Arapahoe County Jail Bookings
Arapahoe County keeps records of all recent bookings and arrests made within county boundaries. The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office runs the detention center and processes everyone arrested by local law enforcement. You can search for recent bookings to find current inmates or check on arrest records. These records become public information once someone is booked into the jail. The sheriff maintains daily logs and booking information that show who is in custody, what charges they face, and when they were arrested in Arapahoe County.
Arapahoe County Sheriff Booking Records
The Arapahoe County Sheriff manages the detention facility and keeps all booking records for the county. When police or deputies arrest someone in Arapahoe County, that person goes to the county jail for processing. Booking includes taking fingerprints, photos, and recording personal information. The sheriff creates a booking record with the person's name, charges, arrest date, and bond information.
Colorado law requires this information to be public. The state criminal justice records act says booking records count as official action records. This means the sheriff must make them available when someone asks. The Arapahoe County government website provides access to many public records. For booking records, you contact the sheriff's office directly or search their inmate system.
The statute that governs jail records is C.R.S. 17-26-118. This law says every jail keeper must maintain a daily log of all inmates. The log must include specific details like names, dates of birth, charges, and bond amounts. It must be available to the public at reasonable times. Arapahoe County follows this law by keeping current booking records that you can access through the sheriff's office.
Arapahoe County has a large population and sees many arrests each month. The detention center books in people arrested by multiple police departments as well as the sheriff's own deputies. Aurora Police Department makes many arrests in Arapahoe County. Littleton, Centennial, and other cities also have their own police forces that book people into the county jail. All of these arrests go into the same Arapahoe County booking system no matter which agency made the arrest.
Arapahoe County Courts and Records
People arrested in Arapahoe County face charges in the Arapahoe County Combined Court. This court handles both criminal and civil cases. You can search court records through the Colorado Judicial Branch website. The online docket search shows upcoming court dates, past hearings, and case status for anyone with a case in Arapahoe County.
The court has several locations. Centennial has the main courthouse. There is also a courthouse in Littleton. Which court location your case goes to depends on the type of case and where the arrest happened. Traffic cases and small misdemeanors often go through the Littleton courthouse. More serious felonies usually go to the main courthouse in Centennial. The online docket search will show you which location a case is assigned to and when the next hearing is scheduled.
First appearances happen fast after arrest. Colorado law requires someone to see a judge within 48 hours of booking. This hearing is where bond gets set. The judge looks at the charges and the person's criminal history to decide what bond is appropriate. You can attend court hearings in Arapahoe County as they are open to the public. Check the docket to find out when a specific case has a hearing scheduled.
Court records and jail booking records give different information. The booking record shows the arrest and time in custody. The court record shows what happens with the charges. Both records are public but you access them through different systems. For current custody status, check with the sheriff. For case outcomes and court dates, use the judicial branch website.
Requesting Arrest and Booking Records
You can request detailed booking records from the Arapahoe County Sheriff. Basic information like current inmates may be available online or by phone. More detailed records require a formal request. The Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act governs how agencies release these records. This law is in C.R.S. 24-72-301 and sets rules for what must be made public.
When you request booking records, you may need to sign a statement about how you will use them. This comes from C.R.S. 24-72-305.5. The law says people who request mug shots must promise not to use them for profit. This prevents websites from charging fees to remove booking photos. The statement is simple and the sheriff's office provides the form. You just need to sign it when you pick up records that include photos.
The sheriff should respond to your records request within three working days. This is the standard time frame under the Colorado Open Records Act. If the request is complex or involves many records, the response time might be longer. The sheriff's office will tell you if extra time is needed and when to expect the records. Simple booking record requests often get filled right away, especially if you just need information on one person.
Fees for records depend on what you request. Looking up basic booking information is usually free. Copies of reports or booking photos may have a small fee. Colorado law limits how much agencies can charge for records. Most sheriff offices charge 25 cents per page for copies. If your request requires a lot of staff time to search through records, there may be a research fee. Ask about fees when you submit your request so you know what to expect.
Colorado State Criminal Records
The Colorado Department of Corrections keeps records on people in state prison. If someone was in Arapahoe County jail and then got sent to prison, you can find them in the DOC inmate locator. The DOC system only shows people serving sentences in state facilities. It does not include county jail inmates. Use the DOC database for people with long sentences who have left county custody.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation maintains criminal history records for the whole state. Their database contains fingerprint-based arrest records from all Colorado counties. You can request a criminal history check through the CBI for a fee. This gives you a complete record of someone's arrests and convictions in Colorado. The CBI charges six dollars per search result you download. This is useful for background checks that need to cover more than just recent Arapahoe County arrests.
Colorado courts post docket information online at no cost. The judicial branch docket search covers all counties. You can look up cases by name or case number. This is the best way to track court dates and see case outcomes. The docket updates regularly so you get current information on what is happening with any criminal case in Arapahoe County or elsewhere in Colorado.
Bookings from Arapahoe County Cities
Arapahoe County includes parts of several major cities. Aurora has the most arrests with a population over 400,000. Aurora Police make daily arrests that get booked into the Arapahoe County jail. The city spans both Arapahoe and Adams counties, so some Aurora arrests go to Adams County instead. Check where in Aurora the arrest happened to know which county has the booking record.
Littleton is another city in Arapahoe County with its own police force. Littleton arrests go through the Arapahoe County jail system. The city has about 43,000 people. Centennial is a larger city entirely within Arapahoe County. Centennial Police Department books people into the county jail. Several other smaller cities and unincorporated areas in Arapahoe County also use the county jail for all arrests. The sheriff's office serves areas outside city limits.
Booking Information from Nearby Counties
People sometimes get arrested in counties next to Arapahoe County. Adams County borders Arapahoe County to the north. Denver County is to the west. Douglas County sits south of Arapahoe County. Elbert County is to the east. Each county runs its own jail and keeps separate booking records. If you do not find someone in Arapahoe County records, try searching these nearby counties.
Note: Booking records only appear in the county where the arrest took place, so check the right county based on where the person was when they got arrested.