Courts in Colorado run as one statewide system rather than 64 separate county operations. The Colorado Supreme Court sits at the top. The State Court Administrator's Office handles budgets, staffing and technology, and 22 judicial districts carry the daily caseload. Whether you are paying a speeding ticket in Eads or asking for a protection order in Boulder, the forms, fees and judges trace back to that same structure. Municipal courts are the main exception, because cities and towns run those themselves.

Our database lists 296 court offices across 164 Colorado cities. This page explains what those offices actually do, how they differ between the Denver metro area and the rural counties, and how to get a matter handled without wasted trips.

How the Colorado Judicial Branch Is Organized

The state constitution and state statutes create the court system, and the state pays for most of it. The Supreme Court has seven justices and oversees every other court, including attorney regulation. Below it, the Court of Appeals reviews decisions from district courts and many state agencies. Trial work happens in district and county courts, which are grouped into judicial districts. Each district covers one county or several. Boulder County is the 20th Judicial District on its own, El Paso and Teller counties together form the 4th, and Jefferson and Gilpin counties form the 1st. Denver is the 2nd.

State judges are chosen through merit selection. A nominating commission screens applicants, the governor appoints one of the finalists, and voters later decide in a retention election whether the judge stays. Municipal judges are different. City councils or town boards appoint them, which is why a small-town municipal courtroom can feel quite different from a state courtroom. Denver is also unusual. Its county court is funded by the city, and the mayor appoints its judges.

Which Colorado Court Handles Your Matter

Picking the wrong court costs time, so start with the type of case. In general the split looks like this:

The same ticket can land in different places. A speeding stop on a city street may go to municipal court, while the same speed on a state highway usually goes to the county court. The citation names the court, its address and a date, so read it before you start searching.

Metro Front Range Courts Versus Rural and Mountain Colorado

Along the Front Range the courthouses are large and busy. Denver, Boulder, Littleton, Aurora and Brighton each have several court listings. Many sit in justice centers with security screening, multiple courtrooms and separate clerk windows for different case types. Englewood County Court at 7325 South Potomac Street and Bow Mar Municipal Court on West Littleton Boulevard show how one metro area mixes state and municipal courts within a few miles. In Boulder County, Adams County and Arapahoe County, confirm which building handles your case before you leave home. Those three counties alone account for a large share of our listings.

Rural Colorado works differently. Conejos District Court sits on County Road 13 in Antonito. Del Norte District Court at 925 6th Street and Alamosa District Court serve the San Luis Valley. Burlington District Court at 251 16th Street handles cases from the eastern plains, while Eads Municipal Court at 110 West 13th Street deals with local ordinance cases for a very small town. Distances are long, winter roads close, and some offices keep limited counter hours. Call before you drive.

Mountain resort counties add another pattern. Aspen District Court at 506 East Main Street, Eagle Municipal Court at 200 Broadway Street and the many listings in Garfield, Eagle and Grand counties serve year-round residents, seasonal workers and visitors. A visitor cited in a ski town still answers to that local court. Rescheduling from out of state usually means a phone call or written request to the clerk, so keep the citation handy. In the Pikes Peak region, El Paso County has its own cluster of courts and is a useful comparison if you are moving between metro areas.

Using a Colorado Court Office: What to Bring and When to Go

Court clerks can explain procedure, accept filings and tell you what a form requires. They cannot give legal advice. Ask what a document does rather than what you should do.

Arrive early. Security lines at large courthouses can be slow on weekday mornings, and parking near a justice center fills fast. Bring your case number or citation, photo ID, original documents plus copies, and the hearing notice with your courtroom and date. Ask ahead whether the clerk takes cards, checks or money orders. Courthouses close on state holidays, so check the calendar in any deadline week.

Some filings carry Colorado-specific rules. Small claims cases go to county court and are capped at $7,500, and lawyers do not represent parties in small claims court. A divorce, called dissolution of marriage, is filed in district court, and the court cannot finalize it until at least 91 days after filing and service. Most documents can be filed online through Colorado Courts E-Filing, which is required for attorneys and optional for many people representing themselves. The Colorado Judicial Branch website offers free court forms for common family, eviction and protection order matters, and many courthouses have self-help staff who can point you to the right packet.

If you receive a ticket, deal with it before the date printed on it. Missing a court date can lead to a warrant or additional penalties. Call the clerk listed on the citation, for example Fort Collins Municipal Court at 970-221-6800 or Durango Municipal Court at 970-375-5000. Ask about your options: paying, requesting a hearing, or asking for a new date.

Courts in Colorado operate under a unified state judicial system that handles everything from traffic infractions and small claims disputes to major felony trials and civil litigation. The Colorado Supreme Court serves as the highest state court with authority over all state court matters.

Courts locations are available in 164 cities across Colorado. They are spread across 59 counties.

Cities with the highest concentration include Denver, Boulder, Salida, reflecting areas where county seats and urban centers house multiple court divisions to handle high caseloads.

Residents of Colorado should know which court has jurisdiction over their matter — whether it is a municipal, district, circuit, or superior court — before filing documents or appearing for a hearing.

Courts by Counties

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Residents of Colorado who need to access court services should identify the correct court for their matter, check the court's website for filing fees, forms, and procedures, and consider using the court's self-help resources if they are not represented by an attorney.

Browse Courts by county across Colorado to find the nearest location.

Finding the Right Courthouse in Colorado's 64 Counties

A county count only tells you so much about where to go. Listings tend to follow population, and in the mountain valleys they also follow towns that each run their own municipal court. Garfield County and Eagle County each have around ten listings, a mix of state courts and town courts such as Eagle Municipal Court at 200 Broadway Street.

Smaller places pack a lot into one address. Gilpin County Court in Black Hawk sits at 2960 Dory Hill Road. Moffat County Court serves Craig at 221 West Victory Way, and Cortez District Court at 109 West Main Street covers Montezuma County. Fairplay Municipal Court at 400 Front Street handles ordinance cases in the Park County seat. Salida District Court at 142 Crestone Avenue serves Chaffee County, and Delta Municipal Court at 360 Main Street covers the city of Delta.

Before you go, confirm three things. First, check the building, because a county may have a justice center separate from an older courthouse. Second, check the clerk's hours, which can be shorter than the courtroom schedule. Third, check whether your hearing is in person or remote. Many Colorado courts allow remote appearances for some hearings, but only your notice or the clerk can say whether yours qualifies.

Colorado Court Questions Answered

Look at the citation first. It lists the court name, address and appearance date. A ticket from a city officer usually goes to that city's municipal court, such as Castle Rock Municipal Court on Perry Street or Durango Municipal Court on East 2nd Avenue. A ticket from a state trooper or sheriff's deputy typically goes to the county court for the county where the stop happened, like Adams County Court in Brighton or Fremont County Court near Cañon City. If you lost the paper, call the clerk of the likely court with your name and license number and ask them to look up the case.

District courts hear the most serious matters: felony prosecutions, divorce and child custody, probate, and civil claims above $25,000. County courts hear misdemeanors, traffic offenses, small claims, evictions and civil disputes up to $25,000. In smaller counties, district and county court staff often share one courthouse, so a single building may have two clerk counters. Denver is the exception, with its own city-funded county court plus separate probate and juvenile courts. When in doubt, ask the clerk which window handles your paperwork. Staff will point you to the right counter, but they will not choose a legal strategy for you.

Small claims court is a division of county court, and it handles money disputes up to $7,500. You generally file in the county where the defendant lives or where the dispute took place, but confirm the venue with that county's clerk before paying a filing fee. Lawyers do not appear for parties in small claims, so you present your own case. Bring evidence to the hearing: contracts, receipts, photos, text messages and any witnesses. The court sets a trial date after you file, and the defendant must be formally served, so allow several weeks before a hearing.

Colorado calls divorce dissolution of marriage, and it is filed in district court in the county where either spouse lives. At least one spouse must have lived in Colorado for 91 days before filing. After the petition is filed and served, or both spouses file jointly, the court must wait 91 days before it can finalize the decree. Boulder District Court on 6th Street and Alamosa District Court on East 4th Street are two examples of where such cases begin in those counties. Both spouses must exchange financial disclosures, so gather pay stubs, tax returns and account statements early.

Act right away, because a judge can issue a warrant when someone fails to appear. Call the clerk at the number on your paperwork. For a city ordinance case, that means the municipal court, for instance Fairplay Municipal Court at 719-836-2622. For a state matter, it means the county or district court, such as Moffat County Court at 970-824-8254. Ask whether a warrant was issued, what is needed to reset the case, and whether you must appear in person. Do not wait for a letter. If the charge is criminal, talk to a lawyer before you walk into the courtroom.

Most court records are public. Case information for many county and district cases can be searched through the Colorado Judicial Branch's online tools, and clerks provide copies at the counter, usually for a per-page fee. Some records are restricted or sealed, including adoptions, many juvenile files and mental health cases. Municipal court records are kept by the individual city or town, so ask that municipal clerk, such as Delta Municipal Court at 360 Main Street. Bring the case number and photo ID, and ask how long copying takes. Certified copies cost more than plain copies, so say which one you need.