El Paso County Criminal Record Search

El Paso County is the most populous county in Colorado. It holds over 730,000 residents. The county seat is Colorado Springs. A background check in El Paso County may pull from the Sheriff's Office, the courts, or the state CBI database. The Sheriff's Office does not run background checks for the public. Instead, it releases records under state law. For a full criminal history check in El Paso County, you need to use the CBI online system or submit fingerprints through an approved vendor. This guide walks through each way to search El Paso County background check records and what to expect from each source.

El Paso County Sheriff Records

The El Paso County Sheriff's Office has a Records Unit at 27 East Vermijo Avenue in Colorado Springs, CO 80903. This unit handles requests for incident reports, arrest records, and body camera footage. You can call the Records Unit at (719) 520-7177 or send a fax to (719) 520-7171. Email works too. Send your request to shrrecordsrelease@elpasoco.com. Staff can give limited details by phone. They will not run a background check for you. The Sheriff's Office releases records based on the Colorado Revised Statutes, and some parts may be blacked out before release.

You can learn more about El Paso County record requests on the Sheriff's Office records page. This page covers what you can ask for and how to pay.

The page lists all fees, accepted forms of payment, and steps for getting El Paso County records.

Reports cost $8.00 for review and redaction on files up to 10 pages. If the report runs past 10 pages, the fee is $8.00 plus $0.25 for each page beyond that. The Sheriff's Office takes cash, business checks, cashier's checks, money orders, and credit or debit cards. Personal checks are not accepted. If you pay with a credit or debit card, there is a fee of $2.00 or 2.39% of the total, whichever is more. Body camera video from El Paso County may not be released while a case is still under review.

Note: The El Paso County Sheriff does not perform background checks for the public, so you must use the CBI for a full criminal history report.

El Paso County Open Records Requests

The Colorado Open Records Act gives people the right to ask for public records in El Paso County. CORA covers most government documents. Criminal justice records are one major exception. Under state law, criminal justice records held by the Sheriff are not subject to CORA. That means you cannot use an open records request to get arrest data or case files from the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. You need to go through the Records Unit or the CBI instead.

For other types of public records in El Paso County, CORA does apply. The first two hours of staff time to find and prepare records are free. After that, the county charges $29.50 per hour. The office has three working days to respond. Extensions of up to 10 working days are allowed if the request is large or complex. The contact for El Paso County CORA requests is Beth DeStefano in the Records and Documents office. You can call her at (719) 520-7183 or send an email to EPCPIO@elpasoco.com.

The El Paso County CORA page has full details on how to file a request and what the process looks like.

This page explains your rights, the fees, and response times for El Paso County open records requests.

CBI Background Check for El Paso County

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation runs the state criminal history database. This is the main source for a background check tied to El Paso County. The CBI offers two paths. The first is an online name search. The second is a fingerprint check. Both cover arrest records, court data, and corrections data from across Colorado. The online option is fast and cheap. The fingerprint check is more thorough.

Start with the CBI online search portal. Type in a first name, last name, and date of birth. The system checks the CBI database and returns matches. Each result costs $6.00. Common names may pull up more than one match. You pay per result you open. This search covers all of Colorado, not just El Paso County. It works from any device at any time of day. Results show arrest records, charges, and case outcomes from the state database. The CBI online check does not include FBI data or records from other states.

For a more complete El Paso County background check, use the fingerprint path. The CBI has two approved vendors. IdentoGO runs sites across the state, including locations near Colorado Springs. Colorado Fingerprinting is the other option. A Colorado-only fingerprint check costs $16.50 to $17.50. A combined Colorado and FBI check costs $39.50. Vendor fees add to these amounts. You book a time, bring a photo ID, and get printed. Results come through the CBI Secure Document Delivery System.

The CBI records and background checks page is the best starting point for any El Paso County background check through the state system.

El Paso County Court Records Search

El Paso County falls in the 4th Judicial District. This district covers El Paso and Teller counties. The courthouse is in Colorado Springs. District court handles felony cases. County court handles misdemeanors, traffic cases, and smaller civil matters. Both courts create records that show up on a background check for El Paso County residents. Charges, filings, and outcomes are all part of the public record.

You can search El Paso County court dockets through the Colorado courts docket system. Pick the 4th Judicial District from the list. Search by name or case number. This tool shows active and closed cases from El Paso County courts. It does not cost anything to search. The data is public. Keep in mind that court records and CBI records come from different systems. A check of one does not replace the other.

Under C.R.S. 24-72-304, criminal justice records in Colorado may be open for public review. The custodian of those records decides on access. Some records may be redacted before release in El Paso County. Sealed records will not appear in any public search. Juvenile records are blocked unless the person was charged as an adult.

Note: Court docket data from El Paso County is free to search online, but it may not reflect the same details as a CBI background check.

El Paso County Inmate Records

The El Paso County Sheriff runs the Criminal Justice Center in Colorado Springs. This jail holds people who are waiting for court or serving short terms. The Sheriff's website has an inmate search tool. You can look up who is in custody right now. This is not a full background check. It only shows current inmates in El Paso County. It does not cover past arrests or charges that have been resolved.

The El Paso County inmate search lets you check the current jail roster by name.

This tool shows who is held in El Paso County custody right now. It updates as people are booked in or released.

An inmate search is one piece of a larger picture. For a complete El Paso County background check, you still need to run the CBI search. The jail roster covers only the present. The CBI database covers the past. Both are public resources that anyone can use in El Paso County.

El Paso County Record Fees

Fees for records in El Paso County depend on the source. The Sheriff's Office, the CBI, and the courts each have their own rates. Knowing the cost ahead of time helps you plan. Here is a breakdown of the main fees for an El Paso County background check or record request.

The Sheriff's Office charges the following for El Paso County records:

• Reports up to 10 pages: $8.00 flat fee
• Reports over 10 pages: $8.00 plus $0.25 per extra page
• Credit or debit card surcharge: $2.00 or 2.39%, whichever is more
• CORA requests beyond 2 free hours: $29.50 per hour

The CBI charges $6.00 per result on the online name search. A Colorado-only fingerprint check is $16.50 to $17.50. The combined Colorado and FBI check is $39.50. Vendor fees are added on top. Court docket searches from El Paso County are free through the state system. Certified copies of court records may have a fee. Call the 4th Judicial District clerk for current rates on El Paso County court documents.

Accepted payment methods at the El Paso County Sheriff's Office include cash, business checks, cashier's checks, money orders, and credit or debit cards. Personal checks are not accepted. The CBI takes Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. No cash over $20 at the CBI Lakewood office.

Colorado Laws on Background Check Records

Several state laws shape how background check records work in El Paso County. The main one is C.R.S. 24-72-304. This statute covers criminal justice records. It says these records may be open for public review. The custodian of the records has some power to limit access. In El Paso County, the Sheriff's Office is the custodian for its own records. The CBI is the custodian for state criminal history data.

Criminal justice records are not part of CORA. This matters in El Paso County because people sometimes try to use an open records request to get arrest data. That will not work. The Sheriff's Office handles criminal records through its Records Unit, not through the CORA process. This is true across all 64 Colorado counties, not just El Paso.

Sealed records do not show on any public search. Colorado law allows people to petition to seal certain arrests and convictions. Once sealed, those records drop off the CBI database and the El Paso County court system. Law enforcement can still see sealed records. The public cannot. If you want to check your own record before filing to seal, run the CBI online search at cbirecordscheck.com first.

Note: Criminal justice records in El Paso County are excluded from CORA and must be requested through the Sheriff's Records Unit or the CBI.

Cities in El Paso County

El Paso County has many cities and towns. Colorado Springs is by far the largest. It is the county seat and the second biggest city in Colorado. All background check records for residents of these cities go through El Paso County offices, the 4th Judicial District Court, or the CBI.

Other cities in El Paso County include Fountain, Manitou Springs, Monument, Palmer Lake, Calhan, and Ramah. All of these fall under El Paso County for background check record access and court filings.

Nearby Counties

These counties border El Paso County. If you are not sure which county covers your area, check the address where the person lives. Criminal records are held by the county where the arrest took place, so you may need to search more than one county for a full background check.