Access Garfield County Civil Records

Garfield County civil court records are kept at the Garfield County Combined Courts in Glenwood Springs. The courthouse is at 109 8th Street. Garfield County is part of the 9th Judicial District, which also covers Pitkin and Rio Blanco counties. The 9th District handles civil cases with no dollar cap in district court and claims up to $25,000 in county court. Small claims go up to $7,500. The Garfield County Clerk of Court keeps all civil case files. You can search these records online through commercial vendors or request documents from the courthouse. This page shows you how to find and get copies of civil court records from Garfield County.

Garfield County Courthouse

The Garfield County Combined Courts are at 109 8th Street in Glenwood Springs. This is the main courthouse for Garfield County. All civil court records for the county are kept here. The phone number is 970-945-8635. 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 Garfield 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 Garfield County.

Garfield County is part of the 9th Judicial District. This district covers Garfield, Pitkin, and Rio Blanco counties. Each county keeps its own civil case files at its own courthouse. The Clerk of Court in Garfield County maintains all civil records 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.

Online Access to Garfield Civil Records

You can search Garfield County civil court records online through CoCourts, a third-party vendor that pulls case data from the 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 Garfield 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 Garfield 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 Garfield County.

Note: Some civil court records may be sealed by a judge's order or have restricted details blacked out, so check with the clerk if you cannot find a specific case in Garfield County.

Filing Civil Cases in Garfield County

Civil cases in Garfield County are filed at the Combined Courts in Glenwood 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. Once your civil case is filed in Garfield County, the file becomes a public record. Anyone can request access to it under the Colorado Open Records Act. The 9th Judicial District covers three counties, but each county keeps its own case files at its own courthouse.

Copy Costs and Certified Documents

Plain copies of civil court records cost $0.25 per page in Garfield 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 Glenwood Springs. You can also request copies by phone at 970-945-8635 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 Garfield County.

Public Access to Garfield Civil Records

Garfield 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 Garfield County.

To request civil court records, visit the courthouse at 109 8th Street in Glenwood Springs or call 970-945-8635. 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 Garfield 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 Garfield County

Garfield County has no cities that meet the population threshold for dedicated pages on this site. The county seat is Glenwood Springs. Civil court records for all Garfield County residents are kept at the Combined Courts in Glenwood Springs.

Nearby Counties

Garfield County is in western Colorado. It borders six counties. Each has its own courthouse and keeps civil court records separately from Garfield County.