Thornton Busted Mugshots
Thornton busted mugshots and booking records come from the Adams County Sheriff's Office. The city sits in Adams County, just north of Denver, and all arrests in Thornton lead to booking at the Adams County Detention Facility in Brighton. You can search for Thornton arrest records and mugshots through the county's online inmate search tools. This page walks you through how to look up booking photos, where to find arrest data, and what to know about public records access for Thornton residents. About 142,000 people live in Thornton, which makes it one of the bigger cities in the Denver metro area that feeds into the Adams County jail system.
Thornton Quick Facts
Thornton Arrests and Adams County Bookings
Thornton does not run its own jail. When someone gets arrested in Thornton, the Thornton Police Department makes the arrest, but booking takes place at the Adams County Detention Facility. That facility is at 150 North 19th Avenue in Brighton. It runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Every person booked there gets a mugshot taken as part of the process. The booking record includes the person's name, charges, and personal details. All of this falls under the Adams County Sheriff's Office, which manages the jail and keeps the records.
Thornton is one of the largest cities that uses the Adams County jail for bookings. The Thornton Police Department handles local law enforcement, but once an arrest is made, the county takes over for jail and detention. If you are trying to find Thornton busted mugshots, you need to search through Adams County tools. The city does not maintain a separate booking database. This is how most Colorado cities work. The county sheriff runs the jail, and the city police make arrests and hand people off for booking at the county facility in Brighton.
Note: All Thornton arrest bookings go to the Adams County Detention Facility at 150 N 19th Ave, Brighton, CO 80601.
Search Thornton Mugshots Online
The fastest way to find Thornton busted mugshots is the Adams County inmate search. The Adams County Sheriff inmate search page gives you access to the booking database. You can look up people by name. Results show charges and booking info for anyone held at the Adams County jail right now.
This is the main page to start looking up Thornton arrest records held by Adams County.
The search only covers current inmates. If the person you are looking for has been released from the Adams County jail, their name will not appear in the results. For older Thornton booking records, you have to reach out to the Adams County Sheriff's Office directly. You can call the warrants section at (720) 322-1325 during business hours, Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. For bonding questions, the number is (303) 654-1850. The non-emergency dispatch line for Adams County is (303) 288-1535, and you can ask them to direct your call if you are not sure which department handles your request for Thornton arrest data.
Another option is the Adams County inmate search database. This tool lets you type in a name and pull up booking records. It updates throughout the day as new bookings come in and people get released. If your first search for Thornton busted mugshots shows no results, check back later. The person may not be in the system yet, or they could have been released.
Thornton Arrest Records Access
Booking records for Thornton arrests are public. Colorado's Criminal Justice Records Act, or CCJRA, found at C.R.S. 24-72-301, governs how criminal justice agencies share records. Records of official action must be open. That includes arrests, charges, and case outcomes. Anyone can look up this info. You do not need to give a reason or prove a connection to the case. The law says that arrest records, booking data, and mugshots fall under "records of official action" when held by a criminal justice agency like the Adams County Sheriff.
To get a copy of a Thornton arrest record that is not available online, send a written request to the Adams County Sheriff's Office. Their main address is 4430 S. Adams County Parkway, 1st Floor, Suite W5400, Brighton, CO 80601. You can also email them at sheriff@adcogov.org. Include the full name of the person and the approximate date of arrest. The first hour of research is free under CORA. After that, they can charge up to $41.37 per hour. Copies cost $0.25 per page.
Keep in mind that you will need to sign a form saying you will not use the records for direct solicitation of business. This is a state requirement under Colorado's CORA policy. It applies to all records requests across the state, not just Thornton.
Colorado Criminal History Checks for Thornton
If you need a broader search beyond what the Adams County jail roster shows, Colorado has a statewide criminal history check system. The CBI Internet Criminal History Check lets you run a name-based search for Colorado arrest records. It costs $6.00 per search. This covers arrests statewide, not just in Thornton or Adams County. The results show criminal history from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation database. Sealed records, most juvenile arrests, and traffic stops for people under 16 are not included in public results.
The CBI system is good for a broader look at someone's record. But it does not show current jail status or booking photos like the Adams County tools do. For Thornton busted mugshots specifically, the county inmate search is the best tool. For a more complete criminal history that goes back years, the CBI check fills in the gaps. You can also check the Colorado Department of Corrections offender search to see if someone is in state prison. That tool shows photos, current facility, and conviction details for people serving time in Colorado DOC facilities.
Thornton Record Sealing
Colorado law lets people seal their arrest records in certain cases. This applies to Thornton busted mugshots as well. Under C.R.S. 24-72-703, you can ask a court to seal your criminal record. Sealed records do not show up in public searches. The filing fee is $224 but can be waived if you qualify based on income. For arrests made after January 1, 2022, where charges were never filed, CBI may seal those records automatically after one year.
Drug offenses may qualify for automatic sealing under C.R.S. 24-72-704. The sealing process does not erase the record. Law enforcement and prosecutors can still see it. But the public cannot find a sealed Thornton mugshot through normal search tools. If you believe your Thornton arrest record should be sealed, talk to a lawyer or contact the Adams County court. The sealing rules have changed in recent years, so what did not qualify before might qualify now.
Thornton Mugshot Removal
Colorado passed House Bill 14-1047 to deal with websites that post mugshots and then charge fees to take them down. Under this law, it is a misdemeanor to request mugshots with the intent to post them on a pay-to-remove site. If a Thornton mugshot shows up on one of these sites, you can send a written removal request. If charges were dropped or you were found not guilty, the site must take it down for free. You can recover up to $1,000 per violation in civil damages if the site refuses to comply.
This law helps Thornton residents who find old booking photos posted online. News sites are exempt from this rule, but commercial mugshot sites are not. You can also use Google's "Results About You" tool to report search results that show your booking photo. This does not remove the image from the source site, but it can get the link taken out of search results. For more on the process, contact a Colorado attorney who deals with record issues.
Adams County Busted Mugshots
Thornton is in Adams County. All arrest bookings go through the Adams County Sheriff's Office and its detention facility in Brighton. For a full look at the county's jail system, search tools, contact info, and more resources, visit the Adams County page.
Nearby Cities
These cities are near Thornton. Some share the same county jail system. Select a city to find local busted mugshots and arrest record resources.