
Aurora, CO 80012

Phone: 303-739-7000

In Fort Collins, the local government provides warrant information through a public records request.13 Requesters can also approach the City of Fort Collins Public Records department.

City of Fort Collins Public Records
300 LaPorte Avenue
Fort Collins, CO 80521

Phone: 970-221-6615

The Lakewood Police Department offers a most wanted list that includes the outstanding warrants.

Lakewood Police Department
445 South Allison Parkway
Lakewood, CO 80226

Phone: (303)-987-7111

Search for Federal Warrants in Colorado & Throughout the Entire U.S.

The phrase “federal search warrant” creates fear for many people. Television and movies emphasize the term as a futile situation. However, when a federal agency such as the FBI or DEA has the proper evidence to request a federal warrant, a federal magistrate judge can issue it if they agree there’s enough evidence.

Federal warrants are processed similarly to state, county or city government agencies, except for the sheer number of variations and types available. If someone fears they may have a federal warrant or wants to search another person’s name to verify if they have one, the search options are entirely different from state-level courts.

In cooperation with the federal Judiciary, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts authored a compliance program labeled Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) to ensure citizens in the United States can find public records generated by federal courts. PACER lets users search for individuals who may have a federal warrant anywhere in the country.

PACER requires users to register but provides options to save links, track frequent searches and maintain their profile and billing information. The Court CM/ECF Lookup Tool lets researchers submit a query based on a federal court’s location to enhance the results.14

A screenshot showing a court CM or ECF look-up showing search options by federal court or state, court and circuit selection and clickable information from the Public Access to Court Electronic Records website.
Source: Public Access to Court Electronic Records14

While PACER charges fees, registered users can ask for provisions to make their searches more affordable. Payment exemptions and fee schedules are posted on the Electronic Public Access Fee Schedule.

For questions, people interested in using the PACER system can call its service center at +1-800-676-6856 or email their questions to pacer@psc.uscourts.gov.

The U.S. Department of Justice offers an additional federal warrant search. The Federal Inmate Locator provides search options such as using the warrantee’s Bureau of Prisons (BOP), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) or Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS) number.15

A screenshot of an inmate search toolbar by number with options to find by, such as using the warrantee’s Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Immigration & Naturalization Service (INS), or Bureau of Prisons (BOP) number from the Federal Bureau of Prisons website.
Source: Federal Bureau of Prisons15

The results provide more exact matches using one of these numbers.

Before 1982, older public records were stored at the National Archives & Records Administration (NARA). The records research page offers numerous variables for searching its catalog.

Although the options below may not provide a focused search, they provide fugitive information, names and photos to assist in finding a person’s federal warrant:

The FBI’s Top Ten Wanted List which lists the personal details and physical characteristics of the fugitive, comparative photos, what the warrant is for, and last known locations.16

A screenshot showing the ten most wanted fugitives list maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation showing full name and mug shot photos.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation16

The Drug Enforcement Agency’s Fugitive List shows a recent photo of the fugitive, their name, and what the warrant was issued for.

The U.S. Marshals Service’s Most Wanted List provides personal details that would help the public identify the fugitive such as personal attributes, last known address, possible aliases, and some case notes about the warrant.

Types of Warrants Issued in CO & What They Mean

Colorado has a wide selection of warrants available to fit almost every situation the court contends with. The basics, an arrest, bench and search warrant, are adopted by every court system.

A judge or magistrate issues a warrant, which gives law enforcement agencies and peace officers permission to arrest an individual suspected of being involved in criminal activity. Some offenses require a separate warrant that applies to the necessitating circumstances.

Arrest Warrants: Result from an investigation with adequate data to suspect the person committed a crime.

Bench Warrants: Result in a person’s failure to appear at a scheduled court hearing.

Search warrants target a location or person harboring evidence and information about a crime.

No-knock Warrants: Let law enforcement enter a premise without knocking or ringing the doorbell. The element of surprise may be necessary to prevent the suspects from fleeing.

Blue Warrants: Also called parole revocation warrants, order the arrest of a parolee when they’re suspected of violating their parole terms. Once captured and arrested, they lose their parole privileges. Colorado Statute 17-2-103 defines when parolees can be arrested.

Options To Consider if You or Someone Else Has an Active Arrest Warrant in Colorado

Once a requester performs a check and finds an outstanding warrant for themselves or someone else, it’s important to follow the necessary steps.

For others, notify their friends or family members, especially if the warrant can impact their safety at home. If the person is a dangerous fugitive, report the matter to the authorities. The FBI, local sheriff’s departments, and DEA all have tip-off lines.

If the application found an outstanding warrant for themselves, there are few routes to follow:

Pay the Fine: If you’re willing to acknowledge the wrongdoing, pay the fine.

Set a Court Date: Seek legal counsel and set a court date to have a hearing.

Turn Yourself In: By becoming a fugitive, you might aggravate the case against you. Discuss the matter with legal counsel to ensure you’re making a good decision.

A Colorado warrant search will reveal whether there are outstanding instructions against individuals and also what they were issued for; to expand your search, you can run a CO arrest and criminal history lookup or seamlessly access all free public information in Colorado.


References

1Colorado Secretary of State. (n.d.). Colorado Open Records Act (CORA). Retrieved March 07, 2024 from, <https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/info_center/cora.html>

2United States Department of Justice, Freedom of Information Act. (2016). Freedom of Information Act Statute. Retrieved March 07, 2024 from, <https://www.foia.gov/foia-statute.html>

3Colorado Division of Criminal Justice, Department of Public Safety. (n.d.). DCJ Records Request Form. Retrieved March 07, 2024 from, <https://dcj.jotform.com/221656919829168>

4Colorado Freedom of Information Coalition. (2019). Template for Colorado Public Records Request. Retrieved March 07, 2024 from, <https://coloradofoic.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/ColoRecordsRequestTemplate.pdf>

5Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Department of Public Safety. (2024). Internet Criminal History Check System (ICHC) | Individual. Retrieved March 07, 2024 from, <https://www.cbirecordscheck.com/NonAccount/indivcheck.aspx>

6El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. (2024). Inmate Search. Retrieved March 07, 2024 from, <https://www.epcsheriffsoffice.com/inmate-search#!/search>

7El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. (2024). Sex Offenders Search. Retrieved March 07, 2024 from, <https://www.epcsheriffsoffice.com/services/sex-offenders-search>

8Denver County Court. (2024). Public Portal – Case Management System | Case Search. Retrieved March 07, 2024 from, <https://public.denvercountycourt.org/Case/Quick>

9City of Aurora Court. (2024). Warrant Lookup. Retrieved March 07, 2024, from <https://court.auroragov.org/warrant>

10Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office. (2024). Records Request Portal. Retrieved March 07, 2024, from <https://recordsrequest.arapahoegov.com/>

11Adams County Sheriff’s Office. (2024). Warrant Search. Retrieved March 07, 2024, from <http://search.adamscountysheriff.org/warrantsearch.php>

12Denver Police Department. (n.d.). Police Records. Retrieved March 07, 2024, from <https://denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Police-Department/Police-Records>

13City of Fort Collins. (n.d.). Public Records Request. Retrieved March 07, 2024, from <https://fortcollinsco.justfoia.com/Forms/Launch/d705cbd6-1396-49b7-939e-8d86c5a87deb>

14Public Access to Court Electronic Records. (n.d.). Court CM/ECF Lookup. Retrieved March 07, 2024, from <https://pacer.uscourts.gov/file-case/court-cmecf-lookup>

15Federal Bureau of Prisons. (2024). Find an inmate. Retrieved March 07, 2024, from <https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/>

16Federal Bureau of Investigation. (n.d.). Ten Most Wanted Fugitives. Retrieved March 07, 2024, from <https://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten>