Debt statute of limitations in Colorado

The statute of limitations is the deadline for a creditor or debt collector to sue you over an unpaid debt. Once it passes, the debt is “time-barred” — it may still exist and appear on your credit, but a lawsuit to collect it can be defeated by raising the expired statute as a defense. The clock, the deadline, and the rules for restarting it are all set by state law.

The Colorado statute

VERIFIED PRIMARY SOURCE

§ Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103.5

Sets the deadline for debt collection lawsuits: 6 years for credit cards and open accounts, 6 years for written contracts. A uniform 6-year statute applies to contract-based debt actions.

Look up the current Colorado statute text →

What the deadline means in Colorado

Credit cards & open accounts: 6 yearsRevolving accounts like credit cards and store cards. The clock generally runs from the last payment or the default — not from when the debt was sold to a collector.

Written contracts: 6 yearsSigned agreements — personal loans, auto loans, many medical payment agreements. Usually the longer of the state’s periods.

Time-barred ≠ erasedAfter the deadline, the debt still exists and can be reported within federal credit-reporting limits — but a collection lawsuit can be dismissed if you raise the expired statute as a defense.

The restart trapIn most states a partial payment or written acknowledgment restarts the clock on the entire balance. Collectors ask for small “good faith” payments on old debts for exactly this reason.

What to do, in order

Find the date of your last payment or default on the account — that’s when the clock started.
Compare it against the Colorado periods above for your debt type.
If the debt may be time-barred, do NOT make any payment or written acknowledgment before confirming the dates.
If a collector contacts you, request written debt validation before discussing anything.
If you’re sued, respond by the deadline and raise the expired statute of limitations as a defense — courts don’t apply it automatically; ignoring the suit means a default judgment even on time-barred debt.

Common questions

Does making a payment restart the statute of limitations in Colorado?

In most states — including this one in most circumstances — a partial payment or written acknowledgment of an old debt can restart the limitations period. Never make even a small “good faith” payment on old debt before checking the dates; that is precisely how collectors revive time-barred accounts.

Can a collector still contact me after the statute expires?

Yes — the debt still exists and collectors can still request voluntary payment or report it within credit-reporting limits. What they cannot do is successfully sue you, or threaten to sue, on a time-barred debt — that violates the FDCPA.

Is the statute of limitations the same as the credit reporting time?

No — two separate clocks. The statute of limitations (state law) controls lawsuits. Credit reporting (federal FCRA) generally removes negative items 7 years from the original delinquency, regardless of the lawsuit deadline.

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This page is general legal information, not legal advice, and doesn’t create an attorney-client relationship. Statutes change and have exceptions — tolling, choice-of-law clauses, and debt classification can all change the analysis; the linked primary source controls. For advice on your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.