Colorado Missing Children

A missing child in Colorado is reported to the local police or county sheriff, and the Colorado Bureau of Investigation runs the state's missing persons clearinghouse and its AMBER Alert plan. Colorado added a Missing Indigenous Person Alert in 2022, among the first states to do so, run through the same CBI system. The state also requires every law enforcement agency to accept a missing person report without delay and to enter it into the national database within two hours for a child.

Colorado's Child Abduction Response Team program trains regional teams that deploy in the first hours of an abduction.

Official sources on this page were checked on September 25, 2026.

• Colorado Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenMissing Children Listing
• Colorado Bureau of Investigation Missing Persons Children and AdultsMissing Children Information
• Colorado Missing Persons ClearinghouseAssistance for Missing Child Cases
• Colorado Missing Children AlertsColorado Alerts
• Colorado Amber Alert SystemColorado Amber Alert Plan
• What To Do If Your Child Is MissingMissing Children Assistance
• Family Advocacy ServicesAssistance for Families
• Report a Sighting of a Missing ChildReport Sightings
• Colorado Missing Children Statistics

Colorado's AMBER Alert is activated by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation at the request of the investigating agency when a child under 18 has been abducted, is in danger of serious harm or death, and there is enough information about the child, the suspect or a vehicle to broadcast. CBI sends the alert to broadcasters, the wireless emergency alert system, Colorado Department of Transportation message signs, the lottery network and social media, and the Colorado Broadcasters Association carries it on air.

• Colorado Bureau of Investigation AMBER AlertColorado's AMBER Alert plan and active alerts, checked September 25, 2026
• National Center for Missing and Exploited ChildrenNational case posters, the CyberTipline and the 1-800-THE-LOST hotline, checked September 25, 2026
• AMBER Alert national programFederal AMBER Alert coordination, checked September 25, 2026

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation's missing persons clearinghouse maintains the statewide list of missing children and adults with photos, coordinates with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on child cases and with NamUs, and posts active alerts online. The first call goes to the local police or the county sheriff. Ask for the case number and make sure the child has been entered into the Colorado Crime Information Center and the National Crime Information Center, and then call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST. Denver Police and the larger sheriff's offices run their own missing persons units.

• CBI Missing PersonsStatewide clearinghouse listings and alert programs
• Colorado Police DepartmentsCity police departments that take missing child reports
• Colorado County Sheriff DirectorySheriff offices for all 64 counties
• Colorado Most WantedFugitives and outstanding warrants

Colorado's Missing Indigenous Person Alert, in effect since 2022, is issued by CBI for a missing Indigenous person of any age when circumstances suggest danger, and the state's Office of Liaison for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives assists families. Senior Alerts cover missing seniors and adults with cognitive impairment, Medina Alerts cover fatal hit and run suspects and Blue Alerts cover suspects who have harmed an officer. Case files stay with the investigating agency and can be withheld while the investigation is active under the Criminal Justice Records Act, while the clearinghouse listing is public.

• NamUsNational database of missing and unidentified persons, checked September 25, 2026
• Colorado Criminal RecordsCriminal history and court records in Colorado

These federal and national sources complement Colorado's state-level records. They are the authoritative sources you should cross-check when Colorado state records are incomplete or out-of-state activity matters.

NCMEC, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children Congressionally authorized national clearinghouse for missing children. NCMEC operates the 24-hour hotline 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) and the CyberTipline for exploitation reports.

AMBER Alert, U.S. Department of Justice The federally coordinated AMBER Alert network. Each state operates its own plan under DOJ AMBER Alert Program guidance.

NISMART, National Incidence Study OJJDP's periodic survey of missing-child incidence in the United States, the authoritative federal statistical source.