Guide
Colorado Inmate Search at a Glance
Colorado prison inmates are held by the Colorado Department of Corrections in facilities such as the Colorado State Penitentiary and Fremont Correctional Facility in the Canon City area, Sterling, Buena Vista, Limon, Arkansas Valley, the Denver Women's Correctional Facility and contract private prisons at Bent County and Crowley County. People awaiting trial or serving up to two years on a misdemeanor sit in county jails, and Denver, a consolidated city and county, runs its own jails through the Denver Sheriff Department.
The Department's Offender Search is the state prison lookup; it runs on the DOC number or the name and includes people on parole.
Official sources on this page were checked on September 25, 2026.
Guide
Colorado state prison inmate search
| State prison inmates | Yes, DOC Offender Search |
|---|---|
| County jail inmates | No, sheriff rosters by county |
| Parole and probation | Parole yes, probation no |
| Released inmates | No |
| Photographs | No |
| Release dates | Yes, parole eligibility and mandatory release |
| Best search key | DOC number |
The Colorado DOC Offender Search returns the DOC number, name, age, current facility or parole region, the estimated parole eligibility date, the mandatory release date and the next parole hearing month. It does not list the offenses, which come from the court file. Both prisoners and parolees appear, so a result with a parole region rather than a facility means the person has been released to supervision.
Guide
County jails and local custody in Colorado
The Denver Sheriff Department posts an inmate lookup for the Downtown Detention Center and the County Jail on Smith Road. The El Paso County jail in Colorado Springs, the Arapahoe County jail in Centennial, the Jefferson County jail in Golden, the Adams County jail in Brighton, the Weld County jail in Greeley and the Larimer County jail in Fort Collins all publish rosters with booking dates, charges and bond. Aurora and Lakewood police book into the county jails of the arrest.
Guide
What Colorado inmate records show, and what stays private
The Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act, C.R.S. section 24-72-301 and following, governs these records rather than the general open records act. Records of official action, meaning arrest, charges, sentence, custody and release, are public. The DOC posts no photographs in its search. Colorado law forbids agencies from posting booking photos online for most offenses unless the person is convicted or the agency has a specific reason. Medical, mental health, investigative and disciplinary records stay closed. Name based criminal history checks are sold by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation to anyone for a fee.
Guide
Parole, probation and release in Colorado
The Colorado State Board of Parole holds application hearings when the parole eligibility date arrives and revocation hearings for parolees, and the DOC Division of Adult Parole supervises releases from regional offices. Probation is run by the state judicial branch, so a probationer appears in court records and not in the DOC search. The judgment and sentence sit with the district court of the county of conviction.
Guide
When the search shows nothing
If the Colorado offender search returns nothing, check the Denver Sheriff Department's inmate lookup for a Denver arrest or the county jail roster for El Paso, Arapahoe, Jefferson or Adams county. A probationer is in district court records under the state judicial branch. Check the federal Bureau of Prisons locator for a federal case, including the federal prison complex in Florence, and VINELink for a recent release.
Straight answers
Colorado Inmate Search, questions
What is a Colorado DOC number?
It is the identifier the Colorado Department of Corrections assigns at intake and keeps for parole. Searching by DOC number avoids the duplicate names a statewide name search produces.
Does the Colorado offender search include parolees?
Yes. People on parole appear with their parole region instead of a facility, which is the quickest way to confirm a release.
Where is someone arrested in Denver held?
In a Denver Sheriff Department facility, either the Downtown Detention Center or the County Jail. Denver is its own county, so the Denver Sheriff's inmate lookup is the record.
Why are there no booking photos on Colorado rosters?
A Colorado law restricts posting booking photos online in most cases before a conviction. Some sheriffs still release a photo on request when the law allows it.