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Colorado ALJ Statistics

Social Security Disability hearing statistics for 2 hearing offices and 16 administrative law judges in Colorado.

State Approval Rate

54%

vs 58.3% national

Hearing Offices

2

in Colorado

ALJs

16

active judges

Avg Wait Time

8.4 months

vs 8 months national

Hearing Offices in Colorado

Office ALJs Approval Rate Wait Time Processing Pending
Colorado Springs 6 44.2% 10 months 378 days 1,412
Denver 10 59.9% 10 months 333 days 2,030

About Colorado Disability Hearings

The Social Security Administration operates 2 hearing offices in Colorado, falling under SSA Region 08. These offices are staffed by 16 ALJs who preside over disability appeals from claimants throughout the state.

The average approval rate across Colorado hearing offices is 54%, which is close to the national average of 58.3%. This rate aggregates decisions from all judges across the state's hearing offices. Within the state, office-level approval rates range from 44.2% at the Colorado Springs hearing office to 59.9% at the Denver hearing office, a 16-point difference.

Wait times across Colorado offices range from 10 months at the Denver hearing office to 10 months at the Denver hearing office.

Across all offices, there are 3,442 cases currently pending in Colorado, averaging approximately 215 pending cases per judge. Click on any hearing office below to see detailed judge-level statistics and individual approval rates.

Colorado Hearing Landscape

Colorado's 2 hearing offices each serve different geographic areas of the state. Case assignment is based on the claimant's residential address, so hearing location and judge assignment depend on where the claimant lives rather than personal preference. All statistics on this page are weighted by individual judge caseloads to accurately reflect the volume of cases processed.

With 2 hearing offices, Colorado provides multiple venues for disability hearings. Office sizes vary from 6 judges at the Colorado Springs hearing office to 10 judges at the Denver hearing office. Cases are assigned to offices based on the claimant's residential address, so hearing location is determined by geography rather than preference.

For attorneys practicing disability law in Colorado, understanding the local hearing landscape is an important part of case preparation. The data on this page provides a starting point for evaluating office-level patterns, though individual judge statistics offer more granular insight into decision-making tendencies. Visit individual office pages for judge-level data.

Colorado Disability Hearing FAQ

What is the disability approval rate in Colorado?
The average ALJ approval rate in Colorado is 54% for FY 2025. This includes both fully favorable and partially favorable decisions. The national average is 58.3%, putting Colorado below the national benchmark. Office-level rates within the state range from 44.2% to 59.9%.
How many Social Security hearing offices are in Colorado?
Colorado has 2 SSA hearing offices with a total of 16 administrative law judges. The largest office is the Denver hearing office with 10 judges, while the Colorado Springs hearing office has 6. The SSA assigns cases to offices according to claimant geography, and judges receive cases through rotation rather than selection.
Which hearing office in Colorado has the shortest wait time?
The Denver hearing office currently has the shortest wait time at 10 months. The longest wait is at the Denver hearing office at 10 months, a gap of 0.0 months. Wait time averages reflect the most recently reported SSA data and will evolve as new disposition reports are released.
How is state data calculated?
Colorado's 2 offices handle cases for the state. State averages are calculated by aggregating data from all hearing offices within the state. See our methodology page for details on data sources and calculations. Source data comes from the Social Security Administration's public reporting on ALJ decisions, which we incorporate as updates are released.
How does Colorado compare to other states?
Colorado is in SSA Region 08. Its average approval rate of 54% is below the national average of 58.3%. For a full comparison of approval rates and wait times across all states, visit the states overview page.
What factors influence hearing outcomes in Colorado?
Hearing outcomes in Colorado are influenced by several factors including the strength and completeness of medical evidence, vocational factors such as the claimant's age, education, and work history, the quality of legal representation at the hearing, and individual judge decision-making patterns.

While all ALJs apply the same federal disability standards, these case-level factors can lead to variation in outcomes across offices and judges.
Can I transfer my hearing to a different office in Colorado?
Your hearing office is determined by where you live, and the specific judge is assigned through the office's rotational calendar — neither is chosen by the claimant. While transfers between offices are generally not possible based on preference, a change of address that moves you into a different office's service area may result in case reassignment. Colorado has 2 hearing offices, each serving a defined geographic area within the state.

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