Statute of limitations for breach of contract in Colorado

Rule or statute summary

In Colorado, the statute of limitations for a breach of contract claim depends mainly on what type of contract right you’re enforcing—most commonly whether the agreement is treated as written vs. oral. It can also differ if the claim is really based on a liability created by statute (i.e., the “cause of action” comes from a statute rather than the contract term itself).

Practical snapshot (most common breach-of-contract disputes):

• Written contract breach: 6 years
• Oral contract breach: 3 years
• Statute-created liability (when applicable): If you’re enforcing something that is effectively created by statute (not just a promise in the contract), it may fall under a different, category-specific limitations period.

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator helps you turn those limitation periods into an estimated latest filing date by using:

• the claim/contract type (written vs. oral is the common split),
• the accrual trigger (when the claim “starts running”),
• and (optionally) tolling inputs that can shift the deadline.

Note (not legal advice): This is a general explanation of limitation periods and how to calculate dates using DocketMath. Accrual and tolling can be fact-specific, so confirm the details for your situation.

Citations

Colorado’s general limitation periods for contract-related civil actions are found in the Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.), especially C.R.S. § 13-80-103.

• Written contract / written obligations: C.R.S. § 13-80-103(1)(a)
  Provides a 6-year limitation period for actions on written contracts and certain similar written obligations.

• Oral contract / oral obligations: C.R.S. § 13-80-103(1)(b)
  Provides a 3-year limitation period for actions on oral contracts and certain similar oral obligations.

• General limitations framework: C.R.S. § 13-80-101
  Supplies the structure and context for how limitation periods are organized across different types of civil actions.

• Statute-created liabilities (if applicable): Colorado may have separate limitations periods for claims that are “created by statute.” Those provisions may appear in other parts of C.R.S. (often outside the plain “written vs. oral contract” split). The correct subsection depends on the specific statutory claim, not just how the dispute is labeled as “breach of contract.”

For a standard breach-of-contract claim, the 6-year vs. 3-year divide under § 13-80-103(1)(a)–(b) is the core starting point.

Use the calculator

Use DocketMath to compute a latest filing date based on the limitation period and your selected inputs.

Primary CTA: /tools/statute-of-limitations
Tool link (quick access): /tools/statute-of-limitations

Run the Statute Of Limitations calculation in DocketMath, then save the output so it can be audited later: Open the calculator.

Inputs to enter (and what they change)

In DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator, focus on the inputs that map to the statutes above:

• Contract type / claim category

  • Choose Written → applies C.R.S. § 13-80-103(1)(a) (6 years)
  • Choose Oral → applies C.R.S. § 13-80-103(1)(b) (3 years)

• **Accrual date / breach date (when the claim starts running)

  • This is usually the date your cause of action accrues—often tied to when performance was due and not performed, when a breach became actionable, or when a repudiation/nonperformance occurred.
  • Getting this date right can change the output significantly.

• **Tolling (if offered/selected)

  • If the calculator includes tolling categories, selecting them can shift the computed deadline forward or otherwise adjust the timeline.
  • Only select tolling options that match your facts.

How output changes with your inputs

A simple way to interpret the results is: changing contract type generally changes the deadline by about the difference between 6 years and 3 years—assuming the accrual date is the same and tolling doesn’t apply.

Here are rough examples (illustrative) showing the effect of the two main limitation periods:

Quick checklist before relying on the calculator output

Practical filing-date mindset

Treat the calculator’s latest filing date as the outer edge to work backward from for:

• preparing pleadings,
• gathering contract documentation,
• and planning service/scheduling.

Even if you are “within” the deadline, filing earlier can help avoid disputes about whether the complaint was timely filed.

Sources and references

Start with the primary authority for Colorado and confirm the effective date before relying on any output. If the rule has been amended, update the inputs and rerun the calculation.

• Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-101

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — How to choose the right calculator
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — Full how-to guide with jurisdiction-specific rules
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — How to choose the right calculator