Colorado Small Claims Filing Fee: 2026 Fee Schedule and Fee Waivers

The Filing Fee Schedule

Colorado small claims court filing fees are set by C.R.S. § 13-32-101 and are uniform across all 64 county courts, including Denver County Court.

Plaintiff filing fees:

• $31 for claims of $1 through $500
• $55 for claims of $500.01 through $7,500

Defendant response fees (no counterclaim):

• $26 for claims up to $500
• $41 for claims $500.01 to $7,500

Defendant response fees with counterclaim:

• $31 when both claim and counterclaim are $500 or less
• $46 when either the claim or counterclaim exceeds $500

Other court fees:

• $8 per subpoena issued (Form JDF 254)
• $20 per document certified
• $70 for Rule 369 contempt proceedings (post-judgment enforcement)

Costs Beyond the Filing Fee

The filing fee gets you into court. Service of process is a separate expense:

• County sheriff service: varies by county, typically $30 to $65
• Private process server: typically $50 to $100 per attempt
• Court clerk certified mail: postage costs for certified mail with restricted delivery and return receipt, roughly $8 to $15

If you issue a subpoena to compel a witness, you owe the witness $20 per day plus $0.58 per mile traveled.

For a typical claim over $500 served by sheriff, budget around $100 to $130 total in filing and service costs before you walk into the hearing room.

Applying for a Fee Waiver

If the filing fee is a hardship, Form JDF 205 ("Motion to Waive Fees") lets you apply for a fee waiver under Chief Justice Directive 98-01.

You qualify if:

• Your household income is at or below 125% of the Federal Poverty Level, OR
• You are actively enrolled in a qualifying public assistance program: SNAP, TANF, SSI, Old Age Pension (OAP), Aid to the Needy and Disabled (AND), or Aid to the Blind Colorado

Submit Form JDF 205 along with Form JDF 206 at the same time you file your JDF 250 claim. The court reviews and enters an order granting or denying the waiver. If granted, fees owed to the state, including the filing fee, may be waived. Fees owed to a private process server or sheriff generally cannot be waived; if the court orders service and sends the papers to the sheriff, it may pay the sheriff's fee.

Can You Recover Your Filing Costs?

If you win your case, you can ask the judge to include court costs — the filing fee and reasonable service expenses — in the judgment amount. These costs are in addition to the $7,500 principal cap, so recovering them does not cut into your damages award.

Whether the judge awards costs is discretionary. Including them in your JDF 250 claim statement as a separate line item makes it easier for the court to add them.

Payment Methods

County court clerk counters accept cash, personal checks, and money orders. Credit card acceptance varies by county — check with the specific court before going. If filing by mail, include a check or money order made payable to the county court clerk.

The filing fee is the unavoidable cost of starting your case. The Colorado small claims filing guide helps you calculate your total expected costs — filing, service, subpoenas, and potential recovery — before you commit.

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