Planning & Development Services Records Request Resources

Thanks for contacting the P&DS Records Group! We offer a range of tools and resources to help you find what you need. Below is important information to consider:

• Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) requests are limited to providing records only. CORA research does not include interpreting plans, building codes, or policies or answering questions concerning any document(s) provided. We do not generate new records in response to a records request. Summaries or other custom work is not within the scope of a records request.
• We do not keep permit documentation unless it is for new construction or major modifications.
• You may read a description of issued permits using the Map and Property Information link, Customer Self-Service (CSS) link, or Open Data referenced in the sections below.

(Annexations, ordinances, contracts, etc.) Requests may be made by contacting Central Records at 303-441-3085 or by email.  Please allow for an appropriate amount of time (3 business days) for a response.

For a list of permits associated with a property and a brief description of those cases, use our online mapping resource, eMaplink. Please enter the address in the upper left corner, zoom into the parcel, and click once on it to open a window with parcel information. Click once on the blue hyperlink “Property Report”. (Also, see the CSS information two bullets below for more case listings and information)

The development review map is an excellent clearinghouse for information related to all projects in the city. It also includes application records for planning cases.

The data in this map can be downloaded on the city of Boulder Open Data site.

The EnerGov Land Management, Permitting and Licensing Customer Self-Service Portal may be useful in your research. This site has an address and case number search for general viewers and registered accounts. This includes links to permits, project numbers, and basic information regarding the case, including contractor names and inspection dates. The CSS system also provides access to inspection results/report. Inspections in the city of Boulder are pass/fail. There is no additional documentation associated with an inspection.

City construction permits may include any combination of Building, Electrical, Elevator, Fire, Mechanical, Plumbing, Antenna, Awning, Demolition, Fence, Grading, Mobile Home, Moving, Photovoltaic, Right-of-Way, Roofing, Siding, Sign, Sitework, Temporary Event, Water, Wastewater, Floodplain, Wetland, or Woodstove permit types. The data can be downloaded on the city of Boulder’s Open Data site.

A current code violation search can be done for any property within the city limits in eMapLink. Zoom into any property in the city and after clicking on it the enforcement report is available in the pop-up menu.

These codes, rules and regulations comprise the minimum standards required for development in the City of Boulder. Archives of past versions of codes and regulations can be found at Records Archive | City of Boulder. Select “Browse City Council Records”. Past code versions are in the “City Charters & Codes” section.

To obtain an official flood zone determination letter and the supporting city and FEMA maps, please go to the Floodplain Development page.

Enter the address in the left search area of the city’s floodplain map, and choose the Elevation Certificate layer in the left side bar. If a certificate exists, there will be an icon on the property. Click on the icon to view the certificate.

For a list of contractors licensed to work within the City of Boulder and their contact information, please visit Contractor Licensing | City of Boulder (bouldercolorado.gov)

A link to all transportation and roads information.

For parcel-specific Zoning and/or Building Department information (excluding a request for specific city records), there is an existing service, of limited scope, that may prove useful. Please refer to Development Review and Plan Case Applications | City of Boulder.The zoning verification letter is an ADR (Administrative Review) application.

NOTE: While the application documents and other ancillary records related to a zoning verification letter are provided as part of a records request, the final action/disposition (aka Zoning Verification Letter) is not. You may obtain copies of past zoning verification letters by paying the fee for a new zoning verification letter.

As for clarity about what sort of service(s) are currently offered by the City of Boulder, please be advised that the Zoning Verification Letter service is not intended to provide comprehensive research, analysis, or interpretation of a development or parcel (or of an associated discretionary review). Instead, through the Zoning Verification Letter service, city staff will provide the following:

• Underlying zoning district for the parcel in question
• Any active compliance cases
• And, as a courtesy
• Identification of mapped prior discretionary reviews (PUDs, Site Reviews, Use Reviews, etc.). This does not include comprehensive research, interpretation, or analysis of records. Discretionary records requests will be treated separately from a Zoning Verification Letter.

To view current zoning please refer to Zoning | City of Boulder.

For general questions (related to codes and regulations, review processes, permits, fees, application requirements, etc.), you are welcome to visit our home page, where you will find comprehensive self-help resources as well as staff contact information.

You may also place a specific inquiry in Inquire Boulder, under the Planning and Development tab.

In addition, we have an open data catalog. The open data catalog provides access to many published datasets in machine-readable format.

The Carnegie Library has various web and in-person resources for archival records
1125 Pine St.
Boulder, CO 80302
Ph: 303-441-3110

Boulder County Clerk & Recorder is the custodian of all recorded documents such as plats, subdivision agreements, annexations, right-of-ways, vacations, & etc. The following links may help you search the County’s web site for recorded documents. You may also visit the Clerk & Recorder’s office at 1750 33rd St, Suite 201 Boulder, CO 80301.

• Community Planning and Permitting
• Recording Division Online Services
• Property Search for properties within Boulder County, including within the City of Boulder:
• Plat and Survey Search
• Boulder County Related Colorado Open Records Act (CORA) requests:
  • Licenses, Permits & Records - Boulder County
  • Colorado Open Records Act - CORA - Boulder County

Concerning your request for environmental information, if the City of Boulder has issued an environmental permit, it is in conjunction with the State of Colorado. The City of Boulder’s Department of Planning & Development Services does not have information on file related to potential environmental issues. The State handles all permits and incidents. Additional information can be found on the state’s website.