Centennial Public Records Lookup

Finding public records in Centennial means working with both city and county offices. Centennial is a large city in Arapahoe County with about 108,000 residents. Court records, property deeds, and vital records are kept at Arapahoe County offices. City records like building permits, business licenses, and council documents are at Centennial City Hall. When you search for public records in Centennial, start by identifying which office has the records you need. Both the county and city follow the Colorado Open Records Act. Response time is three working days. The first hour of research is free under state law. Fees apply after that for staff time and copies. Some records are online and free to search while others need a written CORA request.

Arapahoe County Public Records

Most official records for Centennial residents are at Arapahoe County offices. Court records, property deeds, marriage licenses, and recorded documents are kept by the county. The main county offices are in Littleton, which is west of Centennial. Criminal and civil court cases are part of the 18th Judicial District, which includes Arapahoe, Douglas, Elbert, and Lincoln Counties.

Arapahoe County has a public records portal for CORA requests. This online system lets you submit a request, track its status, and get documents when they are ready. The county responds within three working days under state law. If the request is complex or involves many records, the county can extend this by seven more days. You will get a notice if more time is needed.

The first hour of research and retrieval is free under C.R.S. § 24-72-205. After that, Arapahoe County charges up to $41 per hour. Paper copies cost $0.25 per page. Electronic records sent by email are usually free. Certified copies and special handling cost extra. Payment is required before records are released.

Property records for Centennial homes and businesses are searchable online through the Arapahoe County website. You can look up deeds, mortgages, and liens by owner name, address, or parcel number. The index is free to search. If you need certified copies, you must order them from the Clerk and Recorder office. Standard copies cost $0.25 per page. Certification adds a small fee per document.

Court records for Centennial are part of the 18th Judicial District. The Arapahoe County Justice Center is at 7325 South Potomac Street in Centennial. The older courthouse is at 1790 Littleton Blvd in Littleton. You can view case files in person at no cost. To get copies, contact the Clerk of Court. Many case indexes are also on LexisNexis Colorado Courts, a paid service that has summaries and some documents for civil and criminal cases.

City of Centennial Records

The City of Centennial maintains its own records for municipal operations. This includes city council minutes, ordinances, resolutions, and agendas. Building permits, zoning documents, and planning records are at the Community Development Department. Business licenses and local tax information are kept by the City Clerk's office. These records are separate from county files.

Centennial residents can submit CORA requests to the city for municipal records. The city follows the same response timeline as the county: three working days with a possible extension. The first hour of research is free. Fees for research time and copies are similar to other Colorado cities. Contact the City Clerk's office for questions about which records the city has and how to request them.

City council meetings are public. Agendas are posted online before each meeting. Minutes are available after they are approved. You can also find city budget documents, financial reports, and annual audits on the city website. Some of these records are posted as PDFs. Others may need a formal request.

The Centennial Police Department handles records related to law enforcement within city limits. This includes incident reports, accident reports, and arrest records for cases handled by Centennial officers. These records are subject to the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act. Some details may be withheld during active investigations or to protect victim privacy. Submit requests for police records directly to the department.

Centennial also has records for parks, public works, utilities, and other city services. If you need documents about a specific city project or service, contact the department that handles it. The city website lists phone numbers and email addresses for each department. Staff can tell you if the records you want are available and how to request them.

Online Records Search

Many records for Centennial are online. Arapahoe County has a property search database with real estate records. You can find who owns a property, when it was sold, and if there are liens. This is free to search. Court case indexes are on third-party sites like LexisNexis, which charges fees for access.

The Colorado Judicial Branch website provides general information about accessing court records. They explain which records are public and which are restricted. You can also submit a records request form online. This form goes to the appropriate court clerk based on the case type and location.

State agencies also have records that may relate to Centennial residents. The Colorado Secretary of State keeps business entity records, UCC filings, and notary information. You can search business entities online for free. Certified copies require a fee and a formal request.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation has statewide criminal history records. You can run a name-based background check through the CBI online system for $5. This shows arrests and convictions in Colorado but not from other states. Results are instant.

Vital records like birth and death certificates are at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Birth certificates cost $20 for the first copy. Death certificates are the same price. You must provide ID and show that you are eligible to get the record under state law. Marriage licenses are at the county where the license was issued. Divorce decrees are at the Clerk of Court where the case was filed.

How to Submit CORA Requests

Public records access in Centennial is governed by the Colorado Open Records Act, found in C.R.S. §§ 24-72-201 to 24-72-206. This law says that all public records must be open for inspection unless a specific law says otherwise. The act defines public records as any document made or kept by a government office that relates to government work.

CORA requests must be submitted to the custodian of the records. There is no single office that has all public records. You need to know which agency has what you want. For Centennial, most records are either with the city or Arapahoe County. Some specialized records are with state agencies or the court system.

Under C.R.S. § 24-72-203, custodians have three working days to respond. They can extend this by seven more days if needed. The response must either provide the records, tell you when they will be ready, or explain why they are being withheld. Reasons for denial must cite a specific statute or court order.

The first hour of research and retrieval is free under state law. After that, fees can be charged. The current maximum hourly rate is $41, adjusted for inflation every five years. Copies cost $0.25 per page for standard documents. Electronic records sent by email are usually free. Certified copies and special handling cost extra.

Some records are exempt from disclosure under C.R.S. § 24-72-204. This includes personnel files, medical records, work product, and documents protected by attorney-client privilege. Law enforcement records may be withheld if releasing them would harm an investigation. Juvenile court records are generally not public.

Nearby Colorado Cities

Centennial is near other large cities in the Denver metro area. Aurora is to the north. Littleton is to the west. Parker is to the south. Denver is northwest. All of these cities use county systems for most court and property records, but each has its own municipal records. If your search involves multiple cities or counties, you may need to submit separate requests to each jurisdiction.