KRDO13 Investigates: Colorado backlog delays sealing of criminal records

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - A growing backlog in Colorado’s criminal record-sealing system is leaving hundreds of thousands of cases waiting to be processed and, in some cases, delaying people’s ability to move on after their cases are dismissed.

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is responsible for sealing criminal records, says it is currently working through approximately 430,000 cases that still need to be sealed, including about 314,000 convictions and roughly 116,000 non-convictions, such as dismissed cases.

CBI says the backlog has been driven in large part by recent changes in state law that significantly expanded eligibility for record sealing and shifted the process.

In recent years, Colorado lawmakers passed multiple bipartisan laws aimed at making record sealing more accessible. Those changes shifted the process from one in which individuals had to file paperwork themselves to one in which the state automatically seals eligible records.

State Sen. Mike Weissman, who chairs the Senate Judiciary Committee, said the goal was to remove barriers for people trying to move forward after involvement in the criminal justice system.

"In the law, basically, if you’re eligible… the burden is supposed to be on the government to take care of that… rather than the burden being on the individual," Weissman said.

Before those changes, people often had to file paperwork, pay fees, or navigate the court system on their own to have their records sealed - and studies showed only a small percentage of eligible individuals actually completed the process.

Now, courts are sending large batches of eligible cases - including dismissed cases and some lower-level offenses - to CBI for processing.

At the same time, the system is still largely manual.

CBI says its team of about 15 employees is responsible for handling the workload, though the agency reports it has increased productivity in recent years.

According to state data, the number of seal orders has more than doubled since 2021 - increasing from about 10,800 cases that year to more than 50,000 annually in recent years.

CBI reports it has completed:

• 10,826 seals in fiscal year 2023–2024
• 25,729 in 2024–2025
• and 45,910 so far in 2025–2026

The agency says it is on pace to complete about 60,000 cases this fiscal year.

Even with that increase, officials acknowledge the backlog remains a challenge.

CBI says it is exploring options to improve the process, including applying for grant funding to help automate record sealing in the future.

"Automation is the long-term goal to eliminate the backlog of records to be sealed," the agency said in a statement to KRDO13 Investigates.

Weissman said lawmakers expected the system to rely more heavily on automation, rather than manual processing.

"The law… contemplated that this would be able to be done in a substantially automated way," he said.

He added that lawmakers are now looking into what changes may be needed, including potential staffing increases or improvements to technology, to address delays.

Meanwhile, some Coloradans say the backlog is having real-world impacts.

One man in Chaffee County, who asked not to be identified, told KRDO13 Investigates his case was dismissed and ordered sealed in August 2025. However, he said it did not come off his record until February 2026.

During that time, he said he was applying for jobs and believes the delay may have affected his opportunities, including a senior software engineering position with a six-figure salary.

KRDO13 Investigates confirmed that the man has no criminal history before or after the case in question.

Lawmakers say they plan to continue reviewing the issue as the system works to catch up.

If you have information you believe the public needs to know, KRDO13 Investigates wants to hear from you. Tips can be submitted by emailing 13Investigates@krdo.com.

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