# Colorado statute of limitations on debt

> In Colorado, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 6 years under §§ 13-80-101(1)(a), 13-80-103.5(1)(a), C.R.S.. Periods for oral contracts, open accounts and promissory notes.

- Source: https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/colorado/
- Publisher: Otto — https://ottoforfirms.com
- Updated: 2026-09-01

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In Colorado, the statute of limitations on a written contract is 6 years under §§ 13-80-101(1)(a), 13-80-103.5(1)(a), C.R.S..

**Rule.** A written contract claim in Colorado must be brought within 6 years.

**Authority.** [§§ 13-80-101(1)(a), 13-80-103.5(1)(a), C.R.S.](https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-13.pdf)

| Contract type | Limitations period |
| --- | --- |
| Written contract | 6 yr |
| Oral contract | 6 yr |
| Open account | — |
| Promissory note | 6 yr |

## What the statute says

> All actions to recover a liquidated debt or an unliquidated, determinable amount of money due to the person bringing the action, all actions for the enforcement of rights set forth in any instrument securing the payment of or evidencing any debt, and all actions of replevin to recover the possession of personal property encumbered under any instrument securing any debt

— [§§ 13-80-101(1)(a), 13-80-103.5(1)(a), C.R.S.](https://content.leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-13.pdf)

## When does the clock start?

Six years after the cause of action accrues, which for a liquidated consumer debt is the date of default on the obligation.

## What pauses it?

§ 13-80-118 stops the clock while the defendant is out of state and not subject to service, or is concealed; §§ 13-81-101 and 13-81-103 govern claimants under disability.

Last reviewed 2026-07-26

## Related

- [Kansas statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/kansas/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [Nebraska statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/nebraska/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.
- [New Mexico statute of limitations](https://ottoforfirms.com/statute-of-limitations/new-mexico/) — Neighbouring jurisdiction — written contract, oral contract, open account and promissory note.

## About Otto

This table is a free reference and it is not the product. Otto is case management for US collections law firms; the rules engine ships all fifty states configured — four shown in end-to-end depth in the demo — and it checks a date like this one before a file moves rather than after.

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This is an informational reference, not legal advice, and using it creates no attorney-client relationship. Limitations periods turn on facts this page cannot know — which state's law governs, the contract type, when the claim accrued, and whether anything tolled or revived it. Confirm against the primary source and your own counsel before acting.