Find El Paso County Civil Records

El Paso County civil court records are maintained at the El Paso County Combined Courts in Colorado Springs. The courthouse is at 270 S. Tejon Street. El Paso County is the 4th Judicial District. This district has the highest volume of civil cases in the state after the Denver metro area. District court handles civil cases with no dollar limit. County court takes claims up to $25,000. Small claims go up to $7,500. The El Paso County Clerk of Court keeps all civil case files for the county. You can search these records online through commercial vendors or request documents from the courthouse. El Paso County also has a Self-Help Center in Room S116 that assists people filing civil cases without a lawyer. This page covers how to find and get copies of civil court records from El Paso County.

El Paso County Courthouse

The El Paso County Combined Courts are at 270 S. Tejon Street in Colorado Springs. This is the main courthouse for El Paso County. All civil court records for the county are kept here. The phone number is 719-452-5000. You can call during business hours to ask about case files or set a time to visit and review civil court records in person. The El Paso County court page on the Colorado Judicial Branch website lists the courthouse address, hours, and contact info. It also has links to state court forms and resources for people filing civil cases in El Paso County.

El Paso County is the 4th Judicial District. This district has one of the highest case volumes in Colorado. The Clerk of Court in El Paso County maintains all civil case files for district court, county court, and small claims. District court has no dollar cap. County court takes claims up to $25,000. Small claims handle disputes up to $7,500. The clerk can search records by name or case number and make copies for anyone who asks. The El Paso County courthouse also has a Self-Help Center in Room S116. This center helps people who are representing themselves in civil cases. Staff can answer questions about forms, filing, and court procedures in El Paso County.

Search El Paso Civil Records Online

You can search El Paso County civil court records online through CoCourts, a third-party vendor that pulls case data from the Colorado state court system. A statewide search costs $10. State courts without Denver cost $5. CoCourts shows the Register of Actions for each civil case. This lists all filings, motions, and court orders in the case. It does not give you copies of the actual documents. For document copies, use the online records request form from the Colorado Judicial Branch or contact the El Paso County Clerk of Court.

The Colorado Judicial Branch runs a free docket search portal on its website. You can search by case number or party name to see scheduled hearings and recent filings in El Paso County civil cases. The docket tool does not show the full case file. It helps you track an open case. For detailed records, use CoCourts to find the case number, then request documents from the clerk. You can pay court fees online through the state payment portal for civil cases filed in El Paso County.

Filing Civil Cases in El Paso County

Civil cases in El Paso County are filed at the Combined Courts in Colorado Springs. The court you file in depends on the claim amount. District court handles claims with no dollar cap. A plaintiff pays $235 to file. The defendant pays $192 to answer. County court takes claims up to $25,000. A claim under $1,000 costs $85 to file. Claims from $1,000 to $14,999 cost $105. Claims from $15,000 to $25,000 cost $135. Small claims are for disputes up to $7,500. The filing fee is $31 for claims under $500 and $55 for claims from $500 to $7,500. These fees are set by state law in JDF 1 from the Colorado Judicial Branch.

You can file in person at the courthouse or by mail. Some attorneys use electronic filing. Pro se litigants usually file on paper. The clerk can give you the forms you need. You can also download forms from the Colorado Judicial Branch website. The Self-Help Center in Room S116 can assist you with filling out forms and understanding court procedures if you are representing yourself in a civil case. Once your civil case is filed in El Paso County, the file becomes a public record. Anyone can request access to it under the Colorado Open Records Act.

Note: Fee waivers may be available if you cannot afford the filing cost, so visit the Self-Help Center in Room S116 or ask the clerk about a waiver form before you file your civil case in El Paso County.

Copy Costs and Certified Documents

Plain copies of civil court records cost $0.25 per page in El Paso County. Certified copies cost $20 per document. A transcript of judgment is $25. A name search is $5. If you are a party to your own case, copy costs are capped at $15. These rates follow Chief Justice Directive 06-01 and apply to all Colorado courts. You can get copies in person at the courthouse in Colorado Springs. You can also request copies by phone at 719-452-5000 or through the state's online records request form.

Research and redaction fees run $30 per hour after the first free hour. This applies if the court needs to pull a large file or redact protected details like Social Security numbers. Most record requests are filled within three business days under C.R.S. § 24-72-200.1, the Colorado Open Records Act. If you need a rush, ask the clerk if expedited service is available for your civil court records request in El Paso County.

Public Access to El Paso Civil Records

El Paso County civil court records are public. You do not need to be part of the case to see the file. You do not need to give a reason. The Colorado Open Records Act requires courts to make records available within three business days of a request. Chief Justice Directive 05-01 controls which records are public, sealed, or restricted. Most civil case files are fully open. Some may be sealed by a judge's order. Others have protected details like Social Security numbers and bank account info blacked out. The rest of the file is open to anyone who asks in El Paso County.

To request civil court records, visit the courthouse at 270 S. Tejon Street in Colorado Springs or call 719-452-5000. You can also submit a request through the state's online form. The clerk will pull the file and let you review it or make copies. Sealed files require a court order to open. For most civil cases in El Paso County, the entire file is available to the public as soon as it is filed with the court. This includes the complaint, answer, motions, orders, and judgments.

Cities in El Paso County

El Paso County has one major city. Civil court records for residents of Colorado Springs are kept at the El Paso County Combined Courts at 270 S. Tejon Street.

Nearby Counties

El Paso County borders seven counties. Each has its own courthouse and keeps civil court records separately from El Paso County.