Search Phillips County Court Records
Phillips County court records are not searched through a county-built case database. The Colorado Judicial Branch states that limited online access to court records is available through linked commercial vendors, while document copies must come from the court or the statewide record request form. That means a full Phillips County court records search often uses more than one channel: the docket page for hearing dates, CoCourts for register-of-actions data, and Phillips Combined Court for official copies.
The Colorado Judicial Branch Phillips County court page is the local starting point for court links, staff, dockets, jury service, payments, interpreter requests, and records requests. The Judicial Branch record/document request form is the direct route for a divorce decree, disposition, sentence order, ticket, probate letter, will, Register of Action, or certified copy.
- Use the statewide docket page when the need is a hearing date, courtroom, case type, or party schedule.
- Use CoCourts or another Judicial Branch-listed vendor when a paid register of actions is enough.
- Use the record/document request form when a copy, certified copy, or case document is needed.
- Contact Phillips Combined Court when the case is old, sealed, hard to identify, or tied to a court deadline.
- Use the County Clerk and Recorder only for marriage licenses, recorded documents, and county CORA records.
The Colorado Judicial Branch Phillips County page shows the local court landing page used for court links and records access.
That state page matters because Phillips County court records are maintained within Colorado's unified court system, not by a separate county case portal.
Phillips County Court System
Phillips County is part of Colorado's 13th Judicial District with Kit Carson, Logan, Morgan, Sedgwick, Washington, and Yuma Counties. The Phillips Combined Court in Holyoke houses both District Court and County Court functions. District Court is the general trial court for felonies, larger civil cases, domestic relations, juvenile matters, probate, and appeals from county court. County Court handles misdemeanors, traffic infractions, small claims, lower-value civil cases, protection orders, and felony complaints before transfer.
Several district judges serve Phillips County as part of a regional bench. The Judicial Branch staff page lists Chief Judge Carl S. McGuire III and district judges Matthew W. E. Bradley, Dina M. Christiansen, Stevie M.G. Gagliano, Robert C. James, and Kimbra L. Killin as serving counties that include Phillips County. Kimberlee Keleher is listed as Phillips County Court Judge, Division 4. Kathy Browning is listed as Jury Commissioner and Clerk of Court for Phillips and Sedgwick Counties.
Case flow: County Court filing or felony complaint > District Court transfer or appeal when allowed > Colorado Court of Appeals > Colorado Supreme Court review where allowed.
| Court or office | Phillips County role | Common records |
|---|---|---|
| Phillips Combined Court | Local courthouse for state court matters | Dockets, filings, court copies, jury service |
| District Court | General-jurisdiction trial court | Felony, civil, divorce, juvenile, probate, appeals |
| County Court | Limited-jurisdiction trial court | Misdemeanor, traffic, small claims, protection orders |
| Clerk of Court | Court records custodian | Case documents, certified copies, ROA requests |
Phillips County Clerk Records Split
Phillips County has two clerk functions that are easy to confuse. Court case files, dockets, criminal dispositions, divorce decrees, traffic tickets, probate filings, and official court copies are handled by the Colorado Judicial Branch Clerk of Court for Phillips Combined Court. Marriage licenses, recorded land documents, motor vehicle services, driver-license services, elections, commissioner minutes, and county CORA requests are handled by the Phillips County Clerk and Recorder.
The distinction controls where a request goes. A criminal disposition or divorce decree should go through the court record request form or Phillips Combined Court. A marriage certificate copy or recorded deed should go through the Clerk and Recorder. Recorder records from February 1997 forward are linked through a county recorded-document portal, while court records use the state court process.
| Need | Correct Phillips County office | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce decree | Clerk of Court | Divorce is a District Court case record |
| Marriage license copy | County Clerk and Recorder | Marriage licenses are county recorder records |
| Traffic ticket copy | Clerk of Court | Traffic cases are court records |
| Recorded deed | County Clerk and Recorder | Recorded instruments are recorder records |
Phillips County Court Dockets
Dockets show scheduled court activity, not the full case file. The Colorado Judicial Branch docket search lets users filter by date, judicial district, county, case number, party, attorney, court location, and case type. The research capture notes that the docket page requires a date plus at least one more filter, so a search for Phillips County dockets works best with the 13th Judicial District, Phillips County, a case number, or a party name.
Dockets are useful before travel because the Phillips County court page states appearances are in person unless a court order says otherwise. A docket result can help confirm a hearing, but it should not be treated as a certified record or a complete record history. For copies of pleadings, orders, dispositions, or tickets, use the court record request form or call the clerk.
| Docket field | How it helps |
|---|---|
| Date | Required for the statewide docket search |
| Judicial District | Phillips County is in the 13th Judicial District |
| County | Select Phillips County to narrow the schedule |
| Case Number | Best field when the exact case is known |
| Party or attorney | Useful when the case number is not known |
The statewide docket search is the official route for public hearing-date lookup.
Use docket data as a schedule check first, then request the court record if a filed document or certified result is needed.
Phillips County Record Access
The Judicial Branch access guide explains that court records are available under Colorado court access rules, but online access is limited and may use vendors. CoCourts states that it provides Colorado register-of-actions data from the state ICON system for open and closed cases. Its public coverage includes district civil, domestic relations, and criminal cases, plus county traffic, traffic infraction, civil, small claims, and misdemeanor cases. It excludes sealed cases, juvenile records, and probate case types.
For official Phillips County court records, the record request form is more important than a vendor search. The form lets a requester select Phillips County, choose a case type, enter party data, request document categories, and mark whether certification or exemplification is needed. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, the form says the requested response will be provided within three business days.
Key access rules:
C.R.S. 24-72-201 states Colorado's general public-records policy.
C.R.S. 24-72-301 to 309 governs many criminal justice records.
CJD 05-01 governs public access to court records in Colorado clerk offices.
CJD 06-01 sets many court copy, research, and redaction charges.
The Judicial Branch public records access guide is the source for court access limits and vendor routing.
That access guide is the best way to separate court records from county CORA records and law-enforcement records.
Phillips County Record Requests
The statewide court record/document request form is the main formal channel for Phillips County court copies. It asks for contact information, address, case number if known, case type, filing year, county/location, date of birth if known, party information, other case details, requested documents, and whether certified or exemplified copies are needed. Case type choices include civil, divorce, felony, juvenile, misdemeanor, probate, protection order, small claims, traffic, and water.
The request form also lists document checkboxes that match common Phillips County needs: complaint/information, disposition/sentence order, protection order, ticket, divorce decree, parenting plan, support order, civil judgment, transcript of judgment, probate letters, will, trust, petition, claims, and Register of Action. This is why the form is the better route when the goal is a document, not just a docket date.
| Request field | Phillips County use |
|---|---|
| County/location | Select Phillips County for local cases |
| Case type | Choose civil, divorce, felony, misdemeanor, probate, traffic, or another listed type |
| Party information | Required names on the case |
| Requested documents | Check the exact court document needed |
| Certification | Mark this when an official copy is required |
The Judicial Branch record/document request form is the route for Phillips County court copies and certified documents.
The form's county and document fields help prevent a docket search from being mistaken for a court copy request.
Phillips County Court Record Fees
Court copy charges come from the Judicial Branch fee estimates, not from the county recorder's fee table. The record request form lists common charges for copies, certified or exemplified documents, name searches, retrieval, and research or redaction. The county Clerk and Recorder has a separate CORA policy and a separate recording fee schedule, so those county fees should not be applied to court case copies.
| Court record item | Fee or rule |
|---|---|
| Copy per page | $0.25 |
| Party or attorney copy cap | Maximum $15 for parties and their attorneys |
| Certified or exemplified copy | $20 per document |
| Name search | $5 |
| Off-site retrieval | Actual cost of retrieval |
| Research or redaction | $30 per hour after the first hour, in 15-minute increments |
Note: Recorder charges, marriage-license fees, and court-copy fees come from different custodians and should be checked with the office holding the record.
Phillips County Court Record Types
Phillips County court records can include civil filings, criminal case files, traffic tickets, domestic-relations records, probate documents, protection-order matters, small claims, and county-court misdemeanors. Civil records may contain complaints, answers, motions, orders, judgments, transcripts of judgment, and satisfactions of judgment. Criminal court records may contain complaint or information documents, advisement entries, bond orders, motions, plea paperwork, minute orders, disposition or sentence orders, and protection orders connected to a criminal case.
Family and domestic-relations records are District Court records. Divorce decree, parenting plan, separation agreement, support order, and petition are all request options on the court form. Probate documents are also District Court records in Phillips County, but CoCourts says probate is not included in its vendor database. Traffic court records can include tickets, court dates, fines, costs, disposition, and payment status.
- Docket
- A schedule or event list for court matters.
- Register of Action
- A chronological case summary with actions, hearings, charges, and minute entries.
- Disposition
- The current or final result of a case or charge.
- Certified copy
- A clerk-certified copy used when an official court copy is required.
Phillips County Criminal Records
Criminal court records in Phillips County are case files. They differ from a statewide criminal history. The 13th Judicial District Attorney's Office prosecutes state felony and misdemeanor cases and some traffic offenses in the district that includes Phillips County. The DA's Sterling Office serves Phillips County, and the Colorado State Public Defender Sterling Office covers Phillips County for eligible defendants.
For court charges, the court file may show the complaint, information, charge statute, hearing events, plea, disposition, and sentence order. For a statewide name-based criminal-history check, use CBI Internet Criminal History Check rather than a single Phillips County case. For a current custody issue, use the sheriff or statewide custody tools. For a full case file, start with Phillips County criminal court records.
The CoCourts register of actions page explains Colorado public register data and several limits on public fields.
Vendor register data can help locate a case, but court documents and certified copies still come from the court.
Phillips County Inmate Records
No official Phillips County Colorado online jail roster was located in the official county sources. The official local channel is the Phillips County Sheriff's Office, led by Sheriff Michael Beard, with local records requests submitted through the sheriff public-records request page by email, fax, or mail. The research also warns that search results are polluted by Phillips County Kansas and Phillips County Arkansas jail pages, which are not Colorado sources.
Statewide tools fill different roles. Colorado DOC offender search is for sentenced state-prison offenders. Colorado VINE provides custody-status and criminal-case notifications. The CBI sex-offender registry is the official state registry linked by the Phillips County Sheriff's Office. For local custody, call the sheriff before relying on any nonofficial roster.
Phillips County Warrant Search
No official Phillips County Colorado online active-warrant list was located. Warrant questions should go through the sheriff for local law-enforcement status or Phillips Combined Court when the issue is tied to a court case, missed hearing, bond order, or failure to appear. The statewide docket search may show hearing context, but it is not an active warrant search.
CBI fugitive operations publishes statewide fugitive information and Top 20 Most Wanted tip channels, but it is not a complete Phillips County warrant database. A person trying to resolve a warrant should call the sheriff or court, confirm the case number, ask whether bond or a hearing is required, and verify that the record updates after resolution.
Phillips County Marriage Probate Records
Marriage licenses are handled by the Phillips County Clerk and Recorder, not the Clerk of Court. The county marriage page states that the license fee is $30, cash or check only, and the license is valid upon receipt for use anywhere in Colorado within 35 days. The signed license must be returned to the issuing county for recording within 63 days. For copy questions, Recorder Chauntine Lundgren is listed at 970-854-3131.
Divorce and probate are court records. Divorce decrees are requested through the Judicial Branch record form by choosing Divorce and checking the decree or related domestic documents. Probate records are handled by the Probate Division of District Court at Phillips Combined Court. Probate case types are not included in CoCourts, so request probate letters, wills, trusts, petitions, claims, and closing records through the court form or clerk.
The Phillips County homepage is the county starting point for Clerk and Recorder, sheriff, county contacts, public notices, and CORA access.
The county homepage is useful for non-court records, while court case records stay with the Colorado Judicial Branch.
Phillips County Court Payments
The Colorado Judicial Online Payment System accepts court fees, fines, costs, and restitution for eligible cases and includes Phillips County as a selectable court location. Payments made after 4:00 p.m. are applied on the following business day. A payment portal is not the same as a record search, so confirm the case and obligation before paying.
The Colorado Judicial Online Payment System is the state payment channel for eligible Phillips County court obligations.
Traffic and criminal case payments may still require a court check if the matter involves a hearing, warrant, bond, or driver-license consequence.
Phillips County Courthouse Details
Phillips Combined Court is located at 221 S. Interocean Avenue, 2nd Floor, Holyoke, CO 80734. The court phone is 970-762-7010, the fax is 970-458-7742, and the court email is PhillipsClerksOffice@judicial.state.co.us. Public court counter hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The County Clerk and Recorder is in the same courthouse address with public hours Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Phillips Combined Court
221 S. Interocean Avenue, 2nd Floor
Holyoke, CO 80734
970-762-7010
PhillipsClerksOffice@judicial.state.co.us
Phillips County Clerk and Recorder
221 S. Interocean Avenue
Holyoke, CO 80734
970-854-3131
Beth.Zilla@phillipscounty.co
Phillips County Sheriff's Office
221 S. Interocean Avenue
Holyoke, CO 80734
970-854-3644
Records fax: 970-854-2332
The Phillips Combined Court location page publishes the local court address, phone, email, and hours.
Use the court location page for court-counter details and the county contact page for county-office records.
Phillips County Court History
The Phillips County Courthouse is more than a filing address. History Colorado and National Register materials identify it as a Public Works Administration project built between 1935 and 1936. Denver architect Eugene G. Groves designed the building, and the courthouse was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on December 28, 2007. Phillips County was created in March 1889 and named for R.O. Phillips, secretary of the Lincoln Land Company.
The courthouse history is useful for records work because the same courthouse block remains the active local government and court anchor. County government, the Clerk and Recorder, the sheriff, commissioners, and Phillips Combined Court all connect back to the South Interocean Avenue courthouse address.
The Colorado court records search overview shows how the state routes record users toward official access channels.
That statewide records overview helps explain why Phillips County users often move from local court pages to state forms.
Phillips County Court FAQ
Can I search Phillips County court records for free?
Free public docket lookup is available through the Colorado Judicial Branch docket search, but the Judicial Branch says online court record access is limited and may use vendors. Official document copies require the court request form or the clerk.
Where do I get a certified Phillips County court record?
Use the Judicial Branch record/document request form and mark that certification or exemplification is needed. You can also contact Phillips Combined Court at 970-762-7010 for local questions.
Are Phillips County probate records on CoCourts?
No. CoCourts says probate case types are not included. Probate documents in Phillips County should be requested through the Probate Division of District Court or the statewide court request form.
Is there a Phillips County online jail roster?
No official Phillips County Colorado jail roster was located in the inspected official sources. Call the sheriff at 970-854-3644 for current local custody questions.