Colorado Small Claims Court: What You Need to Know Before Filing

What Colorado Small Claims Court Actually Handles

Colorado's small claims division sits inside the county court system and handles money disputes up to $7,500 in principal, plus actions for return of personal property, specific performance of contracts, and enforcement of residential restrictive covenants. The governing statutes are C.R.S. §§ 13-6-401 through 13-6-417, with procedural rules in C.R.C.P. Rules 501 through 521.

The forum is designed for people representing themselves. Attorneys are generally barred from participating under C.R.S. § 13-6-410, with limited exceptions.

What you cannot bring here: evictions (those go through county civil court under C.R.S. Title 13, Article 40), claims over $7,500 (county civil up to $25,000, district court above that), class actions, injunctions, or defamation suits.

How Much It Costs to File

Filing fees depend on your claim amount:

• $31 for claims up to $500
• $55 for claims between $500.01 and $7,500

If your household income falls at or below 125% of the Federal Poverty Level, or you receive public assistance like SNAP, TANF, or SSI, you can request a fee waiver using Form JDF 205.

Service of process costs extra — county sheriff fees, private process server charges, or certified mail postage are separate from the filing fee.

The Basic Filing Process

You start by completing Form JDF 250, a 4-part, 7-page document that serves as your claim, summons, and service proof all in one packet. File it at the county court clerk counter (or by mail), pay the fee, and the clerk assigns a trial date at least 30 days out.

Then you serve the defendant — by sheriff, private process server, disinterested adult, or court clerk certified mail — at least 15 calendar days before the trial date.

What Happens at the Hearing

Small claims hearings are informal compared to regular court. The judge or magistrate swears everyone in, the plaintiff presents first, the defendant responds, and the judge may ask questions of both sides. Formal rules of evidence do not apply under C.R.C.P. Rule 512, but you still need organized, labeled exhibits in three copies — one for the judge, one for the other side, and one for yourself.

Many courts order mediation before or on the day of trial. If both sides reach a settlement, it gets recorded on Form JDF 75 and becomes a binding court order.

Key Deadlines to Track

• Statute of limitations: 3 years for contract actions except those covered by a separate limitation, and for motor-vehicle injury or damage claims; 1 year for treble-damages security deposit claims and 6 years to recover the actual deposit, court costs, and attorney's fees; 6 years for actions to recover qualifying debts, including many promissory-note claims; 2 years for general property damage and torts
• Service deadline: 15 calendar days before trial
• Appeal window: 14 calendar days after judgment entry (an initiating plaintiff cannot appeal their own claim, but may appeal an adverse ruling on a counterclaim they defended)

One Thing Most People Get Wrong

Winning a judgment does not mean the court hands you a check. The court does not collect money on your behalf. If the other side does not pay voluntarily, you need to pursue post-judgment collection — wage garnishments, bank levies, or property liens — through separate proceedings.

Getting the procedural steps right from the start makes the difference between a judgment that means something and a wasted filing fee. A step-by-step Colorado filing guide walks you through every form, deadline, and hearing detail so nothing falls through the cracks.

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