Custer County Clerk of Court Office
The Custer Combined Court clerk is the local Colorado Judicial Branch office for case filings and court records in Custer County. The office serves both District Court and County Court matters. That means one state court clerk handles felony case files, misdemeanor case files, traffic tickets filed in state court, small claims, civil cases, protection orders, divorce and custody cases, juvenile matters, probate files, and many copy requests tied to those cases.
This is different from the Custer County Clerk & Recorder. The court clerk keeps the case file once a lawsuit, charge, ticket, divorce, probate matter, or protection order is filed in court. The county Clerk & Recorder keeps land recordings, marriage-license records, Board of County Commissioners records, election records, motor-vehicle records, and county public records. The two offices share the courthouse address, but they are separate custodians with separate rules. For land recordings and marriage licensing, use Custer County Clerk & Recorder records instead.
Custer Combined Court Clerk
205 S. 6th St.
PO Box 60
Westcliffe, CO 81252
(719) 783-2274
Fax: 719-735-1706
Email: custercountyclerk@judicial.state.co.us
Hours: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; lunch closure 12:00 to 12:30 p.m.
Custer County Court Clerk Records
The Clerk of Court handles the court side of Custer County records. The practical list includes pleadings, motions, orders, tickets, complaints, criminal dispositions, sentencing orders, civil judgments, transcripts of judgment, satisfactions of judgment, divorce decrees, parenting plans, support orders, probate letters, wills filed in probate, applications, petitions, and registers of action. A register of action is a brief chronological case summary that can show filings, charges, sentence entries, and minute orders.
Colorado Judicial Branch online access is limited. The official public-access guide says vendors may provide name or case-number search access to register-of-actions data for civil, civil water, small claims, domestic, felony, misdemeanor, and traffic cases. Those vendor results are not the official court record, and documents are not downloaded from those commercial systems. Official copies still come from the court or the state record/document request form.
- District Court files include felony, divorce, domestic relations, probate, juvenile, mental health, and larger civil matters.
- County Court files include traffic, misdemeanor, small claims, protection-order, felony complaint, and limited civil matters.
- Certified court documents are requested from the court clerk or through the Judicial Branch form.
- Restricted records may require party status, an attorney role, a court order, or government-issued photo ID.
Request Custer County Clerk Copies
Certified copies are often needed when a document must prove a legal fact outside the court file. Common Custer County examples include certified divorce decrees, certified criminal dispositions, certified probate letters, certified civil judgments, and certified protection-order documents. Plain copies may be enough for review, but banks, title companies, agencies, employers, and other courts may ask for certification or exemplification.
- Identify the case type and court location. Use Custer County or the 11th Judicial District for local state court matters.
- Gather the case number, filing year, party names, date of birth if known, and document type.
- Submit the Colorado Judicial Record/Document Request Form or contact the clerk by phone, email, fax, or in person.
- Mark whether the document must be certified or exemplified.
- Wait for the court to estimate fees and confirm any identity requirement for restricted material.
- Arrange payment and delivery with the clerk once staff responds.
Wednesday and Friday filing needs require extra care. The local Judicial Branch notice states that Wednesday filings, and pleadings on Friday when the Custer clerk counter is closed, may be faxed to 719-735-1706 with a phone number so staff can arrange payment if needed.
Custer County Clerk Request Fields
The online court record request form asks for requester contact information and enough case details for staff to identify the file. It supports common Custer County court case types, including child custody, civil, divorce, felony, juvenile, misdemeanor, probate, protection order, small claims, traffic, and water. If a case number is not known, party names and filing year become more important.
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Requester name, email, phone, and address | Generally needed | Used for response, fee estimate, and delivery. |
| Case number | Optional | Helpful when known; the form gives example format 2019T999999. |
| Case type | Optional | Choose the best match, such as Divorce, Felony, Probate, Traffic, or Water. |
| County or location of records | Optional | Select Custer County when known. |
| Party information | Required | Enter the names on the case, not just the requester name. |
| Document category | Optional | Examples include Register of Action, Complaint/Information, Disposition/Sentence Order, Divorce Decree, and Probate Letters. |
| Certification or exemplification | Optional | Check this when an official certified document is needed. |
Custer County Court Clerk Fees
Court copy and search costs come from Colorado Judicial Branch fee rules. The Legislature increased many filing fees on January 1, 2025, so current filing costs should be checked before submitting a new case. For record requests, the research file identifies the following court clerk copy and request charges.
| Court record item | Fee estimate |
|---|---|
| Copy per page | $0.25, with a $15 maximum for parties and their attorneys and no maximum for non-parties. |
| Transcript of judgment | $25 |
| Certificate of satisfaction | $20 |
| Certified or exemplified copy per document | $20 |
| Name search | $5 |
| Off-site case-file retrieval | Actual cost of retrieval |
| Research or redaction | $30 per hour in 15-minute increments after the first hour |
Fees may apply even when the record is public. Public access does not mean the clerk must provide free copies, certification, redaction review, or file retrieval.
Custer County Clerk Forms
The highest-use court record form is the statewide record/document request. It replaces a county-only case document search for many readers because the Judicial Branch does not provide free public document downloads from its website. The same access guide distinguishes court case records from judicial administrative records and from county CORA records.
The Colorado Judicial public records access guide explains online records, court document requests, data requests, CJD 05-01, P.A.I.R.R., and vendor limits. Aggregate court, probation, or financial data requests use the CJD 05-01 Addendum A process and are not the same as asking for a single Custer County case document.
The assigned manifest image from iCounty recorded document search relates to the separate county recording system, which is handled by the Custer County Clerk & Recorder rather than the state court clerk.
That split is why court users should not treat a land-record search as a court case search. Deeds and recorded instruments may help an estate or civil judgment search, but the case file still comes from the court clerk.
Custer County Clerk Hours
Custer County court counter hours are unusually important because the local office is not open every weekday. Official court business hours are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., except state holidays. The Clerk's Office closes for lunch from 12:00 to 12:30 p.m. The Judicial Branch notice says the Custer County Clerk's Office began closing Wednesdays on September 3, 2024.
For parties with deadlines, the local fax option matters. The court instructs people who need to file pleadings on Wednesday or Friday to fax the forms and include a phone number. Staff can then contact the filer about payment if needed. That rule is especially relevant for traffic deadlines, civil responses, probate filings, and criminal or protection-order paperwork.
Important: Use the court clerk for court records and the county Clerk & Recorder for recorded land, marriage, election, motor-vehicle, and county administrative records.
Custer County Federal Records
Custer County state court files do not include federal civil, federal criminal, bankruptcy, or federal appellate records. Those matters are outside Custer Combined Court. The U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado contact page identifies federal clerk intake locations in Denver, and federal electronic records use PACER rather than the Custer court clerk.
Use federal court channels only when the case was filed in federal court. A local felony, divorce, probate, traffic, or small-claims matter remains a Colorado state court record handled through Custer Combined Court.
Custer County Clerk Record Limits
The court clerk can provide court records, but the office does not provide legal advice, choose forms, or change a case result through a records request. If a record appears wrong, ask what filing, order, or correction process is required. If the record is sealed, juvenile, suppressed, or protected by court rule, staff may explain access requirements without releasing the document to the general public.
Use the records email, court phone, fax, or online request form for document questions, and use the online payment system only for eligible fines, fees, costs, and restitution. A payment screen is not a complete court file. For certified proof, request the actual order, disposition, decree, letters, ticket, or register of actions from the clerk.