Montezuma County Busted Mugshots

Montezuma County busted mugshots and arrest records are kept by the Montezuma County Sheriff's Office in Cortez, Colorado. The sheriff runs the county jail and handles all bookings in the area. Montezuma County sits in the far southwest corner of the state, near the Four Corners region. Arrest data and booking photos fall under Colorado's open records laws. You can search for Montezuma County mugshots through state tools, local requests, and online databases. This page covers how to find arrest records in Montezuma County, what tools are out there, and where to send your requests.

Montezuma County Mugshot Records

The Montezuma County Sheriff's Office is the main law enforcement body for the county. It sits at 730 East Driscoll Street in Cortez. The phone number is (970) 564-4986. The sheriff runs the county jail and processes all bookings. When someone gets arrested in Montezuma County, they are brought to the jail in Cortez for booking. A mugshot is taken at that time. The booking record lists the person's name, charges, date of birth, and the date of arrest. These records are part of the public file under Colorado law.

Montezuma County does not run a large online inmate roster. Some bigger Colorado counties have live inmate search tools on the web. Montezuma County is more rural, so access to booking records often means calling the sheriff or going in person. You can reach the Montezuma County Sheriff's Office by phone during business hours. Ask for the jail division if you need current inmate info. They can tell you who is in custody and what the charges are. For records that go back further, put your request in writing and send it to the sheriff's office at 730 East Driscoll Street, Cortez, CO 81321.

Note: Montezuma County's jail is small, so some inmates may be held in nearby county facilities.

Searching Montezuma County Arrest Records

The best online tool for finding Montezuma County busted mugshots is the CBI records check. The Colorado Bureau of Investigation runs a public name search at cbirecordscheck.com. It costs $6.85 per search. You type in a name and CBI pulls results from its statewide database. If someone was booked in Montezuma County and the data was sent to CBI, it will show up here. Most results come back the same day. This tool covers every county in Colorado, not just Montezuma.

The CBI records check at cbirecordscheck.com is the fastest way to search for Montezuma County booking data online.

Use this tool to run a name search that covers all Colorado counties, including Montezuma County.

For local records, you can also contact the sheriff directly. Under the Colorado Criminal Justice Records Act, records of official action are open to the public. Arrests, charges, and case outcomes must be shared when you ask. The first hour of staff time to find your records is free. After that, the county can charge up to $41.37 per hour. Copies cost $0.25 per page. The sheriff has three business days to respond under CORA, the Colorado Open Records Act. Be as specific as you can when you submit your request. Include the full name of the person and the date of arrest if you know it.

Montezuma County Court Records

Montezuma County is part of the 22nd Judicial District. It shares this district with Dolores County. The district court in Cortez handles felony and misdemeanor cases that come from arrests in the county. Court records are different from booking records. The court file has charges, plea deals, trial results, and sentences. You can search Colorado court records through the Colorado Judicial Branch website. Look up cases by name or case number.

If you need Montezuma County mugshots, those come from the sheriff, not the courts. The court tracks what happened after the arrest. The sheriff keeps the arrest record and the booking photo. Both types of records are public in most cases. The main exceptions are sealed records, juvenile cases, and certain files that are protected by law. Most adult arrest records in Montezuma County are open if you ask for them.

Note: Court records and jail booking records are stored by different offices in Montezuma County.

Record Access Laws in Montezuma County

Two Colorado laws shape how Montezuma County shares arrest records. The CCJRA says records of official action must be open. That includes arrests, charges, and dispositions. CORA sets the process for how you ask for any public record in Colorado. Under CORA, agencies have three business days to respond. They can take more time for large requests, but they must tell you why there is a delay.

The CCJRA information page from CBI explains what counts as a record of official action and how agencies must handle records requests.

This page covers the rules that apply to all Colorado counties, including Montezuma.

Fees in Montezuma County follow state rules. The first hour of research is free. After that, the charge is up to $41.37 per hour for staff time. Paper copies run $0.25 per page. Digital copies may cost less depending on the format. If you want a certified copy of a Montezuma County arrest record, there may be an extra fee. Always ask about costs before you send a big request. The sheriff's office will let you know what to expect.

Sealing Montezuma County Records

Colorado lets people seal certain criminal records. This includes Montezuma County busted mugshots. Under C.R.S. 24-72-703, you can ask the court to seal your record if you meet the right conditions. Cases that ended in a dismissal, acquittal, or certain convictions after a wait period may qualify. The filing fee is $224. It can be waived if you have low income. Once sealed, the record does not show up in public searches for Montezuma County arrest data.

Colorado also has rules for automatic sealing. Under C.R.S. 24-72-704, some records get sealed without you filing a petition. Drug offense records and cases where charges were never filed may qualify for this. For arrests in Montezuma County after January 1, 2022, if the DA did not file charges within one year, CBI may seal those records on its own. Sealed records are still visible to law enforcement. But the public cannot see them through normal search tools.

Montezuma County Victim Resources

If you need to track someone arrested in Montezuma County, use the VINE system. VINE stands for Victim Information and Notification Everyday. It sends you alerts when an inmate's custody status changes. You get notified if they are released, moved, or escape. The Colorado VINE system covers jails across the state, including Montezuma County. It is free and confidential to sign up.

The Colorado Department of Corrections runs an offender search tool at doc.state.co.us/oss. This covers people serving state prison time. If someone from Montezuma County was convicted of a felony and sent to state prison, their record shows up there. It does not cover people in the county jail or those who have been released.

The DOC offender search at doc.state.co.us/oss lets you look up anyone in the state prison system from Montezuma County.

This database only covers state prison inmates, not those held in the Montezuma County jail.

Montezuma County Background Checks

CBI handles background checks for all of Colorado. If you need a formal record check tied to Montezuma County, you go through CBI. The online check at cbirecordscheck.com costs $6.85 and pulls from the statewide database. For fingerprint checks, you need to visit an approved vendor. Those cost more and take about 10 business days to process.

Montezuma County arrest data that gets reported to CBI shows up in these checks. Rural counties sometimes have delays in sending data to the state level. If you need the most current Montezuma County arrest records, contact the sheriff's office in Cortez directly. The CBI database is strong for historical records and broad searches. But the sheriff has the freshest local data for Montezuma County busted mugshots and booking info.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Montezuma County. If you are not sure which county handled an arrest, check the booking location on the record.