Adams County, Colorado State Court Records

Adams County court records are official files that document everything that happens in cases heard in the county’s trial-level courts. Court records create a reliable, permanent history of each case, so members of the public can see what was filed, what was decided, and why.

Court records are created when someone files a case or the court issues an order and are generally maintained by the Adams County Clerk of Court. These records often sit alongside other public records, such as vital records, arrest records, and federal court records.

Are Adams County Court Records Public?

Yes. Adams County court records are public pursuant to Chief Justice Directive (CJD) 05-01. According to the Supreme Court of Colorado, the directive "seeks to grant the public reasonable access to court records while simultaneously protecting privacy interests of the people whose information may be subject to disclosure." Under the rule, all court records are accessible to the public, except when they have been sealed, suppressed, restricted, or are subject to remote limitations. Records with such protected information may be excluded from public access fully or in part.

The table below provides a summary of the access levels, along with examples.

Record Type	Access Level	Examples
Public	Everyone	Dockets and filings
Sealed	Judges and staff only	Statutorily sealed cases, such as expunged records
Suppressed	Parties involved in the case and court staff	Privacy-protected cases (e.g., criminal cases including privileged mental health information)
Restricted	Limited to justice agencies, victims, and parties involved in the case	Sexual assault and child victim cases
Remote (Confidential Records)	No online access	Addresses, financial information, and victim details

What Information is Available in Adams County Court Records?

Adams County court records typically contain the following information

Personal information about the plaintiff and defendant, including their full names, addresses, and their attorneys
Case information, including the case number, filing date, and cause of action
The presiding judge
Hearing dates, time, and type
Judgments
Financial transactions
Disposition details

Adams County Court Records Search

Adams County court records may be accessed in the following ways.

Online Access

Online access to court records in Adams County is provided at the state level through the Colorado Judicial Branch Docket Search Portal. Individuals may search the portal to find hearing dates and case statuses. Users may search the portal by selecting Adams County as the location, choosing a date range, and entering a case number, party name, or attorney name.

In-Person Access

Individuals who want the complete court records may visit the Clerk of Courts’ Office at the Adams County Justice Center. Inquirers may use a public access terminal to view the complete Register of Actions for free (printing usually incurs a fee) or speak with staff about the request. The staff will generally request a case number, name, or filing date to locate the record and may charge the requester a fee for copying and/or certifying the record.

Mail and Phone Requests

Members of the public may obtain a court record via mail by completing the online Record /Document Request Form. Requesters will have to provide the names of the individuals on the record, and they may also provide the case number and any other information that may be used to identify the record. Also, one may contact the court’s Records Unit by phone at (303) 654-3239 or email the request to the unit’s email address.

For court transcripts of a hearing, individuals may complete the Transcript Request Form and email it to the 17th Judicial District at 17courtreporter@judicial.state.co.us. Requests may only be made for written transcripts, as the 17th Judicial District, consisting of Adams County and Broomfield County, does not disclose audio recordings of court hearings unless the law requires it.

Fees for Court Records in Adams County

The fees for obtaining a court record in Adams County are determined in accordance with Chief Justice Directive (CJD) 06-01. Below is the general fee schedule for court records in the county.

Regular Copies: 25 cents per page. Maximum of $15 for parties to a case and their attorneys
Certified Copy, Exemplified Copy, orCertificate of Satisfaction: $20 per document
Name Search: $5
Transcript of Judgment: $25
Research/Redaction: $30.00 per hour, assessed in 15-minute increments after the first hour
Off-Site Case File Retrieval: The exact cost of retrieval

Adams County Courthouse Locations

The Adams County court system, part of the 17th Judicial District, is organized into three primary levels: District Courts, County Courts, and local municipal courts. The primary courthouse for the District and County Courts is the Adams County Justice Center, while local municipal courts operate independently of the county system, having their own courthouses.

The addresses of courthouses in the county are as follows:

Adams County Justice Center

1100 Judicial Center Drive

Brighton, CO 80601

Phone: (303) 659-1161

Brighton Municipal Court

3401 East Bromley Lane

Brighton, CO 80601

Phone: (303) 655-2320

Thornton Municipal Court (Charles J. Rose Courthouse)

9551 Civic Center Drive

Thornton, CO 80229

Phone: (720) 977-5400

Westminster Municipal Court

3030 Turnpike Drive

Westminster, CO 80030

Phone: (303) 658-2250

Commerce Municipal Court

7887 East 60th Avenue

Commerce City, CO 80022

Phone: (303) 289-3640

Northglenn Municipal Court

50 West Community Center Drive

Northglenn, CO80234

Phone: (303) 450-8701

Aurora Municipal Court

14999 East Alameda Parkway

Aurora, CO 80012

Phone: (303) 739-6444

Criminal Records Access in Adams County

A criminal record in Adams County may be maintained by the court, local law enforcement, and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Records pertaining to a person’s arrest and jail time are typically maintained by law enforcement. At the county level, individuals can access these records by contacting the arresting agency or the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.

At the state level, these records are managed by the CBI. The CBI stores the Criminal History Record Information of everyone arrested or charged in the state. The CHRI is a complete record of an individual’s encounter with the criminal justice system in the state. Individuals may obtain a CHRI through an Internet Criminal History Check (ICHC) or a Fingerprint-based Check. An ICHC is a name-based check available to the general public and provides non-sealed criminal information of adults. The fingerprint-based check is a more restricted check not available to the public, but it provides a more comprehensive criminal record.

The courts in Adams County maintain records of criminal case proceedings. Interested persons may access the records in person at the courthouse or submit the Record/Document Request Form online to the Clerk of Courts’ Office.

Adams County Probate Records

Adams County probate records document the legal administration of estates after someone’s death, trusts, guardianships, and conservatorships. These estate records, like other court records, are publicly accessible under Chief Justice Directive 05-01; however, they have certain details withheld from the public. Records involving the mental health or financial details of a protected person are a common example of protected probate records.

Probate records in Adams County can be obtained in person at the Clerk of Courts’ Office. Inquirers may search for the record using the public access terminal or approach office staff. Historical probate records in the county from 1902 to 1962 are maintained by the Colorado State Archives. Individuals may search for a historical probate record on the Archives Search database using the name of the individual on the record. Once the record has been located in the database, individuals may submit a request to the archives to obtain the full case file.

Adams County Family Court Records

Adams County family court records document family law cases handled in the county. Examples include divorce, child custody, paternity actions, protection orders, and adoptions. Family court records are public records but are usually subject to stricter restrictions than standard court records as they detail sensitive issues.

Individuals may obtain family court records by visiting the Adams County Justice Center to use the public access terminal or request copies from the Clerk’s Office. Alternatively, family court records may be requested by submitting the online Colorado Court Record/Document Request Form. The exact type of family case may be specified when completing the form.

Federal Court Records in Adams County

Federal court cases in Adams County fall under the jurisdiction of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado. Federal courts generally handle legal matters that local county courts cannot, including violations of federal law, constitutional issues, and bankruptcy cases.

Adams County residents may look up federal court records using the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (PACER) system. For older federal court records, individuals may contact the National Archives located in Denver.