Colorado gives creditors six years to sue to collect a debt [1][2]. That covers most consumer debts, from credit cards to personal loans. Two things can stretch the timeline: a payment on the account, which can restart the clock, and a court judgment, which lasts far longer than the original debt [1][3].
At a glance
- Deadline to sue on a debt
- 6 years [1][2]
- What can restart it
- A voluntary payment [1]
- County court judgment
- 6 years, can be extended [3]
- District court judgment
- 20 years, can be extended [3]
- Credit report
- About 7 years from first delinquency, separately [4]
| What | Deadline | Law |
|---|---|---|
| Suit to collect a debt or a determinable amount of money | 6 years from when the claim accrues | C.R.S. § 13-80-103.5(1)(a) |
| County court judgment | Expires 6 years after entry unless extended | Colorado Judicial Branch |
| District court judgment | Expires 20 years after entry unless extended | Colorado Judicial Branch |
| Negative item on a credit report | 7 years, starting 180 days after delinquency | 15 U.S.C. § 1681c |
The six-year rule
Colorado’s statute says actions to recover a liquidated debt or “an unliquidated, determinable amount of money” must be brought within six years after the claim accrues [2]. The Colorado Supreme Court quotes the key words: these actions “shall be commenced within six years after the cause of action accrues and not thereafter” [1].
What can restart the clock
Colorado follows the partial payment doctrine . When a debtor voluntarily makes a payment, it counts as a promise to pay the remaining debt and restarts the six-year period [1]. In the case where the Supreme Court explained this, years of payments on a loan kept the creditor’s lawsuit alive long after the original deadline [1].
The court also held that a debtor sued within the restarted period can still argue laches , that the creditor’s delay was unreasonable and caused real harm [1].
What “time-barred” means
A debt is time-barred once the deadline to sue has passed. Collectors can still ask you to pay, but they can’t sue or threaten to sue you over it [5].
The deadline doesn’t protect you automatically. If you’re sued on an old debt, you have to tell the court the time has run out [5]. Read the papers, file a response, and show up. If you don’t, the court can enter a judgment against you.
Judgments last much longer
Once a creditor wins in court, the judgment has its own clock [3]:
- County court judgments expire 6 years after they’re entered.
- District court judgments expire 20 years after they’re entered.
The creditor can ask the court to extend either one, as long as it does so before the judgment expires [3]. That’s why an old debt that turned into a judgment can follow you for many years.
The credit report clock is different
How long a debt can appear on your credit report is a federal rule, separate from Colorado’s deadline to sue. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, collection accounts and charged-off accounts generally can’t be reported once they’re more than seven years old, with the seven years starting 180 days after the delinquency began [4]. Paying on an old account doesn’t restart that reporting period.
Accurate information can be reported for the full period. If an account is wrong, or still listed after the reporting period ends, you can dispute it with the credit bureaus for free. For more on the federal timelines, see BestAmerica’s guide to how long negative items stay on a credit report.
Where to get help
- Colorado Legal Services: free civil legal help for eligible low-income residents.
- Court self-help centers: forms and procedures for answering a collection lawsuit in county court.
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov): takes complaints about debt collectors [5].
- A consumer attorney: worth a call if you’re sued on a debt you believe is past the six-year deadline.
Sources
- Colorado Supreme Court: Hickerson v. Vessels, 2014 CO 2 (six-year limit; partial payment doctrine)
- Colorado Supreme Court: Perez v. By the Rockies, LLC, 2025 CO 56 (quoting C.R.S. 13-80-103.5(1)(a))
- Colorado Judicial Branch: Collecting a Judgment
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681c (Fair Credit Reporting Act, how long items stay)
- CFPB: What is a statute of limitations on a debt?
Common questions
How long can a creditor sue on a debt in Colorado?
Six years. Colorado law says an action to recover a liquidated debt, or an unliquidated amount of money that can be determined, must be brought within six years after the claim accrues.
Does making a payment restart the statute of limitations in Colorado?
It can. Under Colorado's partial payment doctrine, a voluntary payment counts as a promise to pay the rest and restarts the six-year period. Talk to a lawyer or legal aid before paying on an old debt.
How long does a court judgment last in Colorado?
A county court judgment expires 6 years after it's entered, and a district court judgment after 20 years. The creditor can ask the court to extend either one before it expires.