A landlord kept your deposit, a contractor walked off the job, a dry cleaner ruined your coat. In Colorado you can sue for up to $7,500 in the Small Claims Court (County Court), without hiring a lawyer. Check your case below, then follow six steps.
Answer a few questions. The result updates as you type.
Colorado doesn't require a demand letter before you file, but asking for payment first is a good idea. A short, dated demand letter is the best proof. Use the generator below and keep a copy.
File in the county where a defendant lives, works, has a business office, or is a college student. Security deposit and covenant cases can be filed where the property is.
Notice, Claim and Summons to Appear for Trial. The clerk sets the trial date when you file. The court may send you to mediation first.
$31 for claims up to $500 and $55 for claims from $500.01 to $7,500. A defendant who responds pays $26 or $41, more with a counterclaim. Service by a sheriff or process server costs extra. If you can't afford it, ask for a fee waiver: Motion to File without Payment (JDF 205) with a blank Order (JDF 206).
A sheriff, private process server, or any adult who isn't part of the case hands the papers to the defendant. Certified mail is possible only through the clerk and can delay things. File the Affidavit of Service by the trial date. At least 15 days before the trial date.
Bring receipts, photos, texts, the contract and your demand letter, with three copies of each. The court doesn't collect for you. You can ask the court to make the debtor answer questions about income and property (JDF 252), then use a writ of garnishment on wages or a bank account.
Want every detail? The full filing guide walks you through all 7 stages, from finding the defendant's legal name to collecting your money, with a checklist.
Open the filing guideFill in the details, then download the letter as a PDF or Word file, or copy the text. Send it by certified mail or email so you can prove the date.
Miss this date and the court will dismiss your case, however strong it is. Claims for a set sum of money, like an unpaid loan, can get 6 years. Car-accident claims get 3 years.
| Type of claim | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Broken written contract (lease, invoice, signed agreement) | 3 years |
| Broken verbal agreement | 3 years |
| Damaged property | 2 years |
| Personal injury | 2 years |
| Fraud | 3 years |
| Libel or slander | 1 year |
| Claims against a government agency | Before suing a Colorado government body for injury or damage, send written notice within 182 days of discovering the injury. |
Generally no. People must speak for themselves, and lawyers can't appear except for themselves or as a full-time employee or partner of a party. If a lawyer does appear for one side, the other side can bring one too.
You can sue for up to $7,500, not counting interest and costs. Businesses have the same limit. You can't split a bigger claim into several cases. Each person or business can file no more than 2 claims a month and 18 a year in a county's small claims court. Otherwise, you can give up the amount above the limit, or file a regular civil case where the rules are stricter.
Either side can appeal within 14 days of the final order. A District Court judge reviews the recording of the trial; there's no new trial. You file in small claims, post an appeal bond, and pay a District Court fee (about $163).
Colorado courts provide interpreters for court proceedings. Ask the clerk or the court's interpreter office early.