Colorado Revised Statutes

Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103 (2026)

General limitation of actions - one year

✓ current as of July 2026

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(1) The following civil actions, regardless of the theory upon which suit is brought, or against whom suit is brought, shall be commenced within one year after the cause of action accrues, and not thereafter:

(a) The following tort actions: Assault, battery, false imprisonment, false arrest, libel, and slander;

(b) All actions for escape of prisoners;

(c) All actions against sheriffs, coroners, police officers, firefighters, national guardsmen, or any other law enforcement authority;

(d) All actions for any penalty or forfeiture of any penal statutes;

(e) All actions under the "Motor Vehicle Repair Act of 1977", article 9 of title 42, C.R.S.; (f) and (g) Repealed.

(h) All actions against a person alleging liability for a penalty for commission of a class A or a class B traffic infraction, as defined in section 42-4-1701; and

(i) All actions against a person alleging liability for a penalty for commission of a civil infraction, as described in section 16-2.3-101.

Source: L. 86: Entire article R&RE, p. 696, § 1, effective July 1; (1)(f) added, p. 707, § 3, effective July 1. L. 87: (1)(f) amended and (1)(g) added, p. 538, § 11, effective July 1; (1)(f) amended and (1)(g) added, p. 567, § 3, effective July 1; (1)(h) added, p. 1495, § 2, effective July 1. L. 94: (1)(e) and (1)(h) amended, p. 2550, § 34, effective January 1, 1995. L. 2000: (1)(f) repealed, p. 3, § 5, effective July 1, 2001. L. 2017: (1)(g) repealed, (SB 17-294), ch. 264, p. 1391, § 28, effective May 25. L. 2022: (1)(i) added, (HB 22-1229), ch. 68, p. 340, § 7, effective March 1.

Editor's note: (1) The provisions of this section are similar to provisions of several former sections as they existed prior to 1986. For a detailed comparison, see the comparative tables located in the back of the index.

(2) Section 47 of chapter 68 (HB 22-1229), Session Laws of Colorado 2022, provides that the act adding subsection (1)(i) is effective March 1, 2022, but the governor did not approve the act until April 7, 2022.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 63 cases (21 in the last 5 years), 1976–2026 · leading case: Dawson v. Reider, 872 P.2d 212 (Colo. 1994).

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Dawson v. Reider, 872 P.2d 212 (Colo. 1994). · cites it 49× “II Section 13-80-103 provides in pertinent part: (1) The following civil actions, regardless of the theory upon which suit is brought, or against whom suit is brought, shall be commenced within one year after the cause of action accrues, and not thereafter: .”

Rooftop Restoration, Inc. v. Am. Fam. Mut. Ins. Co., 2018 CO 44 (Colo. 2018). · cites it 28× “1 to answer the following question from the district court: Is a claim brought pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes § 10-3-1116 subject to the one-year statute of limitations found in Colorado Revised Statutes § 13-80-103(1)(d) and applicable to "[a]ll actions for any penalty…”

Delta Sales Yard v. Patten, 892 P.2d 297 (Colo. 1995). · cites it 29× “(1987) provides “all actions against any public or governmental entity or any employee of a public or governmental entity” must be commenced within two years after the cause of action accrues, “except as otherwise provided in this section or section 13-80-103.” Section 13 —…”

Reg'l Transp. Dist. v. Voss, 890 P.2d 663 (Colo. 1995). · cites it 14× “In Dawson, we considered the application of the no-fault limitations statute to a claim arguably governed by the one-year statute of *668 limitations established by section 13-80-103, 6A C.R.S. (1987), and held that the no-fault limitations statute applied to a claim arising…”

Reider v. Dawson, 856 P.2d 31 (Colo. Ct. App. 1993). · cites it 12× “(emphasis supplied) This court has previously held that the former statute, § 13-80-103, C.R.S., as it existed prior to its 1986 repeal and reenactment as § 13-80-103(l)(c), was applicable to any liability incurred as a result of an act performed in the Department’s official…”

Est. of Stevenson Ex Rel. Talovich v. Hollywood Bar & Cafe, Inc., 832 P.2d 718 (Colo. 1992). · cites it 2× “(1987), we concluded that the one-year time periods here challenged do not constitute such drastic limitations on the rights of injured parties to obtain judicial resolution of their claims as to offend constitutional due process standards of fundamental fairness.”

Nieto v. State, 952 P.2d 834 (Colo. Ct. App. 1998). · cites it 10× “In contrast, the pertinent part of § 13-80-103, C.R.S., 1997, provides as follows: (1) The following civil actions, regardless of the theory upon which suit is brought, or against whom suit is brought, shall be commenced within one year after the cause of action accrues, and not…”

State v. Nieto, 993 P.2d 493 (Colo. 2000). · cites it 2× “The trial court concluded that defendant Farrell, a DOC guard, was a peace officer subject to the one-year statute of limitations under section 13-80-103, 5 C.R.S. (1999), and that Nieto failed to allege acts performed outside of either defendants’ official capacity.”

Owens v. Okure, 488 U.S. 235 (1989). “§ 13-80-102 (a) (1987) (two years for “[t]ort actions, including but not limited to actions for negligence, trespass, malicious abuse of process, malicious prosecution, outrageous conduct, interference with relationships”); Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-102.5 (Supp. 1988) (two years…”

Garcia v. Harms, 410 P.3d 561 (Colo. Ct. App. 2014). · cites it 29× “2014, which establishes a two-year statute of limitations for "[a]ll actions against any public or governmental entity or any employee of a public or governmental entity, except as otherwise provided in .”

Cain v. Guzman, 761 P.2d 295 (Colo. Ct. App. 1988). · cites it 11× “Twenty-eight days after filing their answer, defendants filed a motion for leave to amend in order to plead two additional affirmative defenses, one of which was the statute of limitations set forth in § 13-80-103, C.R.S. Eighteen days later, the trial court granted defendants’…”

Gallegos v. City of Monte Vista, 976 P.2d 299 (Colo. Ct. App. 1998). · cites it 12× “As pertinent here, § 13-80-103, C.R.S. 1997, provides that: (1)The following civil actions, regardless of the theory upon which suit is brought, or against whom suit is brought, shall be commenced within one year after the cause of action accrues, and not thereafter: [[Image…”

Show all 63 citing cases →

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103(1) — 3 cases

Reider v. Dawson, 856 P.2d 31 (Colo. Ct. App. 1993). “(emphasis supplied) This court has previously held that the former statute, § 13-80-103, C.R.S., as it existed prior to its 1986 repeal and reenactment as § 13-80-103(l)(c), was applicable to any liability incurred as a result of an act performed in the Department’s official…”

Mosher v. City of Lakewood, 807 P.2d 1235 (Colo. Ct. App. 1991).

Marrou Concrete v. KLR Ent (Colo. Ct. App. 2024).

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103(1)(a) — 12 cases

Stump v. Gates, 777 F. Supp. 808 (D. Colo. 1991).

Burke v. Greene, 963 P.2d 1119 (Colo. Ct. App. 1998).

Koch v. Sadler, 759 P.2d 792 (Colo. Ct. App. 1988).

Shat Acres Higland Cattle, LLC v. Am. Highland Cattle Ass'n (D. Colo. 2024).

Hoid v. Fox 31 (Colo. Ct. App. 2025).

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103(1)(c) — 6 cases

Dawson v. Reider, 872 P.2d 212 (Colo. 1994). “II Section 13-80-103 provides in pertinent part: (1) The following civil actions, regardless of the theory upon which suit is brought, or against whom suit is brought, shall be commenced within one year after the cause of action accrues, and not thereafter: .”

Nieto v. State, 952 P.2d 834 (Colo. Ct. App. 1998). “In contrast, the pertinent part of § 13-80-103, C.R.S., 1997, provides as follows: (1) The following civil actions, regardless of the theory upon which suit is brought, or against whom suit is brought, shall be commenced within one year after the cause of action accrues, and not…”

Garcia v. Harms, 410 P.3d 561 (Colo. Ct. App. 2014). “2014, which establishes a two-year statute of limitations for "[a]ll actions against any public or governmental entity or any employee of a public or governmental entity, except as otherwise provided in .”

Arvia v. Black, 722 F. Supp. 644 (D. Colo. 1989).

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103(1)(d) — 5 cases

Rooftop Restoration, Inc. v. Am. Fam. Mut. Ins. Co., 2018 CO 44 (Colo. 2018). “1 to answer the following question from the district court: Is a claim brought pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes § 10-3-1116 subject to the one-year statute of limitations found in Colorado Revised Statutes § 13-80-103(1)(d) and applicable to "[a]ll actions for any penalty…”

People v. Cerrone, 780 P.2d 562 (Colo. Ct. App. 1989).

Gibbs v. Colo. Mined Land Reclamation Bd., 883 P.2d 592 (Colo. Ct. App. 1994).

Damon v. Unisys Corp., 841 F. Supp. 1094 (D. Colo. 1994).

Weatherill v. State Farm (Colo. Ct. App. 2026).

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103(c)(1) — 1 case

Arroyo v. Eischen (D. Colo. 2025).

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103(l)(a) — 6 cases

Est. of Stevenson Ex Rel. Talovich v. Hollywood Bar & Cafe, Inc., 832 P.2d 718 (Colo. 1992). “(1987), we concluded that the one-year time periods here challenged do not constitute such drastic limitations on the rights of injured parties to obtain judicial resolution of their claims as to offend constitutional due process standards of fundamental fairness.”

Winkler v. Rocky Mountain Conf. of the United Methodist Church, 923 P.2d 152 (Colo. Ct. App. 1996).

Taylor v. Goldsmith, 870 P.2d 1264 (Colo. Ct. App. 1994).

Conrad v. The Educ. Resources Inst., 652 F. Supp. 2d 1172 (D. Colo. 2009).

Van Leeuwan v. Nuzzi, 810 F. Supp. 1120 (D. Colo. 1993).

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103(l)(c) — 11 cases

Delta Sales Yard v. Patten, 892 P.2d 297 (Colo. 1995). “(1987) provides “all actions against any public or governmental entity or any employee of a public or governmental entity” must be commenced within two years after the cause of action accrues, “except as otherwise provided in this section or section 13-80-103.” Section 13 —…”

Delta Sales Yard v. Patten, 870 P.2d 554 (Colo. Ct. App. 1994).

Terry v. Sullivan, 58 P.3d 1098 (Colo. Ct. App. 2002).

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103(l)(d) — 4 cases

Ortivez v. Davis, 902 P.2d 905 (Colo. Ct. App. 1995).

Damon v. Unisys Corp., 841 F. Supp. 1094 (D. Colo. 1994).

Gibbs v. Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Bd., 883 P.2d 592 (Colo. Ct. App. 1994).

Adams v. Cyprus Amax Mineral Co., 44 F. Supp. 2d 1126 (D. Colo. 1999).

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103(l)(e) — 4 cases

Gallegos v. City of Monte Vista, 976 P.2d 299 (Colo. Ct. App. 1998). “As pertinent here, § 13-80-103, C.R.S. 1997, provides that: (1)The following civil actions, regardless of the theory upon which suit is brought, or against whom suit is brought, shall be commenced within one year after the cause of action accrues, and not thereafter: [[Image…”

DeFelice v. Johnson, 931 P.2d 548 (Colo. Ct. App. 1996).

— Colo. Rev. Stat. § 13-80-103(l)(g) — 1 case

Adams v. Cyprus Amax Mineral Co., 44 F. Supp. 2d 1126 (D. Colo. 1999).

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.