Rule 79.Records

Current through June 1, 2026 · Last verified July 10, 2026

In one sentenceRule 79 requires the clerk to keep a chronological register of every filing, order, and judgment in a case, along with indices, hearing calendars, and a separate record of money judgments, and to retain or dispose of those records under the state's records-management rules.

Full Text of Rule 79

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e)

(a) Register of Actions. The clerk shall keep a record known as the register of actions and shall enter therein those items set forth below. The register of actions may be in any of the following forms or styles:

(1) A page, sheet, or printed form in a book, case jacket, or separate file.

(2) A microfilm roll, film jacket, or microfiche card.

(3) Computer magnetic tape or magnetic disc storage, where the register of actions items appear on the terminal screen, or on a paper print-out of the screen display.

(4) Any other form or style prescribed by supreme court directive. A register of actions shall be prepared for each case or matter filed. The file number of each case or matter shall be noted on every page, film, or computer record whereon the first and all subsequent entries of actions are made. All papers filed with the clerk, all process issued and return made thereon, all costs, appearances, orders, verdicts, and judgments shall be noted chronologically in the register of actions. These notations shall be brief but shall show the nature of each paper filed or writ issued and the substance of each order or judgment of the court and of the returns showing execution of process. The notation of an order, or of the entry of judgment, shall show the date the order or judgment was ordered in open court, in chambers, or under the provisions of Rule 55 regarding default. When trial by jury has been demanded or ordered, the clerk shall enter the word jury on the page, film, or computer record assigned to that case.

(b) Copies of Civil Judgments and Orders. (Repealed).

(c) Indices; Calendars. The clerk shall keep suitable indices of all records as directed by the court. The clerk shall also keep, as directed by the court, calendars of all hearings and all cases ready for trial, which shall distinguish trials to a jury from trials to the court. Indices and calendars may be in any of the following forms or styles:

(1) A page or sheet in a book or separate file.

(2) A mechanical or hand-operated index machine or card file.

(3) Computer magnetic tape or magnetic disc storage, where the information appears on the terminal screen, or on a print-out of the screen display.

(4) Microfilm copies of 1, 2, and 3 above.

(5) Any other form or style prescribed by supreme court directive.

(d) Judgment Record. The clerk shall keep a judgment record in which a notation shall be made of every money judgment. The judgment record may be in any of the following forms or styles:

(1) A page, sheet, or printed form in a book, case jacket, or separate file.

(2) Computer magnetic tape or magnetic disc storage, where the judgment and subsequent transactions appear on the terminal screen, or on a paper print-out of the screen display.

(3) A microfilm copy of 1 and 2 above.

(4) Any other form or style prescribed by supreme court directive.

(e) Retention and Disposition of Records. The clerk shall retain and dispose of all court records, including those created under Rule 79(b) prior to its repeal, in accordance with instructions provided in the manual entitled, Colorado Judicial Department, Records Management.

End

Amendment History

The source reproduced here (current through June 1, 2026) records no amendment to this rule since its original adoption — no Credits line appears for it in the compiled rules. For the underlying adopting order and any later amendments, see the Colorado General Assembly.

Plain-English Summary

Rule 79 sets out the records every clerk's office must keep for a civil case. The register of actions is the case's running log: every paper filed, every process issued and returned, every cost, appearance, order, verdict, and judgment gets noted in order, with enough detail to show what was filed or ordered and when. The clerk marks whether an order or judgment came from open court, chambers, or a default under Rule 55, and flags any case set for a jury trial.

The clerk also keeps indices of the court's records and calendars of upcoming hearings and trial-ready cases, separating jury trials from bench trials, plus a judgment record that tracks every money judgment entered. None of these records has to take a particular physical form — paper, microfilm, and computer storage are all listed as acceptable formats, along with any other format the state supreme court directs.

An earlier part of the rule requiring the clerk to send out copies of civil judgments and orders has since been repealed. The clerk now retains and disposes of all court records, including the records that provision once covered, under the schedule set out in the state's records-management manual.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the "register of actions"?

It's the chronological record the clerk keeps for each case, noting every paper filed, every writ issued and returned, and the substance of every order and judgment.

Does the register of actions have to be a paper docket book?

No. Rule 79 allows the register to be kept on paper, microfilm, computer storage, or any other format the state supreme court approves.

How does the clerk show that a case will be tried to a jury?

Once a jury trial has been demanded or ordered, Rule 79(a) requires the clerk to enter the word "jury" on that case's record.

What happened to Rule 79(b)?

It has been repealed. The retention and disposal of the records it once covered is now handled under Rule 79(e), following the state's records-management manual.

Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the official Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure (Colo. R. Civ. P. 79). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Colorado (C.R.S. § 13-2-108; Colo. Const. art. VI). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 10, 2026. · Official source

Also known as: register of actions coloradocourt docket entriesjudgment record clerkcase file retention scheduleclerk's indices and calendarsjury trial docket notation