What are Thornton City Public Records?
According to the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA), public records include documents written and maintained by a government agency. However, some government records are not subject to the Open Records Act. The Office of the Colorado Secretary of State maintains the central repository for public records. However, not all requests for public records go through this office.
Public records in Thornton City may be typewritten or handwritten. Records could also include photographs or email-transmitted material. Under Colorado's public records law, the records custodian must redact sensitive sections of public records that contain information exempt from disclosure. These agencies commonly redact:
- Private information which breaks personal privacy laws when exposed;
- Pending trial information (attorney work product);
- Data associated with an active law enforcement case;
- Information from relationships legally considered confidential;
- Taxpayer and private financial information
- Juvenile court records
Thornton City Crime Statistics
The Thornton City Police Department reported 5,435 crimes in 2019. Of this total, 461 were violent crimes, and 4,974 were property crimes. Both violent and property crime counts dipped from the previous year by 3.5% and 8.5%, respectively.
The Police Department responded to one murder, 193 non-consensual sex offenses, 193 aggravated assaults, 74 robberies, 3,357 larceny-thefts, 401 burglaries, 574 fraud cases, and 642 motor vehicle thefts. Thornton City's crime rate was 3967.1 crimes per 100,000 persons in 2019. This rate is a 6.5% decrease from the previous year.
Are Thornton City Criminal Records Public?
Thornton City criminal records are available to the public in compliance with the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA). Because the State of Colorado is an open records state, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation can release criminal records to third-parties. A separate law called the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act states that case files are subject to disclosure and inspection at reasonable times. However, access to these records is at the discretion of the records custodian.
How to Obtain Thornton City Police Reports and Arrest Records?
The Thornton City Police Department maintains police and arrest reports. The City Police will process requests in compliance with the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (CCJRA), C.R.S. 24-72-301. Interested parties can obtain any of these documents by completing an Online Request Form or by sending a completed Request Form by email, mail, or in-person:
Thornton City Police Department
Attn: Police Records Unit
9551 Civic Center Drive
Thornton City, CO 80229
A Police Records Specialist will contact the requester upon receipt and will provide information about payment. Payment for mail requests should be by money orders payable to "City of Thornton," or by bringing cash, or credit/debit cards when visiting the office.
How to Find Sex Offender Information in Thornton City
The Colorado Bureau of Criminal Investigation maintains a statewide Sex Offender Registry. Interested parties can view a list of registered offenders that live in Thornton City. According to state laws, the CBCI does not publish information on misdemeanors and juvenile adjudicated offenders. Alternatively, people can query the Thornton City Police Department for sex offender information. The city police dept maintains an online Sex Offender Tracking and Registration (SOTAR) system to search for Thornton City sex offenders.
How to Find Thornton City Inmate Records
The Adams County Sheriff's Office maintains Thornton City inmates’ records and makes them available to the public. People can obtain an inmate's data online via the Sheriff's search tool. The requester can search by inputting the inmate's first and last name in the provided search box. The Sheriff's Office updates the database hourly.
How Do I Visit an inmate in Thornton City Jail?
Inmates housed in the Adams County Detention Facility can receive visitors on-site or via remote-video visits. Each inmate has a 30-minute visiting privilege each week. Remote video visitation costs $0.2 per minute. On-site visits occur at the facility located at:
150 North 19th Avenue
Brighton, CO 80601
Phone: (303) 654-1850
The visiting schedule for on-site visits is according to the inmate's last name. In contrast, the inmate's housing unit determines remote visiting times. Visitation starts at 7:00 a.m. and ends at 10 p.m. Intending visitors can contact the jail for more information.
Court Records
The State of Colorado’s trial court system includes District, County, Municipal and Water Courts, the Denver Probate Court, and Denver County Juvenile Court. There is only one court location in the City of Thornton.
Thornton City Municipal Court
9551 Civic Center Drive
Thornton City, CO 80229
Phone: (720) 977-5400
Fax: (720) 977-5450
Are Thornton City Court Records Public?
Most court files are public records and anyone can inspect and copy them. However, if the requester is not a party to the case, the court must review the requested documents and remove (redact) protected information. Access to some files is limited either by court order or by state law.
Can You Look Up a Thornton City Court Case Online?
The Adams County Docket Search provides members of the public with an array of Thornton City court records. Record seekers can utilize the search site by selecting the correct case type, and providing the party name, case number, and attorney bar number on the record. Persons can also select a date range for a more efficient search.
How to Obtain Thornton City Civil Court Case Records
Interested parties may obtain civil court cases for the City of Thornton by submitting a request via email, in person, or by sending a mail to:
Adams County Justice Center
Attention: Records, 1100 Judicial Center Drive
Brighton, CO 80601
The Adams County District Court oversees civil court cases for the City of Thornton. The Adams County Clerk of Court maintains and provides access to all county District and County court records. Although most court records are open to the public, state laws restrict confidential records to the record’s parties. Interested persons can only view sealed records by asking the court to remove the restrictions. The Clerk charges $30/hour for this process. However, note that the record may not be immediately available for view.
The Clerk does not require any fee for searching open civil court cases. Interested parties will need to provide the record's case number. Requesters not listed on the record or who cannot provide the case number will need to pay a $5 search fee. Some information, such as a driver's license number, may not be available to third parties, in compliance with state laws. The record seeker should also bring along or submit a copy of a valid ID with the request.
Copies of a civil court case cost $0.75 per page for paper-filed claims or $0.25 per page for electronically filed claims. Interested parties can also obtain certified copies for $20 per record.
How to Obtain Thornton City Criminal Court Records
The Adams County Clerk of Courts maintains criminal court records for Thornton City. Persons may request access and obtain copies of open and sealed criminal court records by sending requests in person, through email, or mail.
Adams County Justice Center
Attention: Records, 1100 Judicial Center Drive
Brighton, CO 80601
Open cases are accessible for free but interested individuals who cannot provide the record’s case number must pay $5 for a search. The Clerk can also redact a sealed record for a $30 per hour fee. Without redactions, third parties cannot access a sealed document.
Under state laws, the Clerk will not release confidential information to people not named. The record seeker must provide a copy of a valid ID when requesting a criminal court record.
A copy of a criminal court record will cost $0.75 per page and $0.25 per page for paper-filed and electronic-filed cases, respectively. The cost for certifying a criminal court record is $20.
What are Thornton City Vital Records?
Thornton City vital records are government records that detail life events that occurred in the city. According to the Colorado Revised Statutes, vital records in Colorado are available to eligible individuals who have a direct relationship with the subject of the record. Interested parties will need to provide a primary or two secondary means of identification, in compliance with § C.R.S. 25-2-117.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the District Court Clerk for Adams and Weld Counties, and the Adams and Weld County Clerks and Recorders maintain vital records.
Where and How to Obtain Thornton City Divorce Records
The Adams and Weld County Clerk of District Courts maintain divorce records for the City of Thornton. Both offices provide a searchable database for divorce records and can issue copies via mail, email, or in-person. For example, the Weld County Clerk of District Courts allows people to search for old Divorce Decrees online via a Docket search tool maintained by the Colorado Judicial Branch. The office can also provide copies of old and recent divorce decrees at the courthouse located in:
901 9th Avenue
Greeley, CO 80631
Phone: (970) 475-2400
Copies of divorce verifications are obtainable from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Interested parties may obtain records online or visit the office in person at:
4300, Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, CO 80246-1530
Phone: (303) 692-2000
Where and How to Get Public Thornton City Marriage Records
Marriage records are generally not open records in Colorado. However, records documented before 1960 are available to interested parties for genealogical research purposes. The Colorado State Archives issues public marriage records for the City of Thornton. Interested parties can conduct a search using the State Archives Search database, visit the Public Records Room in person, or send a mail request form to:
Colorado State Archives
Request Desk
1313 Sherman Street
Room 120
Denver, CO 80203-2274
Where and How to Get Confidential Marriage Records in Thornton City
The Office of the Adams and Weld County Clerk and Recorder provides marriage records to eligible persons. The requester should contact the Recorder in the county where the married couple obtained a license. The persons will also need to provide an ID to verify their identity and supply the following information:
- The names of the married couple
- The date of marriage
- County where the couple obtained a license
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issues copies of marriage or civil union verification from 1900 to 1939, and 1975 to the present. Requesters may obtain these documents online or in person at:
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Vital Records Section
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, CO 80246
Where and How to Find Thornton City Birth Records
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment maintains and issues copies of birth records filed since 1910. Eligible requesters include
- The record’s subject
- A legal guardian or parent of the person named on the record
- A grandchild or child of the record’s subject
- A domestic partner or spouse of the record’s subject
- Any sibling or next-of-kin of the record’s subject
- Any legally empowered persons or lawyer(s) representing the record subject’s estate
The requester can order copies online or in person at:
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Vital Records Section
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, CO 80246
A certified birth certificate copy costs $20 and $13 for each extra copy, payable by check or money order to the Vital Records Division, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. According to § C.R.S. 25-2-117, the requester must submit a primary or two secondary valid means of identification.
Where and How to Find Thornton City Death Records
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment provides certified copies of death records on file since 1900. Death records are confidential documents and are only available to individuals directly related to the deceased. Eligible parties can purchase copies for $13 or pay $20 for same-day orders of the same record. Documents are obtainable online or in person at:
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
Vital Records Section
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, CO 80246
Eligible requesters include
- A legal guardian or parent of the deceased
- A domestic partner or spouse of the deceased
- A grandchild or child of the deceased
- Any surviving sibling or next-of-kin of the deceased
- Any individuals appointed as an executor of the will
- Any legally empowered persons or lawyer(s) for the deceased person’s estate
The requester should provide a primary or two secondary means of identification, as required in §25-2-117 of the Colorado Revised Statutes.
