Arapahoe County Detention Facility

Enter his full name on Arapahoe County Inmate Search. A name that stays missing is worth a call to 720-874-3500 and ask whether another agency is holding him or has a warrant on him.

The booking entry on Arapahoe County Inmate Search lists it. Call 720-874-3500 for the number and ask who set it.

Yes. A city officer may take a person to a city lockup first, or straight to Centennial. Get a report number from the arresting department and run the search once more. Aurora, which spans three counties, runs a city detention center of its own for some cases.

A Colorado law on money bonds, C.R.S. 16-4-102, bars any requirement to cover booking charges, bond fees or old debts as a price of release on a money bond. Only the bond amount is due. The sheriff's bond page promises release within six hours of receiving every required bond payment, barring extraordinary cases. If the wait feels too long, ask the jail line 720-874-3500 what is causing it.

Call 720-874-3500 and ask before you leave home. Ask four things: which payment types the lobby takes, whether cards are allowed, what hours bond can be posted, and whether anything must be paid to the court clerk instead. Never hand cash to anyone outside the building.

A judge picks the bond type: a promise to appear, a promise with conditions, or a money bond. Colorado law favors the mildest release terms consistent with public safety and a return to court. A money bond can be paid in cash, with Colorado real estate, with sureties worth at least 1.5 times the bond, or through a bonding agent. The payer selects the method, except where a judge has specified one.

Not a fixed one. The 18th District's chief judge signed Order 25-11, which says in its own words that it is not a bond schedule. It gives judges starting points only. Some examples: a first-offense DUI or DWAI, $1,000; a class 1 misdemeanor, $1,000 (or $5,000 if it is domestic violence); a class 6 felony, $1,250; a class 4 felony, $5,000; a class 3 felony, $25,000. Domestic violence cases need a protection order on the record before any bond is set.

Judges weigh the offense, prior history and danger to others, and may depart from these figures. The jail line 720-874-3500 reads the actual amount from the booking.

For a fee, a licensed agent will post the bond and may want a co-signer or collateral. Under C.R.S. 10-2-707, the premium may not exceed 15 percent of the bail, or $50, whichever is more. Get the full price, the refundable share and the cost of a missed date on paper before signing. Be wary of any caller who reaches out first and asks for money.

Possibly. The property must be in Colorado, with unencumbered equity of at least 1.5 times the bond. Cars and mobile homes are excluded. Every owner on the deed has to appear with photo ID. A deed of trust listing the court clerk as beneficiary gets recorded, and title evidence follows within 35 days. The process is slower than cash, so ask the court clerk how long it takes.

Colorado law calls for a bond setting within 48 hours of arrival at the jail. The Arapahoe County Justice Center, 7325 South Potomac Street, Centennial, is open Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Court questions go to its main line, 303-645-6600. A lawyer can ask for a bond review later if the first number is too high.

It may just mean the amount is still pending before a judge. Other causes include a probation hold or an outside warrant. The Colorado Constitution, Article II, Section 19, as amended by Amendment I in 2024, lets a court deny bail for first-degree murder when the proof is evident or the presumption is great. Ask the jail line what the hold is for.

Youth under 18 are held at the Marvin W. Foote Youth Services Center, 13500 East Fremont Place, Centennial, which the state runs for the 18th Judicial District. Admissions answers at 303-768-7520 and the main line is 303-768-7529. Juvenile files are confidential, so the adult lookup omits them.

Bring it up at the opening hearing so the judge can appoint counsel. The Colorado State Public Defender's Arapahoe office, 13356 East Briarwood Avenue, Centennial, answers at 303-799-9001. A conflict in that office leads to a court-appointed substitute.

A bench warrant can follow, and the cash or property pledged on the bond may be lost. Call the court at 303-645-6600 and your lawyer or agent at once.

Real offices never want gift cards, crypto or money sent to an individual, so such a request is fraud. Stop and call the jail yourself at 720-874-3500.

Most bond business in Arapahoe County happens on or near South Potomac Street:

• Arapahoe County Detention Facility: 7375 South Potomac Street, Centennial, CO 80112, 720-874-3500 for bond amounts and appointments
• Sheriff's Office headquarters: 13101 East Broncos Parkway, Centennial; 720-874-3600; non-emergency dispatch 303-795-4711
• Arapahoe County Justice Center (district and county court, 18th Judicial District): 7325 South Potomac Street, Centennial, CO 80112, 303-645-6600, weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• District Attorney, 18th Judicial District: 6450 South Revere Parkway, Centennial, 720-874-8500
• Public Defender, Arapahoe office: 13356 East Briarwood Avenue, Centennial, 303-799-9001
• Marvin W. Foote Youth Services Center: 13500 East Fremont Place, Centennial, 303-768-7529

Property bonds are posted at the court clerk's office in the Justice Center during business hours, since the jail does not take them.

A city ordinance charge stays in that city's court, and its bond can differ from a state bond:

• Aurora Municipal Court: 14999 East Alameda Parkway, Aurora, 303-739-6444
• Englewood Municipal Court: 1000 Englewood Parkway, Englewood, 303-762-2580
• Littleton Municipal Court: 2069 West Littleton Boulevard, Littleton, 303-795-3837
• Centennial Municipal Court: 13133 East Arapahoe Road, Centennial, 303-754-3380
• Greenwood Village Municipal Court: 6060 South Quebec Street, Greenwood Village, 303-773-6033
• Sheridan Municipal Court: 4101 South Federal Boulevard, Sheridan, 303-762-2200
• Glendale Municipal Court: 950 South Birch Street, Glendale, 303-639-4610

The citation names the right court. Its clerk can say whether the city bond goes through the Centennial jail.

State rules frame each Arapahoe bond, whichever judge signs it:

• Timing: bond is set within 48 hours after the person reaches the jail.
• PR bond: release on a signature, with no cash or property posted.
• Unsecured amount: money owed only after a failure to appear.
• Cash: the jail counter and lobby kiosk take cash and Visa or Mastercard; money orders and certified bank checks go to the counter.
• Agent bond: state law caps a licensed agent's premium at 15 percent of the bail or $50, whichever is higher.
• Property: Colorado real estate whose equity reaches 1.5 times the bond, filed at the court clerk.
• No money bond: traffic, petty and comparable city offenses.
• Fees: one $10 bond fee per bond and a card fee up to 3.5 percent; neither can delay release.
• Online: the sheriff takes bond payments online and by phone around the clock, as House Bill 25-1015 requires, with credit card accepted.
• Held without bail: Amendment I (2024) covers first-degree murder when the proof is evident or the presumption great.

The sheriff states that release follows within six hours of receiving every required bond payment. The law is Colorado bail law, C.R.S. Title 16, Article 4 (https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-16.pdf); bond types are explained at Colorado Judicial Branch guide to bond types (https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/self-help/types-bonds).

Federal charges bypass the Potomac Street bond counter. The U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado takes the case, with its clerk at the Alfred A. Arraj U.S. Courthouse in Denver, 901 19th Street, Denver, CO 80294, 303-844-3433. In order:

• The person goes before a magistrate judge in Denver.
• Federal Pretrial Services prepares a background report.
• Prosecutors may move for detention until trial.
• Any release carries conditions written into a federal order.

Before sentencing, the U.S. Marshals choose where the person waits: U.S. Marshals Service, 901 19th Street, 3rd Floor, Denver, CO 80294, 303-728-7800.

Match the search to the custody stage:

• Sentenced federal inmate: Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator (https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/); a pretrial federal detainee is tracked through 303-728-7800.
• Colorado prison: Colorado Department of Corrections inmate search (https://www.doc.state.co.us/oss/).
• Arapahoe jail: Arapahoe County Inmate Search, or the sheriff's Inmate Charges and Bonds search.

Our Arapahoe County inmate search page adds more tools.

Colorado law, C.R.S. 24-76.6-102 (https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-24.pdf), does not let a sheriff arrest or keep a person on a civil immigration detainer alone. When the Arapahoe charges permit release, the jail may not prolong custody at ICE's request, though ICE can act through federal channels.

The ICE Denver Field Office, 12445 East Caley Avenue, Centennial, CO 80111, 720-873-2899 sits in Centennial and covers the county. The ICE Online Detainee Locator System (https://locator.ice.gov/odls/) searches by A-number and birth country.

VINE is free and lists current custody status:

• Visit VINELink (https://vinelink.vineapps.com/) and pick Colorado.
• Look up the person by name or jail ID number.
• Choose the right person and read whether they are in custody.
• Sign up for phone, text or email word of a release or transfer.

Start with these free tools:

• Court calendar: Colorado Judicial Branch docket search (https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/dockets); select Arapahoe County.
• Court filings: court record request form (https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/recorddocument-request-form), or call 303-645-6600.
• Charges and bonds: the sheriff's charges and bonds lookup.
• Warrants: call the Sheriff's Office at 720-874-3600; city warrants go to the issuing municipal court.

Anyone with a warrant can surrender at the Detention Facility, preferably with a lawyer present.

Each of these lines can verify part of the bond:

• Detention Facility, 720-874-3500, for the amount, holds and an appointment.
• Justice Center, 303-645-6600, for the court order and court date.
• The city court on the citation, for a municipal charge.

Officers in Aurora, Englewood and the rest of the county may skip the arrest and hand over a summons, a written order telling the person which day to report to Potomac Street. Someone who is arrested and booked at the Arapahoe County Detention Center, right on the Justice Center campus, has to see a judge quickly. Bond (the release conditions, with or without money, that let a person go home while the case is pending) has to be decided inside 48 hours of the jail booking, so the Justice Center even runs Saturday bond hearings at 1 p.m. For petty offenses and most traffic crimes, Colorado’s rules keep money out of the bond decision.

The first County Court appearance, called the arraignment, is where the accused hears the charge, learns their rights and answers “guilty” or “not guilty.” Where jail is a possible sentence and private counsel is unaffordable, the court can appoint the state public defender. The Arapahoe office is at 13356 E. Briarwood Ave., Centennial, phone (303) 799-9001. Conflict cases go to lawyers paid through the Office of Alternate Defense Counsel.

Plenty of cases end in a plea deal or a dismissal. Diversion programs let some people complete requirements and walk away without a conviction. A misdemeanor trial in Colorado uses six jurors. Colorado’s 2022 reform set the ceilings: M1, up to 364 days and $1,000; M2, up to 120 days and $750. A first DUI comes with its own set of punishments, such as alcohol education, probation and losing your license for a while.

Under 18: Teens charged with misdemeanors go to the juvenile division of Arapahoe District Court. Many qualify for the 18th District DA’s juvenile diversion, a program that lets a young person fix the harm and avoid a record. City municipal courts sometimes handle teen traffic or city-law cases. Arapahoe youths kept in custody are entitled to a detention hearing within 48 hours, skipping over weekends and holidays. Detained youth from this area are commonly held at the Marvin W. Foote Youth Services Center, a state Division of Youth Services detention center in Centennial.

Because a felony can mean a prison term, the case passes through extra stages. Felony cases start in Arapahoe County Court with a first advisement and bond. The DA then files charges. Higher-level felonies give the accused a right to request a preliminary hearing, a mini-hearing to test for probable cause (a fair reason to think the person did it), held no more than 35 days after the request. With probable cause found, the judge binds the case over (sends it up) to Arapahoe District Court. Occasionally the 18th District DA takes a case to a grand jury, citizens who meet in private and can vote to indict.

The District Court arraignment comes next. A not-guilty plea gives the 18th District six months to begin trial, unless defense requests stretch that time. Felony juries in Colorado seat 12 people.

Felony classes run from 1 (most serious) to 6, and drug crimes use a separate DF1–DF4 scale. The standard prison ranges, called presumptive ranges, are: class 2, 8 to 24 years; class 3, 4 to 12; class 4, 2 to 6; class 5, 1 to 3; class 6, 12 to 18 months. Not everyone goes to prison. Probation, community corrections and the county’s treatment courts are common outcomes. A person’s fourth DUI is a class 4 felony.

Under 18: Most teen felony cases are heard in Arapahoe’s juvenile court, which is meant to help kids change course. Results can include probation, therapy, paying the victim back, or a placement in a Division of Youth Services center. When the charge is serious enough, Arapahoe prosecutors may seek a transfer hearing, asking a judge to shift the teen’s case to adult court.

The Justice Center in Centennial also hears the county’s most serious cases. Defendants are much more likely to stay in jail while they wait. A Centennial judge may deny bond completely in a first-degree murder prosecution when the evidence looks strong. Under C.R.S. 18-1.3-406, a charge proven to be a “crime of violence” must lead to prison, with a sentence from the midpoint of the normal range up to double the top number. The result: 16 to 48 years for second-degree murder (class 2) and 10 to 32 for aggravated robbery.

Colorado punishes first-degree murder, a class 1 felony, with life in prison and no parole for adults. The state’s death penalty was repealed, effective July 1, 2020. Some sexual assault convictions carry indeterminate sentences, so a parole board later decides on release. Crime victims and their families hold rights under Colorado’s constitution (art. II, § 16a) and the Victims’ Rights Act, covering notice of key hearings and time to address the court. The DA’s victim advocates explain each step.

Under 18: Arapahoe prosecutors may “direct file” in adult court only against 16- or 17-year-olds, and only for the two most serious felony classes or a qualifying violent sex offense. Younger teens, down to age 12 for the worst crimes, can reach adult court only by way of a judge’s transfer ruling. Colorado also forbids sentencing anyone to life without parole for something they did as a minor. Arapahoe juvenile judges have one heavier tool: labeling a youth an aggravated juvenile offender, which permits a commitment of as long as seven years.

Aurora reaches into Adams and Douglas counties, so an Aurora case may belong to a different county court. Denver, next door, has its own city-run County Court that is not part of the state system. Free ways to check on a case: Colorado’s courts do not run a free online site where you can read case records. You can still do three things for free. Use the statewide docket lookup to see upcoming hearings. Ask for copies of filings by submitting the judicial branch’s record request. Or contact the Justice Center clerk. For a fee, private companies will search Arapahoe cases online; the state’s access guide names them.

State criminal cases from Arapahoe County go to Centennial, while city cases stay local:

• Arapahoe County Justice Center (18th Judicial District): 7325 South Potomac Street, Centennial, CO 80112, 303-645-6600; weekdays 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• Arapahoe County Courthouse, Littleton: 1790 West Littleton Boulevard, Littleton
• District Attorney: 6450 South Revere Parkway, Centennial, 720-874-8500
• Public Defender: 13356 East Briarwood Avenue, Centennial, 303-799-9001
• Detention Facility: 7375 South Potomac Street, Centennial, 720-874-3500
• Municipal courts: Aurora 303-739-6444; Englewood 303-762-2580; Littleton 303-795-3837; Centennial 303-754-3380; Greenwood Village 303-773-6033; Sheridan 303-762-2200; Glendale 303-639-4610
• Youth detention: Marvin W. Foote Youth Services Center, 13500 East Fremont Place, Centennial, 303-768-7529

Jail bond steps are on our Arapahoe County bail page; the statute is Colorado bail law, C.R.S. Title 16, Article 4 (https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-16.pdf).

This sketch of Arapahoe County criminal cases offers background only. To get advice about one particular charge, hire a defense lawyer or phone the public defender’s Centennial office at (303) 799-9001.

Courtroom times at the Justice Center change, so call 303-645-6600 before heading to Centennial, and confirm with the jail at 720-874-3500 that the person is still in custody.

Centennial judges apply these Colorado rules when they set bond:

• The setting must happen within 48 hours of jail arrival.
• Traffic, petty and matching municipal charges get no money condition.
• Judges begin from the least restrictive option that keeps people safe and secures appearance.
• Under HB25-1015, jail bonds must be payable online, with credit card as an option.
• Amendment I (2024) lets a judge refuse bail on first-degree murder when proof is evident or the presumption great.

The Colorado Judicial Branch guide to bond types (https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/self-help/types-bonds) page explains every bond type.

Federal court: Some cases are brought under U.S. law instead of Colorado law. Such charges are filed in federal court, the District of Colorado bench at the Alfred A. Arraj U.S. Courthouse, 901 19th Street, Denver, which covers Arapahoe County. (The federal court also hears cases in other cities, such as Colorado Springs, Grand Junction and Durango; see cod.uscourts.gov.) Typical federal crimes include big drug-trafficking rings, identity theft schemes, bank robbery, and guns owned by people with felony records. Crimes on Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora can be federal because the base is federal property. Arapahoe County has no tribal land. Pick a topic below.

Arapahoe federal cases are heard by the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado:

• Clerk: the Alfred A. Arraj U.S. Courthouse in Denver, 901 19th Street, Denver, CO 80294, 303-844-3433
• U.S. Marshals: U.S. Marshals Service, 901 19th Street, 3rd Floor, Denver, CO 80294, 303-728-7800

Release is decided by a Denver magistrate judge, and the Marshals pick a holding jail.

• County jail: Arapahoe County Inmate Search
• State prisons: Colorado Department of Corrections inmate search (https://www.doc.state.co.us/oss/)
• Federal prisons: Federal Bureau of Prisons Inmate Locator (https://www.bop.gov/inmateloc/); before sentencing, 303-728-7800
• VINE: VINELink (https://vinelink.vineapps.com/), showing custody status with release alerts.

Our Arapahoe County inmate page lists other searches.

C.R.S. 24-76.6-102 (https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-24.pdf) bars Arapahoe deputies from holding anyone on a civil ICE detainer by itself.

• Field office: ICE Denver Field Office, 12445 East Caley Avenue, Centennial, CO 80111, 720-873-2899
• Locator: ICE Online Detainee Locator System (https://locator.ice.gov/odls/)

• Dockets: Colorado Judicial Branch docket search (https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/dockets)
• Records: court record request form (https://www.coloradojudicial.gov/recorddocument-request-form)
• Charges and bonds: sheriff's lookup
• Warrants: Sheriff's Office, 720-874-3600