How to Search Pitkin County Court Records
The main public channels for Pitkin County court records are the Colorado Judicial Branch Docket Search, the Colorado Judicial Branch Record/Document Request Form, and the Pitkin County Clerk of Court at the courthouse. Colorado does not publish a broad free portal that opens every state trial court case file by name. That means dockets and hearing calendars are easier to check online than full documents, certified copies, or register of actions entries.
Start by sorting the record type. Pitkin County District Court handles felony, probate, domestic relations, juvenile, mental-health, and civil cases in any amount. Pitkin County Court handles misdemeanors, traffic infractions, felony complaints, small claims, civil cases under $25,000, and protection orders. Aspen Municipal Court handles City Charter, City Code, and ordinance matters. The Clerk and Recorder is separate and handles recorded documents and marriage or civil-union records.
The county's East Main Street civic layout helps in-person users but does not merge the offices. The courthouse is at 506 E Main Street, while the county administration, sheriff, jail, records department, and Clerk and Recorder are clustered nearby at or around 530 E Main Street. A person may visit one civic area but still need the correct custodian for each record type.
- Identify the court level before searching. District Court, County Court, Aspen Municipal Court, and the County Clerk and Recorder hold different records.
- Use the Judicial Branch docket search for hearing calendars. The state page requires a date plus at least one added filter.
- Use the record/document request form for copies, registers of action, certified copies, or case documents.
- Select Pitkin County as the county or location of records when the request form asks for the filing location.
- Include the case number if known. If not, provide party names, date of birth when useful, and other case facts.
- For sheriff reports or local arrest history, use Pitkin County Sheriff's Office records forms instead of the court request form.
Pitkin County Court Records Search Fields
The docket search is date based, while the document request form is party and case based. For a Pitkin County court records lookup, a name alone may not be enough. The best request includes the court, party name, case number, document type, and whether a certified or exemplified copy is needed. The form also lets users request a Register of Action, which the Judicial Branch describes as a brief case explanation that may include charges, sentences, and minute orders.
| Field Label | Type | Required | Notes / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Judicial District | Dropdown | Optional | Pitkin County is in the 9th Judicial District. |
| Date | Date | Central to docket search | A date alone is not enough on the docket search page. |
| Additional filters | Form controls | Yes for dockets | At least one filter in addition to date is required. |
| Case Number | Text | Optional | The request form gives an example format of 2019T999999. |
| County / location | Dropdown | Needed | Select Pitkin County for local court files. |
| Party Information | Text | Yes | Names on the case are required on the request form. |
| Request Documents | Checkboxes | Yes or conditional | Family, criminal, civil, probate, other, and certification options are listed. |
Types of Pitkin County Court Records
Pitkin County court records include civil, criminal, family, probate, traffic, and protection-order files. Civil records may include complaints, answers, motions, orders, judgments, transcript of judgment filings, satisfaction of judgment filings, service returns, and notices. Criminal files may include a complaint or information, bond entries, advisement and arraignment records, motions, plea paperwork, a disposition or sentence order, protection orders, probation terms, financial obligations, and court event history.
Family and probate case records are District Court work in Colorado. Domestic relations files may include divorce decrees, parenting plans, separation agreements, support orders, and petitions. Probate files may include letters, wills, trusts, applications, petitions, closing documents, claims, and date-of-death information. Traffic cases may be in County Court or Aspen Municipal Court depending on the ticket source. Some traffic tickets are payable through the Department of Revenue rather than the local court.
- District Court records cover felonies, divorce, probate, civil cases in any amount, juvenile cases, and mental-health matters.
- County Court records cover misdemeanors, traffic infractions, felony complaints, small claims, and limited civil matters.
- Aspen Municipal Court records cover city ordinance cases, municipal tickets, and City Code violations.
- Clerk and Recorder records cover recorded documents and marriage or civil-union records, not court dispositions.
- Sheriff records cover releasable reports and local arrest history, not final court outcomes.
What Pitkin County Court Records Show
A Pitkin County court record may be brief or detailed depending on the case type and requested document. A docket entry may show a hearing date and event type. A register of actions may show a case timeline. A full file may include pleadings, orders, motions, judgments, and sentence documents. Criminal, civil, family, and probate files use different document labels, so the request should name the exact document when possible.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Colorado case number, with examples using year, case class, and sequence. |
| Court Location | Pitkin County or another Colorado court location if the file was not opened locally. |
| Case Class | Classes such as CR, M, T, C, CV, S, JV, and DR depending on case type. |
| Parties | Plaintiff and defendant, petitioner and respondent, or criminal defendant names. |
| Documents | Requested pleadings, orders, complaint/information, tickets, probate documents, or family orders. |
| Register of Action | Chronological case summary that may include charges, sentences, and minute orders. |
| Access Flags | Sealed, suppressed, juvenile, probate, confidential, protected, or ID-required status. |
Public Access for Pitkin County Court Records
Colorado court access is governed by more than one rule. The Judicial Branch Access Guide to Public Records points to CJD 05-01 and the Public Access to Information and Records Rules for court-system records. Colorado's open-records law, C.R.S. 24-72-201 to 206, applies to many public records, while criminal justice records are addressed under C.R.S. 24-72-301 et seq. Court files also may be limited by statute, court rule, court order, local directive, or protected-information rules.
The record request form lists copy and certification fees. Copies are $0.25 per page. The maximum copy fee for parties and their attorneys in their own case is $15. A transcript of judgment is $25, a certificate of satisfaction is $20, a certified or exemplified copy is $20 per document, and a name search is $5. Off-site retrieval is actual cost, and research or redaction after the first hour is billed at $30 per hour in 15-minute increments.
| Request Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Copy per page | $0.25 |
| Maximum copy fee for party or attorney in own case | $15.00 |
| Transcript of Judgment | $25.00 |
| Certificate of Satisfaction | $20.00 |
| Certified or exemplified copy per document | $20.00 |
| Name search | $5.00 |
| Research or redaction after first hour | $30.00 per hour |
Fee rules also matter when a request asks for more than plain copies. A certified copy is usually used when an agency, employer, school, or court needs a clerk-certified document. An exemplified copy adds a higher form of authentication. The research file did not identify a Pitkin-only filing-fee schedule for new cases, so copy and certification amounts should be kept separate from filing fees.
Note: The court form says most responses are provided within three business days unless extenuating circumstances apply.
Restricted Pitkin County Court Records
Not all Pitkin County court records are open to the public. Juvenile records are governed by the Children's Code and court access rules. Sealed cases are not public. Adoption records, mental-health cases, and some family records can be restricted. Probate files may be public in part, but the request form warns that probate records or protected information may require a government-issued photo ID.
The Colorado sealed-case search is narrow. It is for a defendant checking whether a conviction was automatically sealed under C.R.S. 13-3-117. It is not a broad sealed-record lookup for the public. A user who is not the defendant, or who needs a different type of sealed file, must use the research request process or work through the court where the case was filed.
- Sealed
- Not accessible to the general public under statute, rule, order, or qualifying sealing process.
- Suppressed
- Hidden or restricted from ordinary access under a court rule, court order, or legal authority.
- Redaction
- Masking or removal of protected information before a record is released.
- Juvenile Record
- A record controlled by separate Children's Code and court access rules.
In-Person Pitkin County Court Records
In-person requests route through the Pitkin County Courthouse. The Judicial Branch location page lists the courthouse at 506 E Main Street in Aspen and gives the main court phone and email. Visitors should allow time for courthouse security screening. Transcript requests have a local workflow: requests should be emailed to PCAspen@judicial.state.co.us because e-filing a transcript request into a case does not route it to the person who processes transcripts.
The Pitkin County court page also links to jury information, virtual courtrooms, probation, records requests, payments, ADA accommodations, interpreter requests, and courthouse status notices. Civil return dates for money cases are Thursdays at 11 a.m., excluding evictions and small claims. Those details are useful when the record search is tied to an upcoming appearance or a recently filed civil matter.
Clerk of Court
Pitkin County Courthouse
506 E Main Street
Aspen, CO 81611
970-925-7635
Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. and 1:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m.