Find Centennial Civil Court Records

Centennial civil court records are filed and stored at the Arapahoe County Justice Center. Centennial sits entirely within Arapahoe County in the 18th Judicial District. The city does not operate its own municipal court, which means all court matters for Centennial residents go through the county system. Whether you need to search for an existing civil case, get copies of filed documents, or start a new lawsuit, the Arapahoe County courthouse is where you go. This page covers how to access civil court records connected to Centennial, Colorado.

Arapahoe County Justice Center and Centennial

The Arapahoe County Justice Center is actually located within Centennial city limits. The address is 7325 S. Potomac St, Centennial, CO 80112. The main phone number is 303-649-6355. This building serves as the courthouse for the entire 18th Judicial District, which covers Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert, and Lincoln counties. For Centennial residents, though, the focus is on Arapahoe County cases. The courthouse is easy to reach from most Centennial neighborhoods since it sits right in the middle of the city near the intersection of Arapahoe Road and Potomac Street.

District court at this location handles civil cases with no limit on the dollar amount. Large contract disputes, real estate claims, and personal injury suits all go through Centennial's district court. County court hears smaller civil matters up to $25,000. Small claims court takes cases up to $7,500 and is designed for people who want to resolve a dispute without hiring a lawyer. The Clerk of Court manages all civil case files and helps people access records at the Arapahoe County Justice Center.

Centennial is one of the few cities in Colorado with more than 100,000 people that does not have its own municipal court. All traffic, code, and other matters that would normally go through a city court instead go through the Arapahoe County court system. This simplifies things for Centennial residents since every type of court record is kept in one place.

Searching for Civil Records in Centennial

The CoCourts online portal lets you search for Centennial civil court records from home. Enter a name and the system checks all Colorado courts at once. A statewide search is $10. A search without Denver is $5. Results come back with the Register of Actions, which lists every filing, motion, and hearing in a civil case. You get the case number, case type, filing date, and current status. CoCourts pulls live data from the state court database, so recent Centennial filings show up right away. The tool does not give you copies of the actual documents. For those, you contact the Arapahoe County clerk.

The Arapahoe County docket search is a free option on the Judicial Branch website. It shows scheduled hearings for civil cases in the county. You can check when a Centennial case is set for trial or review, and see what motions are pending. This tool is limited to upcoming hearings, so it will not give you the full case history. But for a quick check on a hearing date, it works well and costs nothing.

For a deeper look at Centennial civil court records, visit the clerk's office in person at the Justice Center. The clerk can pull any case file by case number. A name search costs $5 if you do not have the case number. Viewing the file on site is free. You only pay if you want copies.

Centennial Court Records Access Guide

The access guide to public records on the Colorado Judicial Branch site explains your rights when requesting civil court documents from Centennial or any Colorado courthouse.

The guide covers what records are public, how to make a request, and what fees to expect. It references the Colorado Open Records Act and Chief Justice Directive 05-01, both of which control how courts handle record access. Under C.R.S. 24-72-200.1, the Arapahoe County clerk must respond to your records request within three business days. Most Centennial civil court files are fully open to the public. Only sealed cases or records with protected personal data are restricted.

Centennial Civil Court Filing Fees

Filing fees for civil cases at the Arapahoe County Justice Center follow the state fee schedule. District court costs $235 for the plaintiff to file and $192 for the defendant to answer. County court fees depend on the claim:

• Claim under $1,000: $85 filing fee
• Claim $1,000 to $14,999: $105
• Claim $15,000 to $25,000: $135
• Small claims under $500: $31
• Small claims $500 to $7,500: $55

The JDF 1 fee schedule covers every fee the court charges. Copy costs are $0.25 per page for standard copies. Certified copies are $20 each. A name search costs $5. Centennial residents can pay court costs in person at the Justice Center or use the Colorado Judicial Online Payment portal for active cases. Fee waivers are available to people who can prove they cannot afford the filing fee. Pick up the waiver form at the clerk's office in the Justice Center.

Note: Party copy costs are capped at $15 for your own Centennial civil case file under state rules.

Requesting Copies of Centennial Court Documents

There are three main ways to get copies of civil records from Centennial cases. You can go to the Arapahoe County Justice Center and request them at the clerk's counter. Bring the case number if you have it. The clerk will pull the file and make copies while you wait. Cash, check, and money order are accepted for payment. Second, you can mail a request to the Arapahoe County Clerk of Court at 7325 S. Potomac St, Centennial, CO 80112. Include your contact info, the case number, and a description of the documents you need.

Third, use the online records request form through the Colorado Judicial Branch. This is often the fastest remote option. The clerk will reply within three business days with the total cost and instructions for payment. Chief Justice Directive 05-01 governs which records you can get and which are sealed or restricted. Most civil case records from Centennial are available to the public without a court order. The directive protects sensitive personal data like Social Security numbers, but the rest of the file is open.

Nearby Cities with Civil Court Pages

Centennial is surrounded by several other cities in the south Denver metro area. Some share the Arapahoe County courthouse, while others fall in different judicial districts. Each city below has its own page with local civil court record details.