Summit County Clerk of Court Office
The Clerk of Court for local court records is the Summit Combined Courts clerk at the Summit County Justice Center. The clerk is the practical records custodian for District Court and County Court case files, including civil, criminal, domestic relations, probate, traffic, small claims, protection order, and related court documents. The Colorado Judicial Branch Summit County page is the official local court page for records requests, docket search, online payments, self-help, interpreter services, ADA accommodations, and court assistance.
The research distinguishes this court clerk from the elected Summit County Clerk & Recorder. The court clerk handles case files and certified court copies. The Clerk & Recorder, Taryn Power, handles recording, marriage licensing, elections, motor vehicle work, Colorado birth and death certificates, liquor and tobacco licensing, and recorded document access. Mixing those offices is the most common source of failed requests.
Summit Combined Courts Clerk
501 N. Park Avenue
P.O. Box 269
Breckenridge, CO 80424
970-453-2272
Records email: 5thJDclerks@judicial.state.co.us
Fax from PDF request form: 970-453-1134
Summit County Clerk & Recorder
Clerk: Taryn Power
208 Lincoln Avenue
P.O. Box 1538
Breckenridge, CO 80424
970-453-3470
clerk@summitcountyco.gov
Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
What Summit County Clerk Handles
The Summit Combined Courts clerk receives and processes requests for court records and documents. The electronic court form states that the Clerk of Court may restrict access to court files or portions of files under Colorado statutes, court rules, Supreme Court rules, Chief Justice Directives, local administrative orders, and other legal authority. Suppressed cases, juvenile and probate records, or documents with confidential information may require U.S. government-issued photo ID.
The clerk's role is document access, not legal advice. A requester should identify the court, case type, party names, year filed, and document category. If the needed record is a sheriff report, booking photo, recorded deed, marriage certificate, or statewide criminal history, the request may belong to another office.
- Provide access to court documents when public access rules allow release.
- Process copy, certification, exemplification, name-search, and ROA requests.
- Route domestic relations, criminal, civil, probate, protection order, and traffic document requests by case type.
- Apply redaction, ID, sealed-case, juvenile, probate, and protected-information limits.
- Contact the requester after processing when fees are due.
Note: The court page says not to send money with records requests until court staff ask for payment.
Request Certified Summit County Copies
Certified copies are court-issued copies used when an agency, employer, attorney, title company, school, or another court needs proof that the document came from the official case file. Summit County divorce decrees, disposition and sentence orders, protection orders, transcript of judgment documents, satisfaction of judgment documents, and probate letters may require certification depending on the use.
The fastest request is one that names the exact document. Asking for "the whole file" can trigger research, redaction, off-site retrieval, or a broad fee estimate. A court copy request should separate document types, number of copies, and whether certification or exemplification is needed.
- Find the case number from existing paperwork, docket search, or the party names and filing year.
- Choose the electronic court request form or the Summit Combined Courts PDF request form.
- List Summit County as the county of record and select the case type, such as divorce, felony, misdemeanor, civil, probate, traffic, or protection order.
- Mark the requested document and check the certified or exemplified option if an official court seal is needed.
- Submit the request by the available channel and wait for the clerk to approve access and calculate fees.
Summit County Request Form Fields
The Colorado Judicial Branch Record/Document Request Form captures requester contact data, case identifiers, and document categories. The Summit Combined Courts PDF form can be mailed to Summit Combined Courts, Attn: Records, P.O. Box 269, Breckenridge, CO 80424, emailed to 5thJDclerks@judicial.state.co.us, faxed, or used in person. The electronic form says responses are generally provided within three business days unless extenuating circumstances exist; the PDF says allow 3 to 5 business days.
| Field | Required | Summit County Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Requester name and contact | Yes | First name, last name, email, phone, and mailing address are used for response and billing. |
| Case number | Optional | Useful when known. Example format in research includes year, case class, and sequence. |
| Case type | Optional | Options include child custody, civil, divorce, felony, juvenile, misdemeanor, probate, protection order, small claims, traffic, and water. |
| County or location of records | Optional | Select Summit County when the court file is local. |
| Party information | Yes | The form requires names on the case. |
| Requested documents | By request | Family, criminal, civil, probate, and other document checkboxes narrow the request. |
| Certified or exemplified | Optional | Use when the copy must carry official court certification. |
Summit County Clerk Fees
Copy fees come from the electronic court record form and the Summit Combined Courts PDF request form. Court staff determine the final cost after reviewing the request. If the file is off site, requires redaction, or requires research after the first hour, more fees may apply.
| Item | Amount or Note |
|---|---|
| Copy per page | $0.25. |
| Photographic copy on file | $0.75 per page on the PDF form. |
| Transcript of Judgment | $25. |
| Certificate of Satisfaction | $20. |
| Certified or exemplified copy | $20 per document. |
| Name search or non-party search including ROA | $5. |
| Writ of Garnishment | $45 on the PDF form. |
| Research or redaction | $30 per hour, assessed in 15-minute increments after the first hour. |
Summit County Clerk Recorder Difference
The county Clerk & Recorder is important, but it is not the court clerk. The Clerk & Recorder handles recorded land documents, marriage licenses, civil unions, common-law marriage affidavits, birth and death certificates, elections, motor vehicle services, and certain local licensing functions. For recorded documents, the county states staff do not fulfill recorded document requests under C.R.S. 30-10-101(2.5)(c). The office directs users to iCounty, ArcaSearch, free public terminals, or a title searcher.
The county's recorded document request page explains iCounty and ArcaSearch access for records outside the court case system.
The how to record a document page lists recording requirements, addresses, e-recording vendors, margins, and the daily electronic cutoff.
Summit County Recorded Document Vendors
For recorded documents, iCounty contains documents from 1990 to the previous business day and can be searched by grantor, grantee, index, and images without watermarks. ArcaSearch contains documents and grantor/grantee indices from the 1800s to September 1956. The research lists limited free access or paid full access for the older ArcaSearch set, plus a free terminal option during Clerk & Recorder business hours.
The manifest image for iCounty supports the recorded-document split because it shows a county-directed vendor outside the court file system.
Federal Files Are Separate
Summit County court clerks do not maintain federal case files. Federal civil and criminal matters for Colorado are handled through the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, while bankruptcy matters are handled by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado. Federal docket sheets and filings usually require PACER or court-specific CM/ECF access.
The PACER CM/ECF lookup is included here only to separate federal files from Summit County Clerk of Court files.
