Teller County Court Records
How To Find Court Records in Teller County in 2026
TellerRecords.us provides access to publicly available information related to court records in Teller County, Colorado. Members of the public seeking court records may find case-level data, docket entries, party names, hearing schedules, and disposition information, subject to applicable access rules and the completeness of available data. Court records may be searched through several established channels, including clerk offices, courthouse public terminals, official court websites, written requests, and statewide judicial tools.
The following five methods are available to members of the public seeking Teller County court records:
1. Clerk of Court or Court Records Office The Clerk of the Teller County Combined Court maintains the official record for all cases filed in that court. Members of the public may appear in person during business hours to request case files, docket sheets, or copies of filed documents. Providing a case number, party name, or approximate filing date assists staff in locating records efficiently. Fees apply for printed copies.
2. Courthouse Public Access Terminals Public access computer terminals are available at the Teller County courthouse. These terminals allow members of the public to search case information at no charge during regular court hours. Terminal access does not extend to sealed, expunged, or restricted case files.
3. Online Court Search The Colorado Judicial Branch case search portal provides online access to docket information for cases filed in Colorado trial courts, including Teller County. Users may search by party name or case number. Online access reflects publicly available docket data and does not include document images for all case types.
4. State-Level Judicial Search Tools The Colorado Judicial Branch maintains statewide tools for locating court records across all counties. The Teller County court information page provides court-specific procedural details, including return dates and filing deadlines applicable to Teller County proceedings.
5. Written or Mail Requests Members of the public may submit written requests to the Clerk of Court by mail. Requests should include the case number or party name, the type of record sought, and a return address. Copy fees and processing time apply to mail requests.
Teller County Combined Court – Clerk of Court
101 W. Bennett Ave.
Cripple Creek, CO 80813
Phone: (719) 689-2574
Colorado Judicial Branch – Teller County
Are Court Records Public In Teller County
Court records filed in Teller County are public records under current Colorado law. Colorado Revised Statutes § 24-72-203 establishes the general right of public access to government records, and the Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure further affirm that court filings are open to inspection by members of the public absent a specific order of restriction.
Records that are public under current law include:
- Docket entries and case indexes
- Party names (plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, respondent)
- Hearing dates, continuances, and scheduling orders
- Filed motions, complaints, petitions, and answers
- Court orders, judgments, and decrees
- Sentencing entries and disposition records
Records that may be confidential, sealed, redacted, or restricted include:
- Juvenile delinquency and dependency records
- Adoption proceedings
- Mental health and substance abuse treatment records subject to statutory protection
- Sealed criminal records and expunged matters
- Protected personal identifiers such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and dates of birth in certain filings
- Records sealed by court order pursuant to C.R.S. § 24-72-308
A distinction exists between courthouse inspection and online access. While the physical case file may be inspected at the clerk's office, not all documents are available through online portals. Document images for certain case types are restricted to in-person review at the courthouse terminal or clerk counter.
What Are Court Records in Teller County?
Court records are the official documents, filings, and entries created and maintained by a court in connection with a legal proceeding. In practical terms, a court record encompasses everything submitted to or generated by the court from the initial filing of a case through its final disposition and any subsequent appeal.
The distinction between a docket entry and a full case file is significant. A docket is a chronological index of all actions taken in a case, listing filing dates, motion titles, hearing dates, and orders entered. The full case file contains the actual documents underlying those docket entries, including pleadings, exhibits, and transcripts.
Civil court records arise from disputes between private parties or between a party and a government entity, covering matters such as contract claims, property disputes, and personal injury actions. Criminal court records arise from prosecutions brought by the state, documenting charges, pleas, trial proceedings, and sentencing.
Filed pleadings represent documents submitted by parties to initiate or respond to litigation. Final judgments are the court's conclusive rulings resolving the case. Public filings are accessible to any member of the public; sealed or restricted filings require a court order or statutory authority to access.
Trial court records are maintained by the Clerk of the Teller County Combined Court. Appellate records, arising from appeals of trial court decisions, are maintained by the Colorado Court of Appeals or the Colorado Supreme Court, depending on the nature of the appeal. The Colorado Judicial Branch administers the statewide system through which both trial and appellate records are organized.
Court records are created at the moment of initial filing and updated continuously as parties submit documents, hearings occur, and the court issues rulings. Upon final disposition, the record is closed but remains subject to retention and access rules.
What's Included in a Teller County Court Record?
A Teller County court record may include the following information, depending on case type and applicable public-access rules:
- Case number assigned at filing
- Court name and division (e.g., District Court or County Court)
- Filing date of the initial pleading or petition
- Party names, including plaintiffs, defendants, petitioners, respondents, and interested parties
- Case type and current status (open, closed, on appeal)
- Docket entries listing each action taken in chronological order
- Hearing dates, continuances, and scheduling information
- Motions, complaints, petitions, answers, orders, judgments, notices, minute entries, decrees, and similar filed documents
- Outcome information, such as dismissals, judgments, guilty pleas, convictions, sentencing entries, custody rulings, probate orders, or appellate decisions
- Administrative and financial information, including filing fees, assessed costs, fines, restitution amounts, and bond information where publicly displayed
Records that are excluded or restricted from public access include sealed filings, expunged matters, juvenile case files, adoption records, protected personal data such as financial account numbers and Social Security numbers, and certain exhibits containing sensitive information. The presence of a docket entry referencing a sealed document does not make the underlying document accessible.
Types of Courts in Teller County
Teller County is served by the Teller County Combined Court, which consolidates the functions of the District Court and the County Court under one administrative structure. This arrangement is common in smaller Colorado counties and is administered under the authority of the Colorado Judicial Branch.
The District Court is a court of general jurisdiction, hearing felony criminal cases, civil cases involving amounts over $25,000, domestic relations matters, juvenile proceedings, mental health cases, and probate matters. The County Court is a court of limited jurisdiction, hearing misdemeanor criminal cases, civil cases involving amounts up to $25,000, traffic matters, and small claims cases.
What Types of Cases Do Teller County Courts Hear
The Teller County Combined Court hears the following categories of cases:
- Criminal: Felony and misdemeanor prosecutions, including traffic offenses
- Civil: Contract disputes, property claims, and tort actions
- Family and Domestic Relations: Divorce, legal separation, child custody, child support, and protection orders
- Juvenile: Delinquency and dependency and neglect proceedings
- Probate: Estate administration, guardianship, and conservatorship
- Small Claims: Civil disputes involving amounts up to the statutory limit
- Traffic: Moving violations, license matters, and related infractions
- Mental Health: Involuntary commitment and treatment proceedings
The Clerk of the Combined Court maintains the official record for all cases filed in both the District Court and County Court divisions. Appeals from the District Court proceed to the Colorado Court of Appeals, and further review may be sought from the Colorado Supreme Court.
How to Search Teller County Court Records for Free?
Members of the public may search Teller County court records at no charge through several methods. In-person inspection of public case files at the Clerk of Court's office is free. Courthouse public access terminals allow case searches without charge during regular business hours. The Colorado Judicial Branch docket search tool provides free online access to case docket information.
Costs arise when copies or certified copies of documents are requested. Under the Colorado court fee schedule, standard copy fees apply per page for paper copies, and certified copy fees are assessed per document. The current fee schedule is maintained by the Colorado Judicial Branch and is subject to periodic revision by court rule.
| Access Method | Cost |
|---|---|
| In-person case inspection | Free |
| Courthouse public terminal search | Free |
| Online docket search (Colorado Judicial Branch) | Free |
| Paper copies | Fee per page (set by court rule) |
| Certified copies | Fee per document (set by court rule) |
| Mail request processing | Copy fees plus any applicable service fee |
Pursuant to C.R.S. § 13-32-101, the Colorado Supreme Court establishes filing fees and copy fees for trial courts statewide. Members of the public seeking the current fee schedule may obtain it directly from the Clerk of Court.
How Long Does Teller County Keep Court Records?
Retention periods for Teller County court records are governed by the judicial records retention schedule established by the Colorado Supreme Court and administered through the Colorado Judicial Branch. Retention periods vary by case type and record category.
Under current judicial retention policy, the following general principles apply:
- Felony criminal case files are retained for extended periods, with many categories retained permanently or for the life of the judgment.
- Misdemeanor and traffic case files are subject to shorter retention schedules, though docket books and judgment records may be retained longer.
- Civil case files are retained based on the nature of the judgment and the amount in controversy.
- Probate and guardianship records are retained for extended periods given their ongoing legal significance.
- Juvenile records are subject to separate retention and destruction rules, including provisions for sealing upon the subject's reaching adulthood.
- Docket books and minute records are retained permanently in many jurisdictions as the official index of court activity.
Paper files may be destroyed after imaging, microfilming, or transfer to archival storage, provided the retention schedule authorizes destruction. Destruction of a paper file does not constitute expungement or sealing; the record remains accessible in its archived or imaged form unless separately restricted by court order.
Expungement and sealing are distinct from routine destruction. Expungement, where authorized by statute, removes the record from public access entirely. Sealing restricts access without destroying the record. Older records may exist in paper files, microfilm, county archives, or the Colorado State Archives, depending on the age of the case and the applicable retention schedule.
How To Find a Court Docket in Teller County
A court docket is the official chronological index of all actions taken in a specific case. It differs from the full case file in that it lists entries by date and description without containing the full text of the underlying documents. The docket serves as the navigational record of a case from filing through disposition.
Dockets for Teller County cases are available through the following channels:
- Colorado Judicial Branch Docket Search: The Colorado Judicial Branch docket search portal allows members of the public to search for case dockets by party name or case number. The portal returns docket entries showing filing dates, motion titles, hearing dates, and orders entered.
- Courthouse Public Access Terminals: Terminals located at the Teller County courthouse provide docket access during regular court hours.
- Clerk of Court Counter: Staff at the Clerk of Court's office may provide docket printouts upon request, subject to applicable copy fees.
To locate a docket through the Colorado Judicial Branch portal, a user selects the Teller County court from the court list, enters a party name or case number, and reviews the returned docket entries. The portal reflects publicly available docket data and is updated as new entries are recorded by the clerk.
A docket entry includes the date of the action, a description of the filing or order, and in some cases the name of the judicial officer. A docket does not include full document images, sealed entries, exhibits, or confidential attachments. Hearing calendars and daily court schedules may be separately available through the Teller County court information page or by contacting the clerk's office directly.
As the Colorado Judicial Branch states, "the docket search tool is intended to provide general case information and does not constitute an official court record or certified copy of any document." Members of the public requiring certified docket information must obtain it directly from the Clerk of Court.