Lake County, CO Courts and Public Records

The Lake County courts sit in the 5th Judicial District of Colorado and handle misdemeanors, traffic cases, infractions, small claims, and civil cases under the County Court limits. District Court matters such as felonies, domestic relations, juvenile, mental health, and probate are heard separately.

Have the full name, case number if known, and approximate filing dates ready before you search. Records are kept by the clerk of the court location that handled the case.

The Lake County District and County Courts together received 1,022 new filings in FY 2024 and closed 1,209 cases through terminations. District Court handled 309 filings and County Court handled 713, for fiscal years ending June 30.

The biggest driver of the change was District Court civil filings, which rose from 54 to 151 (+97).

This table covers the five most recent fiscal years for Lake County. Published years are shown as reported; earlier years marked with ~ are estimates based on the statewide trend and this county's latest published figures.

Combined filings moved from 936 in FY 2021 to 1,022 in FY 2024, a change of +9.2% over the period. The largest annual change was in FY 2023 at +18.0%. The latest change was driven mainly by District Court civil filings and County Court infractions filings.

County Court traffic is the largest category in Lake County, with 214 filings in FY 2024, or 20.9% of combined filings.

The fastest-growing category was District Court civil at +179.6%, while District Court mental health fell fastest at -77.8%.

Lake County accounted for 0.06% of the 1,715,971 combined District and County Court filings in Colorado in FY 2024.

Filings per 1,000 residents are 138.7 in Lake County compared with 288.0 statewide, and total filings changed +4.6% compared with +9.9% statewide. Its District Court criminal share is 17.5% against 19.2% statewide, while its civil share is 48.9% against 45.2%. The statewide dispositions figure marked with ~ is an estimate based on the statewide filings figure.

These figures are Colorado statewide totals as reported to the FBI, not counts for Lake County. Agency reporting may be incomplete, and county crime counts are not available here. Statewide violent and property crimes combined fell 14.6% from 2024 to 2025. In 2025, reporting agencies covered about 99.1% of Colorado's population, so year-over-year changes can partly reflect which agencies reported.

Rates use the Colorado 2025 population of 6,012,561. County-level rates are not published, so this section does not compare Lake County with the state.

Lake County has 1 verified court location, in Leadville. Check your ticket, notice, or case paperwork for the courthouse and division assigned to your case before you go.

In Lake County, County Court handles misdemeanors, traffic, small claims, and civil cases, while District Court handles felonies, domestic relations, juvenile, probate, and mental health matters. Federal cases go to the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.

Yes, most Lake County court records are public, with exceptions set by Colorado's public access rules (Chief Justice Directive 05-01).

Public records

Court records are open to the public unless a law, court rule, or court order restricts them. Access is governed by Chief Justice Directive 05-01, amended effective November 10, 2025.

Restricted or confidential records

Sealed records are visible only to judges, court staff, and authorized staff, and outside parties need a court order. Juvenile delinquency, mental health, guardianship, and truancy cases are not public unless a court orders otherwise.

Online access

Colorado has no statewide public case search on the Colorado Judicial Branch website. Commercial vendors Background Information Services and LexisNexis Colorado Courts Record Search show register of actions only, charge fees, and do not provide copies of documents.

In-person access

Visit 505 Harrison Avenue, PO Box 55, Leadville, CO 80461 to ask about records for Lake County cases, or contact the court location that handled the case.

Fees

Fees depend on the form and court. The district court record request form lists $0.25 per page for copies, $20 for certified copies, and $5 for a name search.

Use the vendor search and the court's online records request form to look up Lake County cases by case type, and ask the clerk for documents that are not online.

1. Identify the case type, such as criminal, traffic, civil, small claims, family law, probate, or juvenile.
2. Search by name or case number at bisi.com or cocourts.com, and note the case number.
3. Review the register of actions for case status, parties, and scheduled dates.
4. Submit the online records request form for documents that are not available on vendor sites.
5. Contact the court location at 505 Harrison Avenue, PO Box 55, Leadville, CO 80461 for records that are not covered by the form.

Lake County traffic citations, criminal fines, and fees can be paid through the Colorado Judicial Payment System or as the court allows, depending on the payment option below.

1. Online: Pay fees, fines, and restitution through the Colorado Judicial Payment System. Select Lake County, then enter the case or ticket number or a name. Accepted payment types vary by court.
2. Payment plans: Plans may be arranged online, in person, or by mail or fax, depending on the county. Contact the court for Lake County to ask which options apply.

Parking tickets are handled by the agency that issued them, not the county court; traffic citations and criminal fines are paid through the court.