Research Tip: Colorado Statutes

Official v. Unofficial

There are two versions of the Colorado statutes:

• CRS - the “official” Colorado Revised Statutes (the red, soft-cover set, KFC1829.C66 – also on Lexis)
  
• CRSA - West’s Colorado Revised Statues Annotated (the blue, hard-back set, KFC1830.1989.A2 – also on Westlaw).

If there is a choice or any discrepancy, Colo. Rev. Stat. is the version that should be cited. (See Bluebook Rule 12.2.1.a.)

How are they different?

The two versions are published differently, so one set might be more current in print than the other. The volumes of the Colorado Revised Statutes (Colo. Rev. Stat.) are published annually in softbound volumes. West’s Colorado Revised Statutes Annotated (Colo. Rev. Stat. Ann) is updated by pocket parts (updating pamphlets found in the back of the volume) and, sometimes, soft-bound cumulative supplements.

Why check both versions?

The statutory text found in both versions is the same, but there may be different cases or references to other resources in the annotations. A quick look at both versions can save you time locating key cases that interpret the statute.

By Patty Wellinger, originally e-mailed to 1Ls 9/13/07