Arapahoe County Sheriff Civil and Warrants Unit
The Civil and Warrants Unit is the primary agency responsible for entering warrants into law-enforcement systems and serving civil process documents in Arapahoe County. The unit sits within the Sheriff's Support Services Bureau and handles both criminal warrant entry and civil court papers, including protection orders, writs of garnishment, citations, dissolution summonses, subpoenas, and eviction orders. According to the 2015 ACSO Annual Report, the unit entered 6,663 warrants into the computer and processed 8,751 civil papers in a single year, a figure that shows the scope of the work it handles for the county.
The unit can only serve documents within Arapahoe County. If an address is outside the county, users are directed to contact the neighboring county's sheriff's office. The unit's official page instructs people to complete a Civil Process Information Sheet and verify that the service address falls inside county boundaries before submitting paperwork.
Arapahoe County Sheriff Civil and Warrants Unit
13101 East Broncos Parkway
Centennial, CO 80112
Civil Section: 720-874-3845
Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For general detention inquiries or to check on a person in custody, call Detentions at 720-874-3500. The Sheriff's Records unit is at 720-874-3875. Non-emergency dispatch is 303-795-4711. The Sheriff's Office main line is 720-874-3600.
The official Civil and Warrants Unit page at files.arapahoeco.gov is the best starting point for questions about warrant service and civil process in Arapahoe County.
No Public Active-Warrant Search Portal
Arapahoe County does not publish a public online database of active warrants that can be searched by name. This is a research finding based on the official Sheriff and court pages: no active-warrant search portal was identified at files.arapahoeco.gov, arapahoeco.gov, or coloradojudicial.gov. Some counties in other states maintain searchable warrant lists, but Arapahoe County is not among them.
Real-time warrant information is available through law-enforcement systems that are not open to the public. The Colorado Judicial Branch Docket Search at coloradojudicial.gov/dockets can show case status for active cases, including a "warrant active" status in the case record, but it is a docket schedule tool and not a dedicated warrant search. For a case where a bench warrant has been issued, the docket entry may note it, but you need the case number or party name to find the entry.
Important: Do not rely on third-party warrant aggregator websites for Arapahoe County. Those sites may have outdated, incomplete, or inaccurate data. Contact the Civil and Warrants Unit at 720-874-3845 or consult an attorney for accurate warrant status.
How to check for an Arapahoe County warrant:
- Call the Sheriff's Civil Section at 720-874-3845 during business hours (Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.).
- Search the Colorado Judicial Branch Docket Search with the person's name or case number to look for active case entries showing a warrant status.
- Contact the court where a case is pending: Arapahoe County Justice Center at 303-645-6600 or through the court records email at 18records@judicial.state.co.us.
- Retain a licensed Colorado attorney, who can access law-enforcement systems and advise on next steps without triggering an immediate arrest.
Types of Warrants in Arapahoe County
Warrants in Arapahoe County fall into several categories. Each type is issued under different legal authority and handled differently by the Sheriff and the courts. Knowing the type matters because it affects how the warrant can be resolved, whether bond is available, and whether a public record exists at all.
- Arrest Warrant
- A judge issues an arrest warrant when law enforcement presents probable cause to believe a person committed a crime. The warrant authorizes any officer to take the named person into custody. Arrest warrants are entered into state law-enforcement databases and are typically not made public until the person is booked or the case is filed.
- Bench Warrant
- A bench warrant is issued directly by a judge from the bench when a person fails to appear for a scheduled court date, misses a probation review, fails to pay a court-ordered fine, or is held in contempt. Bench warrants are common in Arapahoe County District Court and County Court. Once issued, law enforcement can stop and hold the person at any time.
- Capias / Capias Pro Fine
- A capias is a specific type of warrant used when a person fails to appear or fails to comply with a financial obligation set by the court. A capias pro fine is used when a person fails to pay a court-imposed fine. Both are sometimes described as failure-to-appear warrants in Colorado court practice. They are entered as bench warrants in the system.
- Search Warrant
- A search warrant authorizes officers to enter and search a specific location for evidence. Search warrants are issued ex parte, meaning the subject is not notified, and they are often sealed while an investigation is active. They do not appear in any public warrant database.
- Fugitive Warrant / Out-of-State Hold
- A fugitive warrant is issued when another state or jurisdiction has an outstanding warrant and Arapahoe County holds the person pending extradition. Colorado's Uniform Extradition Act, C.R.S. § 16-19-101 et seq., governs how out-of-state warrants are handled. A person held on a fugitive warrant has the right to a hearing on the validity of the warrant and the identity of the person named.
- Civil Writ / Court Process
- Civil writs are court orders that direct a sheriff to take specific action, such as serving an eviction notice, executing a writ of garnishment, or serving a protection order. These are processed by the Civil and Warrants Unit and are not criminal warrants. They appear in civil case records rather than criminal warrant lists.
- ERPO (Extreme Risk Protection Order)
- Colorado's Extreme Risk Protection Order law went into effect January 1, 2020. An ERPO authorizes law enforcement to seize firearms from a person found by a court to pose a significant risk. The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Public Safety Bureau created a policy to comply with and enforce ERPO orders. Service of ERPO orders is handled by the Sheriff, not the Civil and Warrants Unit's standard civil process queue.
Bench Warrants and Failure to Appear
Bench warrants are the most common warrant type seen in Arapahoe County courts. They are issued when a defendant or party does not show up for a required court date. District Court handles felonies, domestic relations, and other major civil matters; County Court handles misdemeanors, traffic cases, protection orders, and small claims. Both courts issue bench warrants when someone fails to appear.
A missed hearing in Arapahoe District Court or County Court will typically result in the judge issuing a bench warrant from the bench that same day. The warrant is entered into law-enforcement databases, and the Civil and Warrants Unit may be tasked with locating and serving the person. Bond, if it was previously set, may be forfeited when a bench warrant issues.
Failure to appear on a traffic citation, which is a County Court matter in Arapahoe County, can have additional consequences beyond the warrant. Under C.R.S. § 42-2-127, the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles can suspend a driver's license when a person fails to appear on a traffic case. That license suspension operates independently of the warrant and stays in place until the underlying traffic matter is resolved. Drivers with suspended licenses face separate charges if they continue to drive.
People who discover they have a bench warrant should not wait for law enforcement to find them. Options include hiring an attorney to file a motion to recall the warrant before any arrest, voluntarily appearing at the Arapahoe County Justice Center at 7325 S. Potomac Street, Centennial, or surrendering to the Detention Facility at 7375 South Potomac Street, Centennial. Voluntary surrender with an attorney present gives the best chance of bond being set and approved the same day.
Note: Weekend bond hearings at Arapahoe County are held Saturdays only at 1:30 p.m. via Webex; people who surrender late on a Friday may wait until that Saturday hearing.
What an Arapahoe County Warrant Record Shows
No live sample warrant record was inspected in official sources because Arapahoe County does not have a public warrant search portal. The fields below reflect what typically appears in Colorado court case entries and law-enforcement warrant records based on official court-record and docket-search documentation. When a warrant is reflected in a court case, these are the fields that would appear in the docket or case-register view.
| Field | What It Shows |
|---|---|
| Case Number | Colorado case number structure: 4-digit year, case class code, sequence number. For example, a felony case might read 2024CR01234. |
| Warrant Type | Arrest warrant, bench warrant, capias, or capias pro fine as noted in the docket entry. |
| Issue Date | Date the judge signed or issued the warrant from the bench. |
| Issuing Court | Arapahoe County District Court or Arapahoe County Court; identifies which location: Justice Center (Centennial) or Courthouse Littleton. |
| Issuing Division | Division number or code, such as Division 201 or Division A1, identifying the judge's courtroom. |
| Charge(s) | The criminal charge or charge code that led to the warrant, if a criminal matter. For bench warrants on a civil case, may show contempt or failure to comply. |
| Bond Amount | The amount set for the warrant, if any. Some warrants are no-bond holds; bond amount does not guarantee release if holds or conditions apply. |
| Case Status | Active, disposed, warrant active, sealed, transferred. "Warrant active" in the docket means the warrant has not been recalled or served. |
| Parties | Names of defendant/respondent and the People of the State of Colorado or the petitioner. Some party information may be redacted in protected cases. |
| Docket Entry Text | A short description of the court action: "Bench warrant issued for failure to appear" or "Arrest warrant signed by Judge [name]." |
Document copies of the underlying warrant are not available through commercial vendor sites. To get a copy of the warrant document itself, contact Arapahoe Court Records at 18records@judicial.state.co.us or mail a request to Arapahoe Court, Attn: Records Requests, 7325 S. Potomac St., Centennial, CO 80112. The records team responds within 3 business days.
The official Arapahoe County Sheriff Civil and Warrants Unit page at files.arapahoeco.gov provides the unit's address, phone number, hours, and civil process instructions for Arapahoe County.
The Civil and Warrants Unit page confirms that the unit handles both warrant entry and civil process service for Arapahoe County and lists the 720-874-3845 Civil Section phone number as the point of contact for questions about active warrants and service status.
How to Resolve an Outstanding Warrant in Arapahoe County
An outstanding warrant does not go away on its own. It stays in law-enforcement systems until it is recalled by a judge or the person is taken into custody and the case proceeds. The steps below outline the most common paths to resolving a warrant in Arapahoe County.
- Consult an attorney first. A licensed Colorado defense attorney can often file a motion to recall a bench warrant without requiring the client to be arrested first. This is especially true for bench warrants on minor matters. An attorney can also advise on whether a no-bond hold is attached, which affects the surrender decision.
- Confirm the warrant exists and which court issued it. Call the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Civil Section at 720-874-3845 or contact the court at 303-645-6600. The court records team can check case status at 18records@judicial.state.co.us.
- Voluntary surrender at the Detention Facility. If turning yourself in, go to the Arapahoe County Detention Facility at 7375 South Potomac Street, Centennial, CO 80112. The facility is open 24 hours. Bring valid government-issued photo ID: a state driver's license or ID, passport, or tribal ID.
- Post bond after booking. Once booked, review the charges and bond information. Call the Detention Facility at 720-874-3500 to confirm bond amounts. Bond may be posted in person at the Detention Facility with cash, money order at the counter, certified bank check, or Mastercard/Visa. A $10 nonrefundable bond fee applies for each bond, paid in cash in person.
- Attend the next court hearing. After release, attend all scheduled court dates. Missing another date will result in a new bench warrant and possible bond forfeiture. Weekend bond hearings for Arapahoe County are held Saturdays at 1:30 p.m. via Webex if the initial hearing falls on a weekend.
The Colorado State Public Defender Arapahoe office at 13356 E Briarwood Ave, Centennial, phone 303-799-9001 or email Arapahoe@coloradodefenders.us, can provide legal counsel to people who qualify financially. Consulting the public defender before surrendering may help clarify bond options and the likelihood of release.
Bond Posting on Arapahoe County Warrants
When a warrant results in arrest or voluntary surrender at the Arapahoe County Detention Facility, the bond process is the same as any other booking. Colorado law under C.R.S. § 16-4-102 sets out statutory rights related to money bond. The Arapahoe Sheriff's inmate charges page prominently posts these rights. Key points from that official notice:
- Bond fees, booking fees, and other debts owed to the facility never need to be paid to secure release on money bond. Only the bond amount itself must be paid.
- A $10 nonrefundable bond fee may be charged as a debt after release if not paid in person at the time of bonding. No kiosk, cash, check, or money-order fee may be charged for bond-related payments.
- Bond must be paid to the holding county, never in the name of the incarcerated person.
- The Sheriff must release the person within six hours after all required bond payments are received and notice is given, unless extraordinary circumstances exist. Up to 24 hours may be allowed if electronic monitoring fitting is required.
- Anyone posting money bond has the right to bond paperwork showing the next court date.
Accepted payment methods at the Detention Facility counter include cash, money orders, certified bank checks, and Mastercard or Visa credit or debit cards. The full bond-posting workflow requires an appointment; call 720-874-3500 to make one. Bond agents must bring their Bond ID plus a Colorado ID, driver's license, or tribal ID in addition to the bond amount.
Some people held on warrants will not be released even if bond is posted, due to holds from other jurisdictions, sentence conditions, or court-ordered no-bond status. Check the charges and bond screen or consult an attorney before starting the bond process.
For more on the booking and bond process, see the Arapahoe County inmate records page.
The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office staff directory at files.arapahoeco.gov lists Sheriff Tyler Brown, office address, and all main department phone numbers including the Civil Section warrant line.
Sheriff Tyler Brown oversees the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, which provides law-enforcement service to the City of Centennial and unincorporated Arapahoe County and manages the Detention Facility at 7375 South Potomac Street.
Sealed and Restricted Warrant Records
Not all warrants are public, and some are restricted by law or court order. Understanding which warrant records are off-limits helps explain why a search may come back empty even when a warrant is known to exist.
Search warrants are typically sealed while an investigation is active. Once executed, a search warrant and its supporting affidavit may be filed with the court and could become part of the public case record, but that depends on the case type and any protective orders entered. For an active criminal investigation, the search warrant paperwork is sealed and not accessible to the public.
Juvenile warrants are governed by the Colorado Children's Code, C.R.S. § 19-1-301 et seq., and Chief Justice Directive 05-01. Juvenile case records and any warrants issued in juvenile proceedings are restricted. Access is limited to parties, counsel, authorized agencies, and court-approved persons. A member of the public cannot search for juvenile warrants in Arapahoe County.
Sealed criminal records: when a criminal case is sealed under C.R.S. §§ 24-72-703 through 24-72-711, the warrant entries in that case are sealed along with the rest of the record. Courts, law enforcement, and prosecutors may still access sealed records in certain circumstances, but the public cannot.
Federal warrants are separate from state court warrants. A warrant issued by the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado is not part of the Arapahoe County Sheriff warrant system. Federal warrants appear in federal court records accessible through PACER at pacer.uscourts.gov. Federal arrests in Arapahoe County may be carried out by the U.S. Marshals Service, which maintains a separate wanted-persons list at usmarshals.gov.
Mental health warrants and emergency orders: mental health proceedings in District Court can result in civil commitment orders. These are sensitive records and access is restricted by mental health privacy statutes and court orders.
Out-of-State Warrants and Extradition
When another state has an active warrant and Arapahoe County holds the person, the case is handled under Colorado's Uniform Extradition Act, C.R.S. § 16-19-101 et seq. The Act governs how Colorado processes demands from other governors for the return of fugitives. A person held in the Arapahoe County Detention Facility on a fugitive hold has the right to a hearing to challenge both the identity of the person named and the validity of the holding warrant. This is sometimes called a Writ of Habeas Corpus proceeding.
If the demanding state moves quickly, extradition can happen within days. If the person contests extradition, the process can take longer and may involve hearings in Arapahoe County District Court before the person is transferred. During this period, the person remains in the Detention Facility unless bond is set on the fugitive hold.
Colorado also participates in the nationwide warrant-sharing system through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), which allows law enforcement across the country to see and act on Arapahoe County warrants. A person with an active Arapahoe warrant can be stopped and held in another state until Arapahoe County decides whether to extradite or recall the warrant.
People who believe they have an out-of-state warrant showing in Colorado law-enforcement systems should contact a Colorado attorney and, if needed, an attorney in the state that issued the warrant. The 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office at 6450 S Revere Pkwy, Centennial, phone 720-874-8500, handles extradition proceedings on the prosecutorial side.
License Consequences for Failure to Appear
A bench warrant tied to a traffic case in Arapahoe County Court can lead to a driver's license suspension separate from the warrant itself. Under C.R.S. § 42-2-127, the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles is authorized to suspend a driver's license when a person fails to appear or fails to pay a fine on a traffic matter. The court reports the failure to appear to the DMV, and the DMV issues a suspension notice.
The license suspension stays in effect until the underlying traffic case is resolved. Resolving the case requires appearing in Arapahoe County Court, whether on a rescheduled court date or after recalling the bench warrant. Once the court closes the case or the person enters a plea and pays applicable fines, the court notifies the DMV and the suspension can be lifted. Driving with a suspended license is a separate criminal offense under Colorado law.
For a traffic case in Arapahoe County, the relevant court is Arapahoe County Court. Small claims and traffic petitions are filed at the Littleton courthouse at 1790 West Littleton Blvd, Littleton, CO 80120, phone 303-798-4591. The Justice Center at 7325 S. Potomac Street, Centennial handles most District Court matters. Traffic case dockets can be searched at the Colorado Judicial Branch Docket Search by selecting the 18th Judicial District and Arapahoe County.
For more on traffic court records and how license suspension interacts with court cases, see Arapahoe County traffic court records.
The District Attorney and Criminal Warrants
In Arapahoe County, arrest warrants for felony crimes are typically sought by detectives and investigators who present probable-cause affidavits to a judge. The judge reviews the affidavit and, if satisfied, signs the warrant. The 18th Judicial District Attorney's Office, led by District Attorney Amy Padden, works with law enforcement to prosecute cases that begin with an arrest warrant or bench warrant.
DA Amy Padden was sworn in on January 14, 2025, and her term runs through January 2029. Her office is at 6450 S Revere Pkwy, Centennial, CO 80111, phone 720-874-8500. The official DA page notes her priorities include community safety, alternatives to incarceration for non-violent offenders, and better approaches to mental health and substance abuse in the criminal justice system.
For people charged with crimes connected to an Arapahoe County warrant, the Colorado State Public Defender Arapahoe office at 13356 E Briarwood Ave, Centennial, phone 303-799-9001, provides legal defense to qualifying individuals. Reaching the public defender before the first court appearance is important; the office can advise on bond, warrant recall options, and case strategy.
For underlying criminal charges and case records, see Arapahoe County criminal records.
The Arapahoe County Sheriff Emergency Communications page lists the detention and records phone numbers, including the Civil Section line used for warrant inquiries.
The Emergency Communications section covers the Sheriff's service region and lists the key phone numbers callers need: 720-874-3500 for detentions, 720-874-3875 for records, and 720-874-3845 for the Civil Section, which handles warrant inquiries.
Colorado Bureau of Investigation Most Wanted
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) maintains a statewide most-wanted list for fugitives with active warrants across Colorado. CBI's most-wanted list is separate from Arapahoe County's own warrant system, but Arapahoe County fugitives may appear on it. The CBI page is at cbi.colorado.gov. CBI also administers the Colorado Open Records Act criminal justice records process, described at cbi.colorado.gov/about-us.
CBI also operates the Internet Criminal History Check portal at cbirecordscheck.com, which is a paid tool for background checks based on Colorado criminal history. A CBI background check will show prior criminal history but does not show open or active warrants as a discrete result. It reflects dispositions, not pending warrant status.
Tips about wanted fugitives in Arapahoe County can also be submitted to local tip lines. The Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office can be reached at the non-emergency line 303-795-4711 for non-urgent law-enforcement matters. Anonymous tip information for specific fugitives should be directed through the Sheriff's Office or local Crime Stoppers programs operating in the Denver metro area.