Search Arrest, Mugshot & Inmate Records by Name
Search by name and state for arrest, booking, mugshot, inmate, jail roster, prison, criminal and court-record search categories.
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Colorado custody lookup guide
Find a Colorado Jail Inmate Without Searching the Wrong System
A Colorado jail inmate search starts with one question: who currently has custody of the person? Someone arrested today is usually searched through a county sheriff or local detention system, while a person serving a Colorado state-prison sentence is searched through the Colorado Department of Corrections. Federal and immigration custody use separate federal databases.
Official lookup links and procedures reviewed October 27, 2026. Custody, bond, court and release information can change quickly, so use the linked agency for the final live check.
Which Colorado Inmate Search Should You Use?
Colorado does not use one public county-jail database for every local inmate. Local jails are operated separately, so a search of the state prison system will not normally answer whether someone was booked into a county jail a few hours ago.
If you are new to local custody searches, our county jail inmate search guide explains how booking numbers, rosters, current-custody records and release information generally fit together.
How to Search a Colorado County Jail
- Identify the arrest or booking county. Use the city of arrest, arresting agency, police report or court information to determine which county jail is most likely to have received the person.
- Open the sheriff or detention agency’s own inmate search. Avoid paying a third-party site merely to reach information the county already provides publicly.
- Search the legal name. Start with the last name. Add the first name, date of birth or booking number if the county tool allows it.
- Verify the person before relying on the record. Compare the date of birth, age, middle name, booking number and other identifying details shown by the agency.
- Write down the booking or inmate number. It is often needed for deposits, mail, visitation, bond questions and communications with jail staff.
- Review each charge, case, bond and hold separately. A person can have more than one case or agency hold. Paying one bond does not necessarily mean the person can immediately leave custody.
- Use the jail’s service pages for the next action. Once the person is confirmed, open the county’s official bond, visitation, mail, phone or inmate-account instructions.
Search tip: If an exact full-name search fails, try the surname by itself or a shorter spelling when the county tool supports partial-name searching. Do not assume that a missing result proves the person has been released.
Colorado County Jail Inmate Lookup Links
The table below covers the Colorado jail systems most frequently searched by residents. For a county not listed here, use the County Sheriffs of Colorado county directory to find the correct sheriff or detention agency.
| Area | Official lookup | Useful search detail |
|---|---|---|
| Denver | Denver Sheriff Inmate Search ↗ | Use for people held in the Denver Sheriff Department jail system. For custody help, Denver Sheriff’s published inmate-information number is 720-913-3600. |
| El Paso County / Colorado Springs | El Paso County Inmate Search ↗ | The Sheriff warns not to take official action from the online data without confirmation and publishes the booking desk at 719-390-2151. The jail is at 2739 E. Las Vegas St., Colorado Springs. |
| Jefferson County / Golden / Lakewood | Jefferson County Inmate Lookup ↗ | Current-custody tool. Jefferson County says information is refreshed about every 15 minutes and former-inmate information should be requested through Records. |
| Arapahoe County / Centennial | Arapahoe Charges & Bonds Search ↗ | Accepts inmate-name searches and can use partial names. The county’s Automated Information Center is 720-874-3500. |
| Adams County / Brighton | Adams County Inmate Search ↗ | Adams County Government links directly to this Sheriff search. The detention facility is in Brighton. |
| Larimer County / Fort Collins / Loveland | Larimer County Inmate Search ↗ | The official search asks for at least two letters of the last name and can display arrest, charge and upcoming-court information. |
| Boulder County | Boulder Jail Listings ↗ | Boulder provides current-inmate and daily booking information. Booking/bond questions can be directed to 303-441-4650. |
| Weld County / Greeley | Weld County Jail Reports ↗ | Weld publishes searchable current-jail, arrest, release and pending-release reports and says the jail data refreshes hourly. |
| Pueblo County | Pueblo Jail Web Services ↗ | Use the Sheriff’s inmate lookup for current Pueblo County Detention Center custody. See our Pueblo County jail search guide for the local process. |
| Douglas County / Castle Rock | Douglas County Inmate Inquiry ↗ | The Sheriff’s resources page links to its current-inmate inquiry. Jail information: 303-660-7550. |
| Mesa County / Grand Junction | Mesa County Inmate Locator ↗ | The Sheriff’s locator supports searches by last name, date of birth or booking number. |
For a detailed example of a Colorado county system, see our Larimer County jail inmate search guide. County procedures differ, so use statewide guidance to find the correct agency and then follow that facility’s rules.
Colorado DOC Inmate Search for State Prison Custody
The Colorado Department of Corrections Offender Search is the correct tool when the person is in the state correctional system rather than a local county jail.
How to use the CDOC Offender Search
- Open the official Colorado Department of Corrections Offender Search.
- Enter one or more available search fields. The current form provides DOC number, last name, first name and gender.
- If you know the DOC number, try it first because it identifies a specific correctional record more precisely than a common name.
- Complete the verification prompt shown by the search system.
- Open the matching result and confirm that the identifying information belongs to the person you are looking for.
- Use the listed correctional information to determine the appropriate facility or CDOC contact before arranging mail, visitation, money or other services.
If you cannot determine which CDOC office can answer a question, the Department’s Constituent Services Office lists 719-226-4569 and asks callers or emailers to provide the inmate’s name and DOC number or date of birth when applicable.
What to Do if the Person Does Not Appear
| Possible reason | What to do next |
|---|---|
| Booking is still being processed | Wait for intake to be completed and search the county system again. For an urgent same-day question, call the jail’s published booking or inmate-information line. |
| Name does not match the booking record | Try the legal surname alone, a shorter partial spelling where allowed, or another known surname. Verify date of birth before choosing a similar name. |
| Wrong county | Check the arresting police agency and the location of arrest. Cities near county boundaries may send detainees to a different jail than expected. |
| Already released | Look for a release report or recent-booking archive if the county provides one. Otherwise request the booking record from the sheriff’s records unit. |
| Transferred to state prison | Search the Colorado Department of Corrections Offender Search. |
| Federal custody | Search the Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator. A federal pretrial detainee can also be housed under contract in a local facility, so contact the responsible federal agency when location remains unclear. |
| ICE custody | Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator with an A-Number and country of birth, or exact biographical information. |
| Juvenile or protected information | Public display rules differ. Some county systems restrict juvenile records; Jefferson County, for example, states that inmates under 18 are not searchable in its public lookup. |
How to Read a Colorado Jail Roster Result
Fields vary by county, but the information below is commonly useful after you find the correct record.
- Booking or inmate number: save this first; many jail services use it to identify the correct person.
- Booking date: helps distinguish a current arrest from an older record.
- Arresting agency: identifies the police, sheriff, state or other agency connected to the booking.
- Charge: describes the allegation attached to that booking. A listed charge is not proof of conviction.
- Case or docket number: use this when moving from the jail record to court information.
- Bond type and amount: read every entry. More than one case or hold may affect release.
- Court date or location: some county systems display this, while others require a separate court docket search.
- Housing or facility: confirms which jail or detention location currently holds the person when published.
Do not use a county jail roster as a substitute for the final criminal-court record. Charges may be amended, dismissed or resolved differently after the booking.
How to Check Court Dates, Bond and Release Information
Colorado court dates
For state-court docket information, use the Colorado Judicial Branch Docket Search. The current tool allows searches using location, court type, date, case information, party name or attorney information and requires at least one filter in addition to the date.
- Copy the case or docket number from the jail record when available.
- Open the Colorado Judicial Branch Docket Search.
- Select the county or judicial location associated with the case.
- Enter the person’s name or case information and the required date filter.
- Verify the courtroom, hearing date and case number against the jail record.
Bond
Start with the current inmate record because the displayed charge and bond situation can change after court. Before sending money, confirm:
- the correct inmate and booking number;
- every active case or hold;
- the current bond amount and bond type;
- the county’s accepted payment method;
- whether payment is made to the jail, court or an authorized service;
- whether another hold could prevent release.
Never send bond money because of an unsolicited call, text or social-media message claiming that immediate payment is required. Larimer and Jefferson County sheriff offices have specifically published warnings about scams targeting families of people in custody. Verify payment instructions through the agency’s own website or published phone number.
Release
An online record can change after a court order, transfer or release decision. A posted bond does not guarantee an instant release because jail staff may still need to process the order and verify other holds or cases. For time-sensitive pickup or travel plans, confirm the status with the holding facility.
Visitation, Money, Mail and Phone Calls
Colorado county jails do not share one statewide visitation, commissary, mail or telephone system. After you find the inmate, use the holding jail’s own service instructions rather than assuming another Colorado county uses the same vendor or rules.
If the inmate is in a CDOC prison rather than a county jail, switch to the Department of Corrections facility and visitation instructions because county rules no longer apply.
Get Colorado Custody-Status Notifications
Colorado VINE, supported by County Sheriffs of Colorado in partnership with Colorado sheriff offices, allows users to search participating custody information and register for automated notifications. Notifications can include changes such as release, transfer, escape, death or certain court events when available.
- Open Colorado VINE or the VINE service linked from the sheriff’s website.
- Search for the correct person or case.
- Verify the identity before registering.
- Select the available phone, text, email or app notification method.
- Keep your own safety plan and important agency numbers available; do not rely on an automated alert as your only source in an emergency.
VINE is useful for future custody changes, while the county’s live inmate search remains the better starting point for confirming a current booking.
Federal Prison and ICE Inmate Lookup in Colorado
Federal Bureau of Prisons
The BOP Inmate Locator searches federal inmate records from 1982 to the present. You can search by a federal identification number or by name. Name searches can also be narrowed by age, race and sex.
A BOP record marked released or not in BOP custody does not necessarily mean the person is free from every form of supervision or custody; another agency may be responsible.
ICE detention
The ICE Online Detainee Locator System is separate from Colorado county and state inmate databases. ICE currently provides two principal search routes:
- A-Number search: enter the nine-digit A-Number and country of birth. If the A-Number has fewer than nine digits, ICE instructs users to add leading zeros.
- Biographical search: enter the person’s exact first and last names and country of birth, with date-of-birth information where available.
The ICE public locator does not search records of people under 18.
Older Booking Records, Mugshots and Arrest Reports
A current jail search is designed primarily to answer who is in custody now. If the person was released days, months or years ago, the live roster may no longer show the record.
For older information, check whether the county publishes recent-booking or release reports and then use the sheriff’s records unit when a formal or historical record is needed. Availability of booking photos also differs by agency. For example, Boulder County directs users seeking older booking records or additional materials such as booking photographs to its Records Division.
When you need the outcome of the criminal case—not merely the fact that someone was booked—use the relevant court record rather than treating an arrest or jail record as the final disposition.
Best Search Order for a Colorado Inmate
- Recent arrest → search the county jail where the arrest was booked.
- No county result → verify spelling, booking county and arresting agency.
- Sentenced/transferred → search CDOC.
- Need a hearing → search the Colorado Judicial Branch docket.
- Federal case → search BOP.
- Immigration custody → search ICE.
- Need future release/transfer alerts → register with Colorado VINE when applicable.
- Need an old booking or mugshot → contact the sheriff’s records unit.
Colorado Jail Inmate Search FAQs
1. Is there one statewide search for every Colorado county jail?
No. Colorado county jails use separate sheriff or detention-agency systems. Use the county where the person was booked. The Colorado Department of Corrections search is for the state correctional system, not a combined list of every county jail booking.
2. How do I find someone who was arrested today in Colorado?
Identify the arrest location and arresting agency, determine the likely booking county, then search that county sheriff’s current-inmate tool. If the arrest was very recent, intake may still be processing, so search again or call the jail’s booking desk.
3. What is the difference between a Colorado county jail search and the CDOC search?
County jail searches are generally used for recent arrests, pretrial detention and local jail custody. The CDOC Offender Search is used for people in the Colorado state correctional system after transfer to state custody.
4. Why can’t I find someone after a recent Colorado arrest?
The booking may not be complete, the name may be entered differently, you may be searching the wrong county, or the person may have been released or transferred. Verify the arresting agency, try a simpler name search and contact the jail when the status is urgent.
5. Can I search for a Colorado inmate with only a name?
Often yes. Search options differ by agency. Larimer County accepts a last-name search, Arapahoe allows partial-name searches, and CDOC provides first-name and last-name fields. A booking, inmate or DOC number is more precise when you already know it.
6. Does a Colorado inmate lookup show charges and bond?
Many county systems display charges and available bond information, but fields vary. Always verify the current amount, bond type, additional cases and holds with the jail or court before paying money or making release plans.
7. How can I find a Colorado inmate’s court date?
Check the county inmate record first because some jail systems display upcoming court information. If you need the court docket, use the Colorado Judicial Branch Docket Search with the county, date and available party or case information.
8. Can I receive an alert when a Colorado jail inmate is released?
Colorado VINE provides custody-notification services associated with participating county-jail systems and allows registration for available release, transfer and other custody-status alerts. Use the correct county or VINE record for the person.
9. How do I find a federal inmate in Colorado?
Use the Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator rather than a Colorado county or CDOC search. The BOP system supports searches by federal identification number or by name and covers federal inmate records from 1982 to the present.
10. How do I locate someone in ICE custody in Colorado?
Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator System. Search with the person’s nine-digit A-Number and country of birth, or use exact biographical information. ICE’s public locator does not search people under age 18.
Use the Live Agency Record for the Final Check
For most users, the quickest path is simple: find the booking county, open that agency’s inmate search, verify the person, save the booking number, and then use the jail’s own service pages for bond, visitation, money, mail or calls. Move to CDOC only when state-prison custody is the appropriate system.
Because jail status can change after a court hearing, bond payment, transfer or release order, make the final confirmation with the responsible sheriff, detention facility, CDOC, court or federal agency before traveling, sending money or making a time-sensitive decision.