Colorado Open Records Act (CORA)

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In accordance with the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA), the City of Colorado Springs is happy to assist with requests for the City’s public records. As permitted under Colorado State Law, the City does charge a nominal fee for CORA requests.

Requests should be as detailed as possible including date, type of record, etc. If the document name is unknown, provide brief, but specific description of the document or information requested (note date of issuance and location of the document, if known). A request which is broad, vague, or too voluminous may cause a delay in the time it takes to produce the records.

If the records are available pursuant to C.R.S. 24-72-201 et seq., the records shall be made available for inspection within three working days of receipt of the request. If extenuating circumstances exist, the period may be extended up to an additional seven working days. The requestor will be notified of the extension within the first three days of receipt of the request by the City of Colorado Springs.

Read the City's CORA Policy for more details about requests and procedures

Record Request Types

Please submit open records requests depending on the type of records requested as follows:

Code Violations / Neighborhood Services

Zoning code violations or code enforcement violations

Colorado Springs Police Department

Police Records are criminal justice records that are made, maintained or kept by a criminal justice agency and fall under the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act (CCJRA). 

  • Regular police records such as police reports, traffic accident reports, calls for service, background checks
  • Media requests & non-standard records, such as emails

Note: Requests made under this department are subject to a different fee schedule and policies.

Subdivision Reports: Geohazard, Drainage, Development Plans, Plats, etc.

Colorado Springs Utilities

Records including water, wastewater, septic systems, gas, electric and environmental concerns

Note: Requests made under this department are subject to a different fee schedule and policies.

Contracting/Procurement

Contracting and procurement records, RFPs, bid tabs, contract amounts

Environmental Assessment Requests or other Multi-Department requests

Please submit the request to the exact department who maintains the records requested. The City is unable to process multi-department requests currently.

Fire Department

For fire code violations, underground storage tanks (USTs), aboveground storage tanks (ASTs), spills/releases of hazardous materials

Note: Requests made under this department are subject to a different fee schedule and policies.

Marriage, Divorce and Birth & Death Certificates

Planning Department

Other City Records

For all other requests not listed above:

Request a City Record

*Note: If do not receive an email confirmation of your submittal, please check your SPAM box.

Request by Mail: 30 S. Nevada Ave. Suite 606, MC 660, Colorado Springs, CO 80903

Questions? Please call City Communications at (719) 385-5906 or e-mail CommDept@coloradosprings.gov.

Paying for CORA Records

All payments must be paid to Accounts Receivable by cash, check, credit card or money order in the exact amount. Please contact Accounts Receivable to submit your payment. Make checks payable to “City of Colorado Springs.”

In person or by mail:

Accounts Receivable
30 S. Nevada Ave., Suite 204
PO Box 1575, Mail Code 250
Colorado Springs, CO 80901-1575

Phone:

(719) 385-2367

Please do NOT send credit card or personal information over fax, email or the online request form. 

About CORA Fees

In accordance with C.R.S. § 24-72-205(5)(a), the City will charge the requestor when a request is made that requires more than two (2) hour of staff time to locate, gather and produce records.

By filing a CORA request, the requester acknowledges that there may be charges associated with their request. The requestor will be informed of the estimated cost, and have an opportunity to withdraw or modify the request, prior to costs being incurred. Requestors must pay final costs before receipt of documents.

If more than two (2) hours of staff time is believed to be necessary to process a records request, the City will attempt to provide an estimated invoice to the requestor prior to final invoice. The City may require payment of a fifty percent (50%) deposit of the estimated invoice prior to compilation of records at the custodian’s discretion. If a fifty percent (50%) deposit is requested, the City will contact the requestor to communicate this requirement and provide further details. At the completion of disclosure, the requestor will be required to pay the final actual cost of retrieval and production in excess of the fifty percent (50%). If the final actual costs of retrieval and production do not exceed the fifty percent (50%) deposit, the City will refund the remaining deposit to the requestor. Final invoices left unpaid for 30 days will result in closure of the CORA request.

Item

Fee

Photocopies or Printouts per C.R.S §24-72-205(5)

$0.25 per 8 ½” x 11” standard size or actual cost for documents larger than standard size

Oversized Maps / Plans - actual cost

Photographs - actual cost

Research and Retrieval/Compilation of Requested
Documents
$30.00 per hour in 15 minute increments
Data Manipulation per C.R.S. §24-72-205(3) Actual cost
Off-site Records Retrieval 50% of actual cost to retrieve the records
from off-site storage facility
Audiotape, Videotape or Other Magnetic Tape Actual cost to reproduce
On-site Record Inspection $30.00 per hour for staff time
Postage Actual cost

Read the City's CORA Policy for more details about requests and procedures