Washington County District Court Role
Colorado District Courts are the state's trial courts of general jurisdiction. In Washington County, District Court functions operate at Washington Combined Court in Akron. The same courthouse also houses County Court functions, so the public counter may serve more than one court level even though the records and jurisdiction differ. District Court handles civil cases in any amount, domestic relations, felony criminal cases, juvenile matters, probate, and mental health matters.
Washington County belongs to the 13th Judicial District with Kit Carson, Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, and Yuma counties. The 13th Judicial District Attorney describes the district as covering seven counties and 11,432 square miles. For Washington County users, that regional structure means felony prosecution, public defense, and some administrative functions are district-wide, while the local court counter remains Washington Combined Court.
Washington Combined Court
26861 Hwy 34, P.O. Box 455
Akron, CO 80720
970-345-2756
Fax 970-514-9757
Washingtonclerksoffice@judicial.state.co.us
Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m.
Washington County District Court Table
Washington County does not have multiple separately numbered district-court courthouses in the research. The local court table is therefore a combined-court table showing the District Court, County Court, sheriff/justice center, and county clerk record channels that readers are most likely to confuse. The District Court and County Court share the same Washington Combined Court address and clerk contact.
| Court / Office | Type | Address | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County District Court | General jurisdiction trial court | 26861 Hwy 34, P.O. Box 455, Akron, CO 80720 | 970-345-2756 |
| Washington County Court | Limited jurisdiction trial court | 26861 Hwy 34, P.O. Box 455, Akron, CO 80720 | 970-345-2756 |
| Washington County Sheriff's Office / Justice Center | Law enforcement, jail, civil process | 26861 Hwy 34, Akron, CO 80720 | (970) 345-2244 |
| Washington County Clerk and Recorder | County records and marriage licenses | 150 Ash Avenue / P.O. Box L, Akron, CO 80720 | (970) 345-6565 |
District Court vs County Court
District Court and County Court records should not be treated as the same record set. District Court is broader and handles the more serious or complex matters. County Court handles lower-level civil, misdemeanor, traffic, small claims, and protection order matters. Municipal Courts may handle local ordinance issues where a municipality operates that court, but no separate official Washington County-wide municipal case portal was located.
| Issue | District Court | County Court | Municipal Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Civil role | Civil cases in any amount | Civil cases under $25,000 and small claims | Local ordinance matters where applicable |
| Criminal role | Felony criminal cases | Misdemeanors, traffic, and felony complaints before transfer | Municipal code violations |
| Family cases | Divorce, domestic relations, juvenile, and related matters | Not the main family court channel | Not a divorce or probate court |
| Probate | Estates, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, and mental health matters | Not the probate court channel | Not applicable |
| Appeal path | Usually Colorado Court of Appeals | May be appealed to District Court | Depends on municipal and state rules |
Washington County Case Flow
A Washington County case can start in one court and move to another depending on type and severity. A felony complaint may begin at an early stage and later proceed in District Court. A County Court decision may be appealed to District Court. District Court decisions generally go to the Colorado Court of Appeals, with further review discretionary in the Colorado Supreme Court except in limited direct-review situations.
Criminal flow: Investigation or arrest › Advisement and bond › DA filing decision › Preliminary hearing when applicable › Arraignment › Motions or plea negotiations › Trial or plea › Disposition and sentence › Appeal.
Civil and family flow: Petition or complaint filed › Response or answer › Disclosures and motions › Settlement, mediation, or status conference if ordered › Hearing or trial › Judgment, decree, or permanent orders › Post-judgment action or appeal.
Search Washington County District Records
The official free online starting point is the Colorado Judicial Branch Docket Search. Select the 13th Judicial District, Washington County, Washington Combined Court, and District Court when those fields fit the case. The form allows date range, case number components, party, business, attorney name, and attorney bar number searches. At least one filter in addition to date is required.
Docket Search helps locate dates and identifiers. Official copies of District Court filings, divorce decrees, case dispositions, probate papers, and certified documents should be requested from Washington Combined Court or through the Judicial Branch records request path. State-listed commercial record vendors may charge for register-of-actions searches, but they are not the source for official court documents.
| Case class | Washington County District Court use |
|---|---|
| CR | Criminal felony-type cases. |
| DR | Domestic relations and divorce matters. |
| PR | Probate, estates, guardianships, and conservatorships. |
| CV / C | Civil cases depending on case type and system classification. |
| JV / JD | Juvenile matters, usually more restricted than adult files. |
Washington County Federal Distinctions
The U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado is separate from Washington County District Court and does not maintain local Colorado state trial court files.
Use the federal district court only for federal civil, criminal, agency, constitutional, or federal-question cases, not local divorce, probate, or traffic matters.
The District of Colorado contact page lists federal courthouse contacts and clerk intake details outside Washington County.
Federal clerk contact information is useful only when the case is federal; Washington Combined Court remains the local state court contact.
The PACER CM/ECF court lookup helps locate federal electronic filing systems.
PACER is the federal record system, while Colorado Judicial Branch tools handle Washington County state District Court docket access.
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado handles bankruptcy cases separately from county probate and civil debt files.
Bankruptcy is federal and should not be confused with Washington County probate, estate, or local civil collection records.
The PACER bankruptcy court lookup lists the Colorado bankruptcy court contact and electronic filing details.
Use that route for federal bankruptcy filings; use Washington Combined Court for local District Court case records.
Washington County District Case Types
Felony criminal cases are District Court matters after filing or transfer. The 13th Judicial District Attorney reviews law enforcement reports and decides appropriate filing decisions. Advisement, bond, preliminary hearing, arraignment, plea, trial, disposition, sentencing, restitution, probation, warrants, and mittimus documents can appear in a criminal District Court record. The public defender channel for eligible defendants is the Colorado State Public Defender, with the 13th Judicial District Public Defender phone listed as (970) 522-5032 in the court research.
Divorce and domestic relations cases are also District Court matters. Copies of divorce paperwork or decrees come from the courthouse where the divorce was filed. Probate in Washington County is a District Court function too, covering estates, wills, guardianships, conservatorships, trust registration statements, inventory and accounting, and related orders. Juvenile and mental health matters may be District Court records, but public access is more limited because those files can involve the Children's Code, medical information, minors, protected persons, or privacy orders.
Washington County District Context
Washington County is a large rural county, and the court and sheriff share the Highway 34 Justice Center campus. County administrative records, marriage licenses, motor vehicle, elections, and recording work are centered at 150 Ash Avenue. Court users should pick the office by record type: District Court files at Washington Combined Court, jail or sheriff records through the Sheriff's Office, and marriage or recorded county documents through the Clerk and Recorder.
Colorado Judicial Branch 2026 releases reported a new 13th Judicial District judgeship created by SB25-024, effective July 1, 2026, with nominating commission interviews at Washington Combined Court. That was a district-wide judgeship, not a new Washington-only court, but it shows the Akron courthouse's role in regional judicial administration. The local court page also warns that courts do not call parties demanding payment for missed jury service; report those calls to law enforcement.
Note: A Washington County District Court record is a state trial court record, not a federal District of Colorado record.