Statute of Limitations Collections Colorado

7 min read

Published March 21, 2026 • Updated April 23, 2026 • By DocketMath Team

Article claim inventory in progress

Trust release 4

This page has legal or numeric text that still needs claim-level inventory before we can treat it as verified.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws change frequently — verify all citations with current official sources.

Overview

Colorado’s collections statute of limitations (SOL) typically ranges from 6 years for written contracts and 3 years for most oral-contract and many “liquidated debt” collection claims, depending on what you’re trying to collect and how the debt was created.

In Colorado, “collections” usually means one of these paths: (1) a lawsuit to recover money owed, (2) a demand that precedes a lawsuit, or (3) a negotiated repayment after the debt is already in collections. The SOL matters most for lawsuit timing—a debt can still exist, but the creditor may lose the legal ability to sue within the SOL window.

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator (linked below) helps you translate Colorado dates (like the date of default, date of last payment, or date of the breach) into an estimated “earliest/latest filing” date, so you can understand whether a claim is likely time-barred.

Note: This page explains general Colorado SOL rules for common collections scenarios. It’s not legal advice, and SOL questions can turn on specific facts (contract wording, account terms, and what action qualifies as a “payment” or a “breach”).

Limitation period

Colorado’s collection SOL depends heavily on the type of claim. The most common categories in collections practice are:

Written contracts
Oral contracts
Accounts stated / open accounts
Promissory notes
Fraud-related claims (with special timing)
Statutory claims (often have their own SOL)

Below is a practical map of how to think about timelines in Colorado collections.

Common SOL periods you’ll see in Colorado collections

Claim type (common in collections)	Typical Colorado SOL	What date you often use in the “start” calculation
Written contract / written promise	6 years	Date of breach or default under the contract
Oral contract	3 years	Date of breach
Promissory note (often treated like a contract claim)	6 years (if written)	Date of maturity or default
Statutory debt/penalty claims	Varies by statute	Date the statute says the cause of action accrues

How the “start date” changes outcomes

Two cases involving the same SOL can still produce different results because the SOL starts when the cause of action accrues. For contract-like collection claims, that’s commonly tied to one of the following:

Breach/default date (e.g., missing a payment that was due)
Maturity date (e.g., a promissory note becomes due)
Acceleration date (if the contract allows the lender to demand the full balance upon default)

In collections, people often confuse:

Last payment date (a factual event that may or may not change the SOL depending on legal doctrines and claim type)
Charge-off or placement date (usually an internal banking/servicing event, not always the legal accrual date)
Demand letter date (typically not the accrual trigger)

DocketMath helps you model these date choices consistently, so you can see how changing the “start” date changes the “latest filing” date.

Key exceptions

Even when you identify the baseline SOL, Colorado law can extend or toll timing in certain situations. The most common categories include:

1) Tolling based on disability (minority/insanity)

Colorado generally allows tolling of certain SOL periods when a person entitled to sue is under a legal disability (for example, minority or certain mental incapacities), which can push the deadline later.

2) Fraud discovery rules (for fraud-related claims)

Where a claim is based on fraud, some causes of action don’t begin running until discovery or when the claimant reasonably should have discovered the facts—depending on the statutory framework and how the claim is pleaded.

3) Agreement to extend or revive

If the parties enter into a new written agreement modifying payment obligations, or if the debtor makes an enforceable promise to pay, timing consequences can follow. The effect depends on the claim and the contract terms.

4) Payment/reviving theories (fact-dependent)

In some jurisdictions, a qualifying payment can affect SOL calculations. In Colorado, whether a payment restarts the SOL (or instead creates evidentiary support for the claim) depends on the legal theory and the character of the payment—so treat this as a careful fact-pattern issue, not a calendar assumption.

Warning: Don’t assume “it was paid within X years” is automatically a universal SOL reset. Whether a payment changes the SOL depends on the cause of action and how accrual/tolling rules apply.

5) Bankruptcy effects (timing is complicated)

Bankruptcy can affect collection timing due to the automatic stay and discharge rules. However, bankruptcy’s impact on SOL deadlines involves federal law and is highly fact-specific.

Statute citation

Colorado SOL provisions for contract and many debt-related claims are primarily found in the Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.).

Here are key SOL citations you’ll commonly see referenced in Colorado collections:

Written contracts and promissory notes: C.R.S. § 13-80-103(1) (commonly cited for the 6-year limitations period for certain actions, including contract actions in the “written” category)
Oral contracts: C.R.S. § 13-80-104(1) (commonly cited for the 3-year limitations period for certain actions on oral contracts)
Fraud-related timing and related civil remedies: often involve C.R.S. § 13-80-108 (and other sections depending on the exact claim type)

Because collections claims can be pleaded under different legal theories (contract, tort, statute), the most precise citation depends on how the creditor frames the case.

Note: DocketMath’s calculator is designed to match date inputs to the SOL category you select. If the claim is pleaded differently than you assume, the applicable SOL citation may change.

Use the calculator

Use DocketMath to calculate Colorado collection deadlines from your timeline. Start here:

Primary CTA: ** /tools/statute-of-limitations

What you’ll typically enter

Depending on the calculator configuration, you’ll usually choose:

Claim type (e.g., written contract vs. oral contract)
Start date (the date your SOL is treated as beginning—commonly breach/default/maturity)
Optional fields/toggles (if supported) that reflect scenarios like:
- modeling a “last payment” scenario vs. a “default” scenario
- considering tolling-like adjustments if the tool supports them

How the output changes when you change inputs

Here’s what to expect when you adjust the date inputs:

Move the start date forward (later breach/default):
→ the “latest filing date” generally moves forward by a similar amount.
Choose oral instead of written contract (3 years vs. 6 years):
→ the deadline shortens significantly.
Switch from default date to maturity date:
→ the deadline may shift, especially if the contract had staged due dates or acceleration terms.

Practical workflow checklist (fast)

When you’re done, DocketMath should provide a clear “latest possible” filing date for the selected SOL category—so you can compare it with key events like filing/service dates.

Pitfall: Many people use the charge-off date as the SOL start. That internal event often isn’t the legal accrual date for contract claims, so it can produce misleading results.