Colorado Open Records Act

The City and County of Denver is committed to making city government open, accountable and accessible to the public. The City’s approach to the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) is an important part of its pledge to transparency to build trust with our residents. These guidelines help City agencies and departments provide the public with efficient access to documents and records pursuant to the Colorado Revised Statutes, C.R.S. §24-72-205(6).

Making a Records Request

Requesters must submit a request to the agency that is the custodian of the record itself. The City does not maintain a central repository for public records or a single office that fulfills requests.

Please visit the City Directory online for a list of department webpages for each City agency to request and obtain records. You will find information on how to make a CORA request on the agencies' Contact page. For further information, contact the agency directly to ask how to submit a CORA request.

PLEASE NOTE: A CORA request received after 3 p.m. or any day that the agency is officially closed will be considered received on the following working day.

CORA Costs

To pay for the cost of processing a CORA request, the agency may charge for the time spent to research and respond to requests for records under CORA.

  • Staff time may be charged at a rate up to $41.37 per hour.  
  • There is no charge for the first hour to research and retrieve records.
  • There is an additional charge of $0.25 per page for regular paper copies, or an additional cost for the cost of other paper sizes.

Time and Cost Estimates
Agencies may provide the requester with a time and cost estimate, which may require a pre-payment before processing the request. If you pay for more time than is spent processing your request, you will receive a refund.

Document Format

Documents may be available in their native format if they do not need to be redacted or if they can be readily accessed.

Documents such as databases or spreadsheets that can be sorted or searched will be available in a similar format. The City will not provide documents in a format that requires providing software or that would violate the terms of any agreement or rights held by a third party, such as licensing agreements or copyrights.


CORA Contacts Directory

Arts & Venues

Custodian of Records: Brian Kitts

Examples of frequently requested documents within the office’s custody:

  • Crime statistics
  • Labor and vendor contracts
  • Records related to agency operational costs
  • Responses to RFPs
  • Security incident reports

To submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to Arts & Venues:

https://www.artsandvenuesdenver.com/contact-us

City Attorney’s Office

Custodian of Records: CAO.CORAREQUEST@denvergov.org

Examples of frequently requested documents within the department’s custody:

  • Case numbers related to current events
  • Legal documents related to city programs, initiatives and projects
  • Outside counsel expenditures
  • Settlements of Safety (police, sheriff, etc.) claims
  • Settlements of employee claims 

Submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the City Attorney’s Office

Clerk & Recorder's Office

Examples of frequently requested documents within the Office of the Clerk and Recorder's custody:

  • Marriage and Civil Union Records
  • Land Records
  • Elections Records
  • Public Trustee Records
  • City Ordinances, Resolutions, Proclamations, and Minutes
  • City Contracts and Agreements
  • City Rules and Regulations
  • Oaths of Office for City and County Officials
  • Campaign Finance Records, Gift Disclosures, and Lobbying Records
  • Miscellaneous Documents Places in the Public Record as "City Clerk Files"

To submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the Clerk and Recorder's Office:
https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Clerk-and-Recorder/find-records/CORA

Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency, Office of

Examples of frequently requested documents within the office’s custody:

To submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency: https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/Climate-Action-Sustainability-Resiliency/About

Community Planning and Development

Custodian of records: multiple

Examples of frequently requested documents within the department’s custody:

  • Building permit and building inspections records
  • Neighborhood inspections records
  • Landmark preservation records
  • Planning records
  • Zoning records

Submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the Dept. of Community Planning and Development

Denver City Council

The Office of Denver City Council is the records custodian for all council district offices and the central council office.

Requests should be sent to CouncilCORA@denvergov.org.

City Council CORA Requests: https://denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Denver-City-Council/Contact-Information/City-Council-CORA-Requests

Denver International Airport

Custodian of Records: Department of Aviation

Examples of frequently requested documents within the airport’s custody:

  • video footage
  • Contracts
  • RFP proposals for DEN contracts
  • Badge counts
  • Email correspondence between DEN Leadership

To submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to Denver International Airport:
DEN Open Records Request Portal

Economic Development & Opportunity

Custodian of Records: Susan Liehe

Examples of frequently requested documents within the office’s custody:

  • Business recruitment information (incentives, locations, etc.)
  • Small Business and nonprofit grant information
  • Small Business Loans

Submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to Denver Economic Development & Opportunity

Emergency Management, Office of

Custodian of records: multiple

The Office of Emergency Management is the custodian of records for both the Emergency Operations Center and Joint Information Center.

Examples of frequently requested documents within the office’s custody:

  • Incident Action Plan
  • Situation Report
  • Emails between EOC/ JIC staff
  • Financial Repots
  • Order Logs

To submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the Office of Emergency Management:
https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/Office-of-Emergency-Management/Contact

Excise and Licenses

Custodian of Records: EXLRecordsManagement@denvergov.org

Examples of frequently requested documents within the department’s custody:

  • Community engagement plans for marijuana establishments
  • Disciplinary records for marijuana and liquor establishments
  • Floor plans for marijuana and liquor establishments
  • General data for active licenses
  • Good Neighbor Agreements

Submit a CORA request to the Dept. of Excise and Licenses

Visit https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/Business-Licensing/Contact-Us for more information

Finance, Department of

Custodian of Records: Josh Rosenblum

Examples of frequently requested documents within the department’s custody:

  • Monthly sales & use tax revenue
  • Payroll information
  • Contract information within the department’s custody

To submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the Dept. of Finance:
https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/Department-of-Finance/Contact

Fire Department

Custodian of Records: Charlotte Evans

Examples of frequently requested documents within the department’s custody:

  • Annual inspection report (in years, back to 2002)
  • Evidence of violations from inspections
  • Fire Incident Reports
  • Permit to remove an underground storage tank
  • Motor Vehicle Accident Reports

Discipline records requests are handled by the Department of Public Safety. To request discipline records, please submit your CORA to them.

To submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the Denver Fire Department:
https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/Fire-Department/Contact

General Services, Department of

Custodian of Records: GeneralServices@denvergov.org

Examples of frequently requested documents within the department’s custody:

  • Bid documents
  • Bid score sheets
  • Proposal documents
  • Requests for Proposal
  • City-owned facility security footage

To submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the Dept. of General Services:
https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/General-Services/Contact-General-Services

Housing Stability, Department of

Custodian of Records: Derek Woodbury

Examples of frequently requested documents within the department’s custody:

  • Affordable housing expenditures
  • Affordable housing program records
  • Affordable housing property records
  • Homelessness resolution expenditures
  • Upcoming affordable housing developments

To submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the Dept. of Housing Stability:
https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/Department-of-Housing-Stability

Human Resources, Office of

Custodian of Records: OHR.Communications@denvergov.org

Examples of frequently requested documents within the office’s custody:

  • Employee job titles/classification
  • Employee investigations/records
  • Employee name/hire/term dates
  • Employee policies
  • Compensation

To submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the Office of Human Resources:
https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/Office-of-Human-Resources/About-Us


Human Rights and Community Partnerships

Custodian of Records: Rowena Alegria

Examples of frequently requested documents within the agency’s custody:

  • Contract information
  • Emails between staff
  • Information regarding city charter commissions

To submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to Human Rights and Community Partnerships:
https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/Human-Rights-Community-Partnerships

Human Services

Custodian of Records: Tessa Clark

Examples of frequently requested documents within the department’s custody:

  • Client and benefit records subject to CORA
  • Contract and RFA records
  • Financial records
  • Records for events in which Denver Human Services is involved

Submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the Dept. of Human Services at the link below:

Submit a CORA request to DHS

Mayor’s Office

Examples of frequently requested documents within the office’s custody:

  • Appointee salary information
  • Email communications from the Mayor
  • Email communications from Mayor’s Office staff
  • Calendar records for the Mayor and Mayor’s Office staff
  • Documents and records related to city programs, initiatives and policies 

To submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the Mayor’s Office:
https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/Mayors-Office/Contact

National Western Center - Mayor's Office

Examples of frequently requested documents within the office’s custody:

  • Planning documents (Master Plan, framework agreement, placemaking, etc.)
  • Procurement RFP/RFQ responses and documents

Submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the Mayor’s Office of the National Western Center

Parks & Recreation, Department of

Custodian of Records: Arthur Gilkison 

Examples of frequently requested documents within the department’s custody:

  • Forestry notices
  • Park and event facility permits
  • Ranger citations
  • Wildlife management

To submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the Dept. of Parks & Recreation:
https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/Parks-Recreation/Contact

Police Department

Custodian of Records: Doug Shepman

Examples of frequently requested documents within the department’s custody:

  • 911 recordings
  • Arrest records and photos
  • Accident reports
  • Body camera footage
  • HALO video

Discipline records requests are handled by the Department of Public Safety. To request discipline records, please submit your CORA to them.

To submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the Denver Police Department:
https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/Police-Department/Records

Public Health and Environment

Custodian of Records: Candy Romero

Examples of frequently requested documents within the department’s custody:

  • Animal bite reports and call notes/activity/history (Denver Animal Protection)
  • Denver death statistics, list of deaths of a particular manner (i.e. particular drug, homicides, all drugs...), and autopsy reports (Office of the Medical Examiner)
  • Documents and recordings related to Board of Public Health & Environment meetings (Division of Administration)
  • Records related to historical land use (including any spills or “dirty dirt”), including those used to complete Environmental Site Assessment Phase I (Environmental Quality Division)
  • Residential Health violation records (Public Health Investigations Division)

To submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the Dept. of Public Health & Environment: https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Public-Health-Environment/About-Us/Contact-Us   

Safety, Department of

Custodian of Records: Andrea Webber

Examples of frequently requested documents within the department’s custody:

  • Discipline records of sworn staff
  • Emails between staff
  • Public safety data


To submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the Dept. of Safety:
https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/Department-of-Public-Safety/Contact

Sheriff Department

Custodian of Records: Civil Liabilities Unit (CLU)

Examples of frequently requested documents within the department’s custody:

  • Background investigations
  • Letters of incarceration
  • Offenses in custody/incident reports
  • Video

Discipline records requests are handled by the Department of Public Safety. Medical records are handled by Denver Health.

To submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request, fill out the form available on the Denver Sheriff Department website:

Request Denver Sheriff Department Public Records

Special Events, Office of

Custodian of Records: Rose Watts

Examples of frequently requested documents within the office’s custody:

  • Communication information regarding the planning and decision making around large/high profile events
  • Permitting information and communication information regarding the planning and compliance around local events

To submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the Office of Special Events:
https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Departments/Office-of-Special-Events/Contact-Us

Technology Services

Custodian of Records: Tyler Zimmerer

Examples of frequently requested documents within the office’s custody:

  • 311 cases and complaints

Submit a CORA request to Technology Services

Transportation & Infrastructure, Department of

Custodian of Records: Nancy Kuhn

Examples of frequently requested documents within the department’s custody:

  • Sewer Use and Drainage (SUDP) Permits
  • Road Closure/Street Occupancy Permits
  • Development Plans
  • Contracts and/or RFP/RFQ Responses
  • ROW acquisition for road widening/sidewalk improvements

Submit a Colorado Open Records (CORA) request to the Dept. of Transportation & Infrastructure