Colorado Small Claims Court Response Deadline: What Defendants Must Know

The Deadline That Catches Most Defendants Off Guard

Colorado small claims court works differently from regular County Court civil cases. In County Court civil, Rule 312(a) requires an answer on or before the appearance date listed in the summons. In small claims, under C.R.C.P. 507, you must complete the defendant response section on Form JDF 250 and appear at the hearing on the scheduled trial date.

Filing a written response without showing up can still lead to a default judgment against you. The trial date on your summons is the real deadline — miss it, and the court may enter judgment for all or part of the amount the plaintiff requested, plus applicable interest and costs.

How to Find Your Deadline on the JDF 250

Form JDF 250 ("Notice, Claim and Summons to Appear for Trial") is the document you received when you were served. The front page has a "Summons to Appear for Trial" box filled in by the court clerk. It lists three things: your mandatory trial date, the exact time, and the courtroom location.

That date is your deadline. Everything you need to do — completing the response, paying the filing fee, gathering evidence — has to happen before that date.

Completing the Defendant's Response

Flip the JDF 250 to the reverse side. The "Defendant's Response and Counterclaim" section has fields where you state your factual defenses. You write why you do not owe the plaintiff what they claim, and you can assert a counterclaim if you believe they owe you money.

Complete the response, sign it, and file it with the court clerk on or before the trial date. You also need to pay the response filing fee: $26 for claims up to $500, or $41 for claims over $500 and up to $7,500. If you cannot afford the fee, file a fee waiver using Form JDF 205.

What If You Were Just Served and the Date Is Close?

Service of process must be completed at least 15 days before the trial date under C.R.C.P. 504. If you were served with fewer than 15 days before the hearing, the court must reset the trial date or dismiss the case without prejudice. You still need to appear — do not assume defective service means you can skip the hearing.

If the date is valid and approaching fast, prioritize these three steps: complete the JDF 250 response, pay the filing fee (or file JDF 205 for a waiver), and organize whatever evidence you have.

What Happens After You File Your Response

Filing the response does not end anything — it sets the stage for the hearing. After you submit the completed JDF 250 and pay the fee, your case proceeds to the trial date. In many Colorado judicial districts, the first court date is set for mandatory mediation through the Office of Dispute Resolution or a local court-connected program. If mediation fails, trial may follow at the same setting or be scheduled for a later date, depending on how the district set the mediation.

Between filing and the hearing, gather your evidence in triplicate (one copy for you, one for the judge, one for the opposing party) and line up any witnesses you plan to bring.

The Whole Process Organized in One Place

Keeping track of the response deadline, the filing fee, the evidence requirements, and the hearing date is the hardest part of being a defendant. The Responding to a Small Claims Case in Colorado guide walks through every step from the moment you receive the JDF 250 through the hearing and post-judgment options — including the deadline tracker worksheet and evidence organizer.

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