FAQs

In accordance with CRS §24-33.5-412, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation is a request only agency; thus, we do not take and/or file our own missing persons reports. If you would like to report someone as missing, you must contact the law enforcement agency where your loved one was last seen. Please note, our online forms do not serve as a way to file a missing persons report. 

The most important step is to contact your local law enforcement agency, or the agency that is responsible for the area where your loved one was last seen. Please keep in mind, law enforcement will ask you descriptive information about your loved one as well as the circumstances surrounding why you believe them to be missing. Try to gather as much of that as possible prior to making the report; the more information you can share, the better! Click here to learn about additional steps to take when a loved one goes missing. 

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation understands that the disappearance of a loved one can be very traumatic; thus, we hold several events every year to honor the missing and support those family and friends who work tirelessly to bring them home. The CBI assists in hosting the following annual events:

• Missing Children Poster Contest - Every year, the U.S Department of Justice sponsors a national poster contest to highlight the issue of missing children in the United States. All Colorado 5th grade students are invited to submit a poster to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation depicting the theme "Bring Our Missing Children Home."
• Colorado Missing Persons Day - In Colorado, February 4th of each year is designated as 'Colorado Missing Persons Day'. Every February, a group of law enforcement and family members of those missing in Colorado gather at the State Capitol building to honor Colorado missing persons. A vigil is held along with a reading of the Missing Persons Resolution and reading of the names of all those persons currently missing in Colorado. 
• Missing in Colorado Day - Held in late summer every year and serves to provide resources to the co-victims of a missing person' case. Representatives from law enforcement, non-profit agencies specializing in missing persons, and forensic professionals are available for family members to speak with. 

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation's Missing Persons Unit compiled a list of resources for the family and friends of those missing in Colorado. This list includes national databases for missing adults and children, forensic resources, relevant state statute, support resources and more. Please visit the resource page for more information.

Additionally, the CBI's Missing Persons Unit has partners with the CBI's Victim Assistance Program to provide support to co-victims of missing persons. Please visit https://www.cbivictimsupport.com or call 303-239-4649 to learn more. 

First and foremost, please contact the law enforcement agency who is responsible for investigating the case. If you do not know who the investigating agency is, you may be able to find that information in the following places: Colorado Cold Case Database, National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), or an internet search. If you are not able to find the investigating agency in these places, please call the Colorado Bureau of Investigation at 303-239-4211 and we will try to find that information for you. If you believe the case you have information about is a Colorado Bureau of Investigation case, please call us at 303-239-4211 and reference the missing persons' name and you will be transferred to the correct place. You may also send an email to cdps_cbi_missing@state.co.us.

Per Colorado State Statute 24-33.5-415.1, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation is responsible for maintaining and distributing statistics on missing children which include: 

• The number of children reported.
• The number of missing children cases resolved.
• The approximate physical location at which each child was last seen.
• The time of day each child was last seen.
• The age, gender, and physical description of each child reported missing. 
• The activity the child was engaged in at the time last seen.

Please keep in mind, the data from which these statistics are pulled is provided by Colorado law enforcement agencies. The CBI does not know specific case facts when compiling the report and only includes what was provided to us.