Consumer Debt · Statute of Limitations
Statute of Limitations on Debt in Colorado
How long a creditor or debt collector has to sue you over a debt in Colorado, by debt type — and, just as important, when that clock can restart.
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The four limits at a glance
Years a lawsuit is allowed, by debt type. Credit card is the most-searched.
Six years. Colorado sends debt for a "liquidated debt or an unliquidated, determinable amount of money" to §13-80-103.5 (6 years) and carves it out of the 3-year contract catch-all in §13-80-101. A credit-card balance is a determinable amount, so most Colorado courts apply 6 years. A few consumer sites still quote 3 years by treating the card as a plain contract, but the statutory carve-out and cases like Portercare Adventist Health System v. Lego (2012) and Rotenberg v. Richards (1995) support the longer period. If you are being sued, do not assume 3 years applies.
When the clock starts — and what can restart it
The single most misunderstood part of debt limitations.
A partial payment can restart the whole clock in Colorado. Under §13-80-113, a bare verbal acknowledgment does not revive a debt (a new promise must be in writing and signed), but the same statute says it "shall not alter the effect of a payment of principal or interest." In plain terms, a voluntary payment resets the 6-year period even when a spoken promise would not. Do not make a payment on an old Colorado debt without advice.
A statute of limitations does not erase the debt or wipe it from your credit report — it is a defense you must raise if you are sued after the period runs. In many states a partial payment or a signed written acknowledgment can restart the clock, so be careful before paying or signing anything on an old account. This page is legal information, not legal advice.
The full limits, with the statute
Every period and how Colorado classifies each debt type.
| Debt type | Limit in Colorado | How it's classified |
|---|---|---|
| Credit card | 6 years | Liquidated or determinable amount (§13-80-103.5) |
| Written contract | 6 years | A written contract for a fixed or determinable amount runs 6 years under §13-80-103.5. |
| Oral contract | 3 years | A pure oral contract with no ascertainable sum falls under the 3-year residual period in §13-80-101(1)(a). |
| Open account | 6 years | An open account with a balance that can be computed is a determinable amount, so it sits on the 6-year clock, not the 3-year one. |
| Promissory note | 6 years | — |
Promissory-note periods often come from the UCC (§3-118, generally 6 years) rather than the general contract statute; confirm the instrument type for a specific note.
What Colorado debtors get wrong
Colorado is unusual because it routes most consumer debt to a longer clock than the contract rule suggests. The general contract limit in §13-80-101 is 3 years, but §13-80-103.5 pulls out any "liquidated debt or an unliquidated, determinable amount of money" and gives it 6 years. A credit-card balance, a medical bill, an open account, and a promissory note all have amounts you can compute, so they land on the 6-year side. Only a pure oral agreement with no fixed or calculable sum stays at 3 years. That split is the single most misquoted thing about Colorado debt, and several consumer sites still list credit cards as 3 years. Reviving a barred Colorado debt is also easy to trip over: a spoken acknowledgment does nothing, but a single voluntary payment can restart the entire period.
Common questions
What is the statute of limitations on credit-card debt in Colorado?
Six years in most cases. A credit-card balance is a determinable amount of money, so it falls under §13-80-103.5 (6 years) rather than the 3-year contract catch-all in §13-80-101. Some sources still say 3 years, but the statute carves determinable debts out of the shorter period.
Is Colorado debt 3 years or 6 years?
It depends on whether the amount is determinable. Debt for a fixed or calculable sum (credit cards, medical bills, promissory notes, open accounts) runs 6 years under §13-80-103.5. A pure oral contract with no ascertainable amount runs 3 years under §13-80-101.
Can a partial payment restart the debt clock in Colorado?
Yes. Under §13-80-113 a new promise must be in writing and signed to count, but the same law says it does not change the effect of a payment of principal or interest. A voluntary payment can restart the full 6-year period, so avoid paying on an old debt without advice.
When does the Colorado debt clock start?
Generally when the debt became due. For a defaulted account that is usually your last payment or the first missed payment. The 6-year period runs from that date.
Does the statute of limitations erase my debt in Colorado?
No. When the period expires the debt becomes time-barred, which means a creditor loses the right to win a lawsuit to collect it. The debt itself still exists, can still appear on your credit, and can be revived by a payment or a signed written promise.
Not legal advicePlainStatute provides plain-language summaries of public law for general information only. This is not legal advice. Statutes change; always confirm current requirements with the official source linked above before acting.