Colorado Open Records Request

Welcome to the Colorado Department of Public Safety (CDPS). This document contains information on how to submit a request for records pursuant to the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) Request or Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (CCJRA). While each division within CDPS processes CORA/CCJRA requests differently, the document provides general guidance on how to write and submit an effective request. 
 

Additionally, you may be asked to sign a waiver of Pecuniary Gain, as C.R.S. 24-72-305.5 states that records of official action and criminal justice records, and the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and other information in such records shall not be used by any person for the purpose of soliciting business for “pecuniary gain.” The official custodian shall deny any person access to records of official action and criminal justice records unless such person signs a statement that affirms that such records shall not be used for the direct solicitation of business for pecuniary gain.
 

Please read this document carefully prior to submitting your request. 
 

Successful Requests are:
 

• Concise - They request specific information.  Include any unique identifying information such as a specific team member’s name or a case number that may help the agency find the records of interest. 
• Tailored - Broader requests take more time to fulfill and may incur substantial fees.  Try to narrow the terms of your search to a specific date range, geographic area, type of record or division component. Avoid phrases like “any and all” whenever possible.  
   

Tips for submitting a CORA/CCJRA Request:
 

• Request records directly from the appropriate government office or the custodian of the records. Other agencies may have different processes for open records requests, so contact the appropriate office ahead of time to review its process. 
• Search online to see if the records are already available.  . The records you seek may have been posted online, either by the agency itself or by another requester. 
• Provide basic information, including: 
  • Your name and mailing address.
  • Your phone number or email address so that we can contact you if we need to clarify your request.
  • A detailed list or description of the specific records that you are seeking, including search terms and a date range.
• Be specific when you know what you’re looking for, such as a particular document. Listing easily identifiable records will more likely generate a timely response and limit the fees you may be charged.
• The more specific you can be, the better, as this helps determine research and retrieval times and any subsequent fees. A broadly stated request that encompasses all or substantially all of a large category of records or an extended date range may lack sufficient specificity to allow the custodian to reasonably prepare or gather the records within the statutory three-day period. It may also significantly increase any associated costs.
• Reliance on AI tools like Gemini/Chat GPT to write your request is not recommended.  These tools often suggest broadly worded request language, which slows down request processing and may incur substantial fees.  
• Likewise, requests that ask the agency to use AI tools to facilitate searches frequently  are not pertinent or even possible.  Such requests are highly dependent on an agency’s particular search functionality, and software capabilities. Each state agency has its own process for searching for records, and what is possible at one agency may not be possible at another depending on what records they create, how they are stored, and their unique processes. For example, bulk searches are not possible for most CDPS records because they contain significant Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and other confidential information requiring manual review and redaction.  
   

CORA and CCJRA:

CORA is Colorado’s open records statute which generally provides the public with access to government records subject to various exceptions.  §24-72-203, C.R.S.  Criminal justice records are specifically excluded from the scope of CORA and are instead subject to public disclosure under the CCJRA §24-72-302, C.R.S.  

There are several differences between the requirements of CCJRA and CORA. CCJRA does not impose CORA’s three-day deadline for response but instead requires a response within a reasonable time. The CCJRA also requires that the requester sign a statement affirming that the records will not be used for the direct solicitation of business for pecuniary gain. Section 24-72-305.5, C.R.S. Additionally, the substance of what may be obtained through CCJRA is narrower than CORA, and the applicable legal standard is less prescriptive and entrusts more discretion to the agency.   

The CCJRA establishes two categories of records:

1. Records of official action. The CCJRA defines an official action as “an arrest; indictment; charging by information; disposition; pretrial or post trial release from custody; judicial determination of mental or physical condition; decision to grant, order, or terminate probation, parole, or participation in correctional or rehabilitative programs; and any decision to formally discipline, reclassify, or relocate any person under criminal sentence.” Section 24-72-302(7), C.R.S. The records of official action must be open for inspection.

2. Except for records of official actions, which must be available for inspection, all other criminal justice records may be open for inspection, subject to the discretion of the official custodian.

Whether your request is subject to CORA or CCJRA depends on whether the agency that maintains the requested records is a criminal justice agency. 

How To Submit Your Request:
 

Please note that CDPS does not maintain all records for the State of Colorado, and there is not one single repository for all records in the state. CDPS is the custodian of records only for divisions in this department including those listed below. To submit a CORA/CCJRA request to a specific division within CDPS, please see below:

Colorado Department of Safety (CDPS)- Email cdps_info@state.co.us and type your email request into the body of an email. 

Colorado Bureau of Investigations (CBI) -  Additional information can be found on CBI’s webpage and your request, including a signed pecuniary gain form,  can be made by emailing CDPS_CBI_CCJRA@state.co.us.

Colorado State Patrol (CSP) - CSP is a CCJRA Agency. Additional information can be found on  Colorado State Patrol Records Requests webpage and your request for records can be made through the Central Records Request Portal by clicking here. 

Colorado School Safety Resource Center - Email CDPS_School_Safety_Center@state.co.us and type your email request into the body of an email. 

Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) - View this webpage for instructions on submitting a request. 

Division of Fire Prevention & Control (DFPC) - View this webpage for instructions on submitting a request. Complete this form to submit your request. 

Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) - Complete this form. 

CDPS will charge a maximum of $0.25 per page for copies of records. The maximum hourly rate for research and retrieval of public records is $41.37 for CDPS agencies, per provisions of the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA). Also, per provisions of CORA, the first hour of time associated with research and retrieval of public records among CDPS agencies will be provided at no cost. For questions about CDPS CORA policies, please contact the office of the Executive Director at cdps_info@state.co.us.

CDPS Colorado Open Records Act Policy