Confidentiality/Records Release Information

Information pertaining to educators are confidential, unless otherwise contrary to state statute, pursuant to Section 22-2-111(3)(a), C.R.S., states, “Except when requested by the governor or a committee of the general assembly or pursuant to compliance with section 22-32-109.8 or 22-2-119, all papers filed in the department of education that contain personal information about applicants for employment, employees, or holders of educator licenses or authorizations or about pupils’ test scores are classified as confidential in nature; however each educator has the right to inspect and to have copies made at the educator’s expense of all information pertaining to the educator on file in the department of education.” 

To request information about an educator you must complete and submit the Authorization for Release of Records form. This form will require authorization from the educator in which you are requesting information. In order to do this, the requestor will complete the top portion of the form and then obtain authorization from the educator in front of a notary. If you are seeking records on yourself, you will complete the top and bottom portions of the form, your signature must be notarized. Once complete, you will click the link below, complete the short questionnaire, and you will upload the completed form where asked.

Once the Background Investigation Unit of the Educator Licensing Office has received your signed Authorization for Release of Records form and has reviewed the request, you may receive an invoice for total amount due for the processing of your request. Once the invoice as been sent and the fee has been received, the request will be processed. Payments for records will be made through the COOL eLicensing system and instructions will be shown on the invoice.

The records in the custody of the Educator Licensing Unit are considered “Criminal Justice Records.” Release of "Criminal Justice Records" is governed by the Colorado Criminal Justice Act (CCJRA), C.R.S. 24-72-301 et seq. Pursuant to the CCJRA §24-72-306, reasonable fees, not to exceed actual costs, including but not limited to personnel and equipment, for the search, retrieval, and redaction of the records will have to be paid before the records are released. Fees are billed in quarter hours at the rate of $7.50 or $30.00 per hour, with a 1 hour minimum fee per request. Records are provided by CDE electronically only, no hard copies are provided. Once the fee has been received by our office, the records will be compiled. If the actual time exceeds the quote shown on the invoice, additional fees may be required.

For information regarding public records in the custody of CDE proper, outside of the Educator Licensing Unit, please visit the Communications Division's website.