Statute of Limitations for False Arrest / False Imprisonment in Colorado

Overview

In Colorado, “false arrest” and “false imprisonment” typically describe wrongful detention—most often involving an arrest or confinement without legal justification. While these claims are often discussed together, their elements can differ depending on the facts (for example, whether the confinement is tied to an arrest, and whether the defendant acted under color of process).

For civil claims, the statute of limitations sets the deadline for filing in court. Missing the deadline usually results in dismissal regardless of how strong the underlying facts may be.

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator helps you translate the legal rule into a usable filing deadline by taking the key date(s) from your situation and applying Colorado’s limitations period.

Limitation period

General rule for false arrest / false imprisonment claims

In Colorado, civil claims for false arrest or false imprisonment are commonly brought under Colorado tort law. The limitations period for tort claims in Colorado is generally 2 years under the state’s catchall tort limitations rule.

Practical takeaway: If the alleged wrongful arrest or confinement occurred on a specific date, your deadline is typically two years from that date (subject to any exceptions described below).

What date usually starts the clock?

Limitations periods are measured from an “accrual” event—when the claim could first be filed. In false arrest/false imprisonment scenarios, accrual is often tied to when the person’s confinement ends or when the wrongful detention becomes knowable. Because Colorado law looks at claim accrual as a factual legal question, the “start date” in any calculator is the most important input.

When using a calculator, you’ll generally need to decide:

• Start date: the date of release from confinement (or the date the detention ended), or another date your case theory treats as accrual.
• Filing date: the date you plan to file (or the deadline date produced by the calculator).

How the deadline changes when dates shift

Using DocketMath’s calculator changes the output based on the input dates. Typical scenarios include:

• You know the confinement ended on March 1, 2024.
  → A 2-year limitations framework usually points to a deadline around March 1, 2026 (subject to accrual nuances and exceptions).
• You’re unsure whether accrual was the arrest date or release date.
  → Trying both dates in the calculator can show you the range of potential deadlines and help you identify the safer filing posture.
• You’re late by even weeks or months.
  → The calculator makes it obvious how quickly the deadline approaches, so you can treat it as a time-management tool rather than a last-minute check.

Checkbox checklist for your inputs:

Key exceptions

Colorado recognizes circumstances that can affect whether the limitations clock runs normally.

1) Tolling (pausing or delaying the start)

Tolling doctrines can apply when fairness requires pausing the limitations period. Common tolling concepts include legal disabilities or other statutorily recognized events.

• If tolling applies, the effective filing deadline may extend beyond the basic 2-year period.
• Tolling is fact- and statute-specific, so the calculator can help you compute a baseline, but you may need to adjust based on the tolling rule that governs your situation.

2) Government defendants and notice-of-claim rules (when applicable)

Not every false arrest/false imprisonment case is against a private party. When a lawsuit targets certain governmental actors, additional procedural requirements—like notice requirements—may affect timing or viability.

Even if the limitations period is two years, a missed notice deadline can bar or limit the claim. If you’re suing a government entity or a public employee, you should verify whether Colorado requires a separate notice step and when it must be completed.

3) Accrual disputes (start date disagreements)

False imprisonment and false arrest fact patterns can produce disputes over the accrual date, such as:

• whether the limitations clock starts at the moment of arrest or when the person is released;
• whether a later discovery date changes accrual (often it doesn’t, but it depends on the legal theory);
• whether there were multiple wrongful detention events.

From a workflow perspective, this means you should:

• identify the confinement end date (if applicable),
• consider alternative accrual dates only as a sensitivity check,
• and avoid assuming that “arrest date = accrual date” in every scenario.

Statute citation

Colorado’s general statute of limitations for tort actions is commonly cited as:

• Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-102(1) (2-year limitations period for certain tort claims)

For false arrest/false imprisonment claims brought as torts, this 2-year framework is the baseline most people use to compute deadlines in Colorado civil court.

Note that other claim theories or statutory frameworks may cite different Colorado provisions. The most reliable approach is to match the limitations statute to the exact claim type you intend to plead.

Use the calculator

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator turns Colorado’s limitations framework into a concrete deadline you can track.

Step-by-step: how to use the tool

1. Go to the calculator: /tools/statute-of-limitations
2. Select Colorado (US-CO) if the calculator prompts for jurisdiction.
3. Enter the relevant accrual/start date for the false arrest/false imprisonment claim (commonly the end of confinement or the date your theory treats as accrual).
4. Review the output deadline.
5. If you have a competing accrual date (e.g., arrest date vs. release date), run the calculator twice to see how much the deadline shifts.

What to double-check before relying on the output

• Date accuracy: A wrong day/month/year can move the deadline by nearly a year in edge cases.
• Which event you’re anchoring to: Arrest date, booking date, and release date are not the same.
• Exceptions: If tolling, notice requirements, or accrual disputes may apply, the calculator’s baseline may need adjustment.

Here’s a quick decision checklist:

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 — Tool comparison
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — How-to guide
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — Tool comparison