La Plata County Public Records

What Are Public Records in La Plata County?

Public records in La Plata County are defined under Colorado Revised Statutes § 24-72-202 as all writings made, maintained, or kept by any state or local agency for use in the exercise of functions required or authorized by law or administrative rule. Members of the public may inspect a broad range of documents held by county offices, courts, and administrative bodies.

The following record types are currently available through La Plata County agencies:

Court records — civil, criminal, probate, and family law case files maintained by the La Plata County Courthouse
Property records — deeds, mortgages, liens, and recorded instruments maintained by the La Plata County Clerk and Recorder
Vital records — birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates maintained by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the Clerk and Recorder
Business records — licenses, permits, and fictitious business name filings maintained by the Clerk and Recorder and the City of Durango
Tax records — property tax bills and assessment records maintained by the La Plata County Assessor
Voting and election records — voter registration data and election results maintained by the Clerk and Recorder's Elections Division
Meeting minutes and agendas — Board of County Commissioners proceedings maintained by the County Manager's Office
Budget and financial documents — annual budgets and audit reports maintained by the La Plata County Finance Department
Law enforcement records — arrest logs and incident reports, where permitted by law, maintained by the La Plata County Sheriff's Office
Land use and zoning records — planning applications, zoning maps, and permits maintained by the La Plata County Community Development Department

La Plata County Clerk and Recorder 1101 E. 2nd Ave., Durango, CO 81301 (970) 382-6290 La Plata County Clerk and Recorder

Is La Plata County an Open Records County?

La Plata County fully complies with Colorado's open records framework. Under Colorado Revised Statutes § 24-72-201 et seq., known as the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA), all public records held by state and local government agencies are presumed open and available for public inspection unless a specific statutory exemption applies. La Plata County operates in accordance with CORA and does not impose additional local restrictions beyond those authorized by state law.

Key provisions of CORA currently in effect include:

Custodians of public records must allow inspection of non-exempt records within three business days of a written request, or within seven business days if the request is for a large volume of records
Agencies may deny access only when a specific statutory exemption applies, and the burden of proof rests with the agency to justify any denial
Colorado's Sunshine Law, codified at C.R.S. § 24-6-402, requires that all meetings of government bodies at which public business is discussed be open to the public

La Plata County's Board of County Commissioners publishes meeting agendas and minutes on the county's official website in compliance with these requirements.

La Plata County Board of County Commissioners 1101 E. 2nd Ave., Durango, CO 81301 (970) 382-6280 La Plata County Board of County Commissioners

How to Find Public Records in La Plata County in 2026

Members of the public may obtain La Plata County public records through several channels, depending on the record type sought. The following steps outline the current process:

Identify the custodial office. Determine which county department or agency maintains the record. Property and vital records are held by the Clerk and Recorder; court records are accessible through the La Plata County Courthouse; tax and assessment records are held by the Assessor's Office.
Search online portals. Many records are available without a formal request. The Colorado Judicial Branch provides a court docket search tool that allows members of the public to locate case information for La Plata County proceedings at no charge.
Submit a written CORA request. For records not available online, members of the public may submit a written Colorado Open Records Act request directly to the custodial office by mail, email, or in person. No standardized statewide form is required, but the request must reasonably describe the records sought.
Visit the office in person. Public counters at the Clerk and Recorder and Assessor's offices are open Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding county holidays. In-person inspection of records is permitted at no charge.
Request certified copies. Certified copies of vital records and recorded documents may be requested in person, by mail, or through authorized online services operated by the respective offices.

La Plata County Assessor's Office 1101 E. 2nd Ave., Durango, CO 81301 (970) 382-6260 La Plata County Assessor

How Much Does It Cost to Get Public Records in La Plata County?

Standard fees for public records in La Plata County are governed by C.R.S. § 24-72-205, which authorizes custodians to charge reasonable fees for research time and reproduction. Current fees vary by record type and office:

Standard document copies: $0.25 per page for black-and-white copies of standard-size documents
Certified copies of recorded documents: Fees set by the Clerk and Recorder; currently $1.00 per page for the first page and $0.50 per additional page for recorded instruments
Vital records certified copies: Birth and death certificates are issued at fees established by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, currently $20.00 for the first copy and $13.00 for each additional copy ordered at the same time
Research fees: When a request requires more than one hour of staff research time, custodians may charge the actual cost of staff time at the hourly rate of the lowest-paid employee capable of fulfilling the request
Electronic records: Fees for electronic copies may not exceed the actual cost of duplication

Accepted payment methods at La Plata County offices include cash, check, money order, and major credit cards. Fee waivers are not expressly mandated under CORA for standard requests, though agencies retain discretion to waive fees in cases of demonstrated public interest or indigency.

Does La Plata County Have Free Public Records?

Free inspection of public records is available to all members of the public under Colorado law. C.R.S. § 24-72-205 provides that no fee may be charged solely for the right to inspect records; fees apply only when copies or extensive research are requested. The following government resources currently provide free access to La Plata County records:

La Plata County Assessor's online portal — property ownership, assessment values, and parcel data are searchable at no charge through the county's official website
Colorado Judicial Branch docket search — civil, criminal, probate, and family court case information for La Plata County is accessible through the statewide court records system without charge
La Plata County Clerk and Recorder's recorded document index — the index of recorded instruments is available for free online search, with fees applying only to printed or certified copies
Colorado sex offender registry — members of the public may search the statewide sex offender registry maintained by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation at no charge
Board of County Commissioners meeting minutes and agendas — published at no charge on the county's official website

Who Can Request Public Records in La Plata County?

Any person may request public records in La Plata County regardless of residency, citizenship, or stated purpose. Under CORA, the right of inspection is not limited to Colorado residents or to individuals with a demonstrated interest in the records sought. Requestors are not required to:

Establish residency in La Plata County or the State of Colorado
Provide government-issued identification for most record types
State the purpose for which the records will be used

Certain record types carry additional access requirements. Certified copies of vital records — including birth and death certificates — are restricted under Colorado law to the registrant, immediate family members, legal representatives, and others with a demonstrated legal interest. Requestors seeking their own records held by law enforcement or courts may be required to provide identification to verify identity. Non-residents retain the same inspection rights as residents for all records that are not otherwise restricted by statute. Requests submitted on behalf of organizations or legal entities are treated the same as individual requests under current law.

What Records Are Confidential in La Plata County?

Certain categories of records are exempt from public disclosure under Colorado law. C.R.S. § 24-72-204 enumerates the principal exemptions applicable to state and local agencies, including La Plata County offices. Records currently exempt from mandatory disclosure include:

Sealed court records — records sealed by judicial order pursuant to court rules or statute
Juvenile records — records pertaining to juvenile delinquency proceedings, which are confidential under C.R.S. § 19-1-304
Ongoing criminal investigation records — investigative files where disclosure would impede an active law enforcement investigation
Personal identifying information — Social Security numbers, financial account data, and similar identifiers embedded in otherwise public documents
Medical and health records — protected under both state law and the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
Adoption records — sealed by statute and accessible only through court order
Child welfare and protective services records — maintained as confidential by the La Plata County Department of Social Services
Personnel records — employee performance evaluations and disciplinary records, with limited exceptions for final disciplinary actions involving elected officials or senior administrators
Trade secrets and proprietary business information — submitted to government agencies under assurances of confidentiality
Security plans and critical infrastructure details — exempt to protect public safety

Where a record contains both exempt and non-exempt information, the custodial agency is required to redact the exempt portions and release the remainder. Agencies applying exemptions must be able to demonstrate that the public interest in nondisclosure outweighs the public interest in disclosure where a balancing test is applicable under the statute.

La Plata County Recorder's Office: Contact Information and Hours

The La Plata County Clerk and Recorder serves as the official custodian of recorded land documents, vital records indexes, business filings, and election records. Members of the public may visit the public counter or submit requests by mail or email.

La Plata County Clerk and Recorder 1101 E. 2nd Ave., Durango, CO 81301 (970) 382-6290 La Plata County Clerk and Recorder

Public counter hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., excluding county-observed holidays.

La Plata County Sheriff's Office (for law enforcement records) 742 Turner Dr., Durango, CO 81303 (970) 385-2900 La Plata County Sheriff's Office

La Plata County Community Development Department (for land use and zoning records) 1101 E. 2nd Ave., Durango, CO 81301 (970) 382-6272 La Plata County Community Development

Public counter hours for Community Development: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

La Plata County Department of Human Services (for social services records) 1060 E. 2nd Ave., Durango, CO 81301 (970) 382-6100 La Plata County Department of Human Services