Denver Jail Bookings

Denver is both a city and a county in Colorado. This means Denver runs its own jail system separate from other counties. The Denver Sheriff Department operates two detention facilities where all arrests in the city get processed. You can search for recent bookings through various online tools that show current inmates and people who were recently arrested. The city processes hundreds of bookings each week. Anyone can access public booking information to see who is in custody at Denver jails. These records update regularly as new arrests occur throughout the city.

Denver County Jail System

Denver County is unique because the city and county are the same government entity. Most Colorado cities sit within a county that is a separate government. Denver merged its city and county governments long ago. This means Denver handles its own jail operations without involving another county.

The Denver Sheriff Department runs all detention facilities in the city. They book people arrested by Denver Police as well as other law enforcement agencies operating in Denver. The sheriff department is responsible for custody, transport, and care of inmates. Over 715,000 people live in Denver which makes it the largest city in Colorado. The jail system processes a high volume of bookings every day.

Denver operates two main jail facilities. The Downtown Detention Center is at 490 W. Colfax Avenue in Denver. This facility handles initial processing right after arrest. People get booked here first. The Downtown Detention Center also holds people for court appearances at the nearby courthouse. The second facility is Denver County Jail at 10500 East Smith Road in Denver. This jail provides long-term custody for people awaiting trial or serving sentences. Inmates may transfer between facilities based on their case status and length of stay.

How to Find Denver Bookings

Denver does not provide an official public inmate search tool on the city website. You need to use third-party resources to search Denver bookings. Several websites aggregate booking information from Denver jails and post it online. These sites pull data from public records and update multiple times per day.

Third-party booking sites show recent arrests from the last 30 days. You can search by name to find someone booked into a Denver jail. Results typically include the person's name, age, booking date, and charges. Some sites also show bond amounts and upcoming court dates. Keep in mind these are unofficial sources so information may not be complete or current.

Denver County does not release booking photographs to third-party websites. If you search Denver bookings online, you may see listings without mug shots. This is a policy decision by the Denver Sheriff Department. If you need an official booking photo, you must request it directly from the sheriff department through a records request.

For official information about a Denver inmate, contact the jail directly. Call the detention facility and ask about inmate status. Jail staff can tell you if someone is currently in custody and where they are being held. They can also provide information about visitation and how to deposit money on an inmate's account.

Note: Information from third-party websites may not be verified and could be outdated or incomplete.

Booking Fees and Bonds

Denver charges a $30 processing fee when someone gets booked into jail. This fee is automatic for everyone arrested in the city. The booking fee is separate from any bond that gets set by a judge. Bond amounts depend on the charges and the person's criminal history. Some people get released on personal recognizance bond which means they do not pay money upfront but promise to appear in court.

Cash bonds require the full amount to be paid before release. If the person attends all court dates, the cash bond gets returned at the end of the case. Surety bonds involve a bondsman who charges 10 to 15 percent of the bond amount as a fee. This fee is not refundable even if the person goes to all their court dates. Bondsmen operate private businesses and set their own fees within legal limits.

To post bond for someone in Denver jail, you can go to the detention facility during business hours. Bring cash, a money order, or cashier's check. Some bondsmen can also post bond electronically. Ask the jail for instructions on how to post bond for a specific inmate. Bond must be paid in full before the person can be released from custody.

Denver Court Cases

People arrested in Denver go to court at the Lindsey-Flanigan Courthouse at 520 W. Colfax Avenue. This is the main criminal courthouse for Denver County. First appearances happen within 48 hours of arrest. This is when a judge sets bond and the person finds out the formal charges. You can search Denver court dockets through the Colorado Judicial Branch website.

The docket search lets you look up cases by name or case number. Results show upcoming court dates and charge information. The system updates regularly but brand new arrests may not appear right away. It can take a day or two for a new case to show up in the court database after someone gets arrested.

Denver has a public defender office for people who cannot afford a lawyer. The court appoints a public defender at the first appearance if the person qualifies based on income. You can also hire a private attorney to handle your case. The Colorado Bar Association offers a lawyer referral service if you need help finding a criminal defense attorney in Denver.

Access to Jail Records

Colorado law requires all jails to keep a daily log of inmates per C.R.S. 17-26-118. The log must include name, booking date, date of birth, charges, and bond for each person. This information is public and must be available at all reasonable times. Denver complies with this law by maintaining jail logs that people can request.

The Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act in C.R.S. 24-72-301 covers how agencies release arrest and booking information. Records of official actions like arrests must be made public. Denver provides access to these records but does not have an online search portal like some counties. You may need to file a formal records request to get detailed booking information from the sheriff department.

If you want copies of arrest records or other jail documents, submit a records request to the Denver Sheriff Department. The request should describe what records you need and include your contact information. The city will respond within the time required by the Colorado Open Records Act. Simple requests usually get processed within a few days. More complex requests may take longer depending on how many records are involved.

Anyone requesting booking photos must sign a pecuniary gain statement per C.R.S. 24-72-305.5. This rule prevents commercial websites from charging people to remove their mug shots. Denver provides the required form when you request booking photographs. The form states you will not use the photos for profit or commercial purposes.

Other Denver Resources

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation keeps statewide criminal records. You can request a background check through CBI to see someone's full arrest history from anywhere in Colorado. Background checks cost $6 per search result. The CBI database includes fingerprint-based arrest records from all agencies in the state including Denver Police.

For inmates in state prison, check the Colorado Department of Corrections inmate locator. CDOC operates state prisons which are separate from county jails. If someone is not in Denver County Jail, they might be serving a sentence at a state facility instead. The CDOC website has a search tool for state inmates.

Denver also uses the VINE system for custody notifications. You can register with VINE to get alerts when an inmate is released from jail. This service is free and available to victims and other interested parties. VINE sends notifications by phone, email, or text message when an inmate's status changes.

Bookings in Other Cities

Aurora is just east of Denver in Arapahoe County. Aurora bookings go through a different jail system. Lakewood is west of Denver in Jefferson County. Thornton is north of Denver in Adams County. Littleton is south of Denver in Arapahoe County. Each of these cities books arrests into their county jail, not the Denver jail.

If you are looking for someone arrested in a city near Denver, you need to search that county's records. Denver only handles bookings that happen within Denver city limits. Arrests in other cities show up in their county jail systems. Check the appropriate county sheriff website to find bookings from cities outside Denver.