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Statute of Limitations on Debt in Colorado

In Colorado, a creditor generally has 6 years to sue to recover a debt, whether it rests on a written or oral contract, a promissory note or an account, while other contract claims have 3 years.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

Colorado at a glance

Written contracts
6 years
6 years applies to actions to recover a liquidated or determinable amount of money due. Other contract actions have 3 years.
Oral contracts
6 years
6 years applies to actions to recover a liquidated or determinable amount of money due. Other contract actions have 3 years.
Promissory notes
6 years
Open accounts
6 years
Applies as an action to recover a liquidated or determinable amount of money due.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in Colorado

What is the statute of limitations for a written contract in Colorado?

Written contracts in Colorado: 6 years. 6 years applies to actions to recover a liquidated or determinable amount of money due. Other contract actions have 3 years.

What is the statute of limitations for an oral contract in Colorado?

Oral contracts in Colorado: 6 years. 6 years applies to actions to recover a liquidated or determinable amount of money due. Other contract actions have 3 years.

What is the statute of limitations on a promissory note in Colorado?

Promissory notes in Colorado: 6 years.

What is the statute of limitations on an open account, such as a credit card, in Colorado?

Open accounts in Colorado: 6 years. Applies as an action to recover a liquidated or determinable amount of money due.

Where do the Colorado statutes of limitations on debt come from?

The rules above come from Colo. Rev. Stat. 13-80-103.5, Colo. Rev. Stat. 13-80-101 and Colo. Rev. Stat. 4-3-118. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

Colorado's general 3-year period for contract actions yields to the 6-year period for actions to recover a debt or a determinable amount of money due.

What this means in practice

The clock usually starts when the debt is breached, which for a loan or account is often the date of the missed payment or the last payment made. In some states a new payment or a written acknowledgment of the debt can restart or extend the period, so the starting date matters as much as the length.

A statute of limitations is generally a defense the person being sued has to raise. If a lawsuit on an old debt is filed and nobody responds, the court can enter a judgment even if the period had expired. Judgments have their own, separate enforcement periods.

Which state's deadline applies is not always obvious. Contracts may contain a choice of law clause, and some states have borrowing statutes that apply a shorter period from another state. Federal rules also bar debt collectors from suing or threatening to sue on time-barred consumer debt. For a specific dispute, check the statute and consider talking to an attorney.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.