CORA & Info Requests

Submitting a Colorado Open Records Act to the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management within the Colorado Department of Public Safety

Welcome to the Colorado Department of Public Safety (CDPS) and the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Managment. This page contains information on how to submit a request for records pursuant to the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) Request or Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (CCJRA). While each division within CDPS processes CORA/CCJRA requests differently, this information provides general guidance on how to write and submit an effective request.

Additionally, you may be asked to sign a waiver of Pecuniary Gain, as C.R.S. 24-72-305.5 states that records of official action and criminal justice records, and the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and other information in such records shall not be used by any person for the purpose of soliciting business for “pecuniary gain.” The official custodian shall deny any person access to records of official action and criminal justice records unless such person signs a statement that affirms that such records shall not be used for the direct solicitation of business for pecuniary gain.

Please read this document carefully prior to submitting your request.

Successful Requests Are

Concise - They request specific information. Include any unique identifying information such as a specific team member’s name or a case number that may help the agency find the records of interest.
Tailored - Broader requests take more time to fulfill and may incur substantial fees. Try to narrow the terms of your search to a specific date range, geographic area, type of record or division component. Avoid phrases like “any and all” whenever possible.

Tips for Submitting a CORA/CCJRA Request

Request records directly from the appropriate government office or the custodian of the records. Other agencies may have different processes for open records requests, so contact the appropriate office ahead of time to review its process.
Search online to see if the records are already available. The records you seek may have been posted online, either by the agency itself or by another requester.
Provide basic information, including:
- Your name and mailing address.
- Your phone number or email address so that we can contact you if we need to clarify your request.
- A detailed list or description of the specific records that you are seeking, including search terms and a date range.
Be specific when you know what you are looking for, such as a specific document. Listing easily identifiable records will likely generate a timely response and limit the fees you may be charged.
The more specific you can be, the better, as this helps determine research and retrieval times and any subsequent fees. A broadly stated request that encompasses all or substantially all of a large category of records or an extended date range may lack sufficient specificity to allow the custodian to reasonably prepare or gather the records within the statutory three-day period. It may also significantly increase any associated costs.
Reliance on AI tools like Gemini/Chat GPT to write your request is not recommended. These tools often suggest broadly worded request language, which slows down request processing and may incur substantial fees.
Likewise, requests that ask the agency to use AI tools to facilitate searches frequently are not pertinent or even possible. Such requests are highly dependent on an agency’s particular search functionality, and software capabilities. Each state agency has its own process for searching for records, and what is possible at one agency may not be possible at another depending on what records they create, how they are stored, and their unique processes. For example, bulk searches are not possible for most CDPS records because they contain significant Personally Identifiable Information (PII) and other confidential information requiring manual review and redaction.

CORA and CCJRA

CORA is Colorado’s open records statute which generally provides the public with access to government records subject to various exceptions. §24-72-203, C.R.S. Criminal justice records are specifically excluded from the scope of CORA and are instead subject to public disclosure under the CCJRA §24-72-302, C.R.S.

There are several differences between the requirements of CCJRA and CORA. CCJRA does not impose CORA’s three-day deadline for response but instead requires a response within a reasonable time. The CCJRA also requires that the requester sign a statement affirming that the records will not be used for the direct solicitation of business for pecuniary gain. Section 24-72-305.5, C.R.S. Additionally, the substance of what may be obtained through CCJRA is narrower than CORA, and the applicable legal standard is less prescriptive and entrusts more discretion to the agency.

The CCJRA establishes two categories of records:
1. Records of official action. The CCJRA defines an official action as “an arrest; indictment; charging by information; disposition; pretrial or post trial release from custody; judicial determination of mental or physical condition; decision to grant, order, or terminate probation, parole, or participation in correctional or rehabilitative programs; and any decision to formally discipline, reclassify, or relocate any person under criminal sentence.” Section 24-72-302(7), C.R.S. The records of official action must be open for inspection.
2. Except for records of official actions, which must be available for inspection, all other criminal justice records may be open for inspection, subject to the discretion of the official custodian.

Whether your request is subject to CORA or CCJRA depends on whether the agency that maintains the requested records is a criminal justice agency.

How To Submit Your Request

Please note that CDPS and DHSEM do not maintain all records for the State of Colorado, and there is not one single repository for all records in the state. CDPS is the custodian of records only for divisions in this department including those listed below. To submit a CORA/CCJRA request to a specific division within CDPS, please see below:

Colorado Department of Safety (CDPS)- Email cdps_info@state.co.us and type your email request into the body of an email.
Colorado Bureau of Investigations (CBI) - Additional information can be found on CBI’s webpage and your request, including a signed pecuniary gain form, can be made by emailing CDPS_CBI_CORA@state.co.us.
Colorado State Patrol (CSP) - CSP is a CCJRA Agency. Additional information can be found on the Colorado State Patrol Records Requests webpage and your request for records can be made through the Central Records Request Portal.
Colorado School Safety Resource Center - Email CDPS_School_Safety_Center@state.co.us and type your email request into the body of an email.
Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) - View the DCJ webpage for instructions on submitting a request.
Division of Fire Prevention & Control (DFPC) - View the DFPC webpage for instructions on submitting a request. Complete the DFPC form to submit your request.
Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (DHSEM) - Complete the form in the link below.

CORA Request Form

Use the online CORA Request Form to complete your request.

If you are filing a CORA request, please submit the request in writing to Micki Trost at micki.trost@state.co.us. The preferred method is using the web form located both below and on the next tab. General requests for information can be submitted by using the Information Request webform. The public information and media phone line is 720-432-2433.

We will process it according to the Colorado statute and the Colorado Department of Public Safety CORA Policy.

Procedures

When feasible, the division should endeavor to provide electronic copies or files to requestors if such an alternative is significantly less burdensome to provide than paper records. When responsive records cannot be easily or cost-effectively provided electronically to a requestor, the department shall work with the requestor to schedule a time to inspect the records in person, allowing for business hours and staffing considerations. The Executive Director's Office or authorized custodians of records may grant exceptions where the department, requestors, or the records produced require special accommodations. At all times when records are inspected, a member of the department must be present to maintain custody and integrity of the records. No requestor shall be allowed to photograph, modify, mar or destroy any records that are provided for inspection.

Fees

Pursuant to Section 24-72-205 (6), C.R.S., the maximum hourly fee for the research and retrieval of public documents in response to a Colorado Open Records Act is $41.37 as of July 1, 2024 and as documented on the Colorado General Assembly website.

State law allows government agencies to charge a fee for the research and retrieval of public documents that shall not exceed this amount, although they shall not charge a fee for the first hour of time expended on each request. For questions about CDPS CORA policies, please contact the office of the Executive Director at cdps_info@state.co.us.

Additional Fee Information

Making hard copies of documents - $ 0.25 per page
Staff time - $ 41.37 per hour after the first hour

Costs associated with a request must be paid in full by the requestor before DHSEM or CDPS will begin work on fulfilling the records request. Requesters may pay any fee associated with the records request by check to DHSEM. The division shall not charge a per-page fee for providing records in a digital or electronic format.

The statutory timeframe the division has to complete the request will begin once the requestor submit payment for any required fees. If no fees are required, the statutory timeframe to complete the request will begin the first working day following receipt of the request. The division may also charge an hourly rate greater than $ 41.37 per hour when specialized document production or specialized skills are required to locate, compile, or produce records requested, including the use of third-party contractors.

No Personal Gain

C.R.S. 24-72-305.5 states records of official action and criminal justice records and the names, addresses, telephone numbers, and other information in such record shall not be used by any person for the purpose of soliciting business for “pecuniary gain.” The official custodian shall deny any person access to records of official action and criminal justice records unless such person signs a statement that affirms that such records shall not be used for the direct solicitation of business for pecuniary gain.

Format of Records Produced

The Colorado Open Records Act guarantees that "…all public records shall be open for inspection by any person at reasonable times, except as provided in this part 2 or as otherwise specifically provided by law" (§ 24-72-201, C.R.S). The CORA/CJRA Act does not guarantee access to public records in a specific format. When the production or review of records in a specific format would interfere with the regular discharge of duties of division employees (§ 24-72-203(l)(a), C.R.S.) or levy an undue burden upon the division, the Executive Director’s Office or division director shall determine the appropriate format for the records to be produced. Records maintained electronically may be produced electronically at the division's discretion.

The division may require that members of the public or media only be allowed to review copies of documents when the custodian of records determines that allowing access to originals could interfere with the regular discharge of duties of the division or its members, or that production of original records could jeopardize the condition of the records.