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CO Public Records Law

Colorado Open Records Act (CORA)

C.R.S. §§ 24-72-201 to 24-72-206

Initial response
3 business days
Final response
10 business days
Penalties
Per-day + fee shifting
Attorney fees
Mandatory
ALPR exemption
None
Burden of proof
On the agency

Response timeline

Custodian must make records available within 3 working days. May extend by up to 7 additional working days for extenuating circumstances (off-site storage, unusually broad requests, high volume). Must notify requester of the extension.

Appeal process

Administrative appeal required?
No, can go directly to court
Appeals body
District Court

Enforcement

Court action
Civil action to compel disclosure in District Court
Filing fee
~$250
Filing deadline
No specific deadline
Attorney fee trigger
Court shall award costs and reasonable attorney fees to prevailing requesters. C.R.S. § 24-72-204(5). Under the Criminal Justice Records Act, custodians face personal liability of up to $25/day for arbitrary or capricious denial of access. C.R.S. § 24-72-305(7).
Per-day penalty cap
$25/day

Fees

Copy fee
$0.25/page
Search fees
Allowed
Electronic delivery
Required when requested

First hour of research and retrieval is free. Additional staff time charged at $41.37/hour (as of July 2024, reviewed every 5 years). Paper copies at $0.25/page starting at page 26. Digital formats exempt from per-page fees. Agencies must provide searchable digital records in native format when requested.

ALPR-specific provisions

Favorable

No ALPR-specific exemption. ALPR data is subject to standard CORA exemptions only. No ALPR-specific public records exemption. ALPR data is subject to standard CORA exemptions.

Exemptions to watch for

These are the exemptions agencies most commonly invoke to deny surveillance records requests. Knowing them helps you anticipate and counter a denial.

  • Law enforcement investigation records
  • Personal privacy (personnel files, medical records)
  • Trade secrets and proprietary information
  • Security plans and procedures
  • Attorney-client privileged communications
  • Deliberative process (inter-agency/intra-agency advisory communications)

Agencies in Colorado

Denver Police Department
Denver active
Aurora Police Department
Aurora active

Generate a request letter

For Denver Police Department

When to use

You want to see what the cameras actually recorded — plates, vehicle descriptions, images, timestamps.

Generated letter
To: Records Access Officer From: [Your Name] Date: 2026-08-30 Subject: CORA Request — ALPR/Flock Safety Detection Data Dear Records Access Officer: Pursuant to the Colorado Open Records Act (C.R.S. \xA7\xA7 24-72-201 to 24-72-206), I request access to and copies of the following records: All automated license plate reader (ALPR) detection logs, images, and associated metadata captured by any ALPR device (including but not limited to Flock Safety cameras) operated by or on behalf of Denver Police Department during the following time period: Date: [Date] Time: [Start Time] to [End Time] This includes but is not limited to: license plate numbers, vehicle make/model/color, vehicle images, detection timestamps, camera identification numbers, and any alerts generated. I request that records be provided in searchable electronic format in their native digital format. If fulfilling this request will cost more than $25, please provide an estimate before proceeding. Please note that the first hour of research and retrieval is free. I expect records to be made available within three working days as required by C.R.S. \xA7 24-72-203(3)(b). If you deny any portion of this request, please cite the specific statutory basis and provide a written explanation. Thank you for your assistance. [Your Name] [Your Address] [Your Email]