Civil Process

The Sheriff has a role as the executive branch of the District and County Courts and is required by law to serve civil and criminal processes and to execute writs and orders from these courts. Civil papers can be received at our office or can be mailed to us at the address on the General tab. Payment must be received prior to serving paperwork.

Sheriff's Office employees are not allowed to give legal advice. This includes the eviction process or how to fill out court documents. This type of information can be obtained through an attorney's office or the Colorado courts website.

The San Miguel County Sheriff's Office can only serve civil papers within San Miguel County. If you have papers that need to be served out of San Miguel County, you will need to contact the Sheriff's Office or a private process server in that county.

Civil Process Fees & Information

The Civil Deputy can be reached at 970-369-8624 or by email.

Civil Process Procedures

We require prepayment for all civil processes. Remit $49.50 for each process needing to be served. You will be refunded or billed for any payments below or above the $49.50 amount. Make checks payable to San Miguel Sheriff's Office. For questions call 970-369-8624 or email the Civil Deputy.

Provide one copy of the document to be served, a service fee, a cover letter directing the Civil Deputy, and a self-addressed, stamped envelope. You may also send your own Return of Service; if not, one of ours will be generated. If a notary spot is on an affidavit we will notarize it regardless if it's needed or not for a $2 fee (included in prepayment). Our returns have an area for a notary.

 We do not accept faxes or emails for papers to be served.

Service will be attempted with the information provided. We ask that you provide as much information as possible so that the individual being served can be easily found. Pertinent information should include:

  • Home address (A post office box is not adequate)
  • Home, work, and cell phone numbers
  • Place of employment, address

Mail all the paperwork to the San Miguel Sheriff's Office at 684 CR 63L, Telluride, CO 81435.

Rules for Serving Civil Process

"A Sheriff is obligated to serve and to execute all processes, writs, and orders issued by courts or other legal authority as soon as possible…if a Sheriff gives priority to other matters subsequently delivered, the Sheriff is not serving with due diligence." Statute 30-10-515, 12A C.R.S. (Repl. Volume 1986).

Therefore, by law, we will not give special treatment to any one person or attorney's office. To do so would be in violation of state statutes. We will serve the papers as they come into the office and we will not make any service a priority if we have others that were subsequently received and have not yet been executed. A private process server may be contacted for more expedited service.

Service Exceptions

Temporary / Permanent Restraining Orders are served immediately. If after 4:45 p.m. or on weekends, contact Dispatch at 970-728-1911