{"id":371949,"date":"2016-03-31T21:34:37","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:34:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/colorado-law\/colorado-criminal-statute-of-limitations-laws.html"},"modified":"2025-06-04T13:09:28","modified_gmt":"2025-06-04T18:09:28","slug":"colorado-criminal-statute-of-limitations-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/colorado-law\/colorado-criminal-statute-of-limitations-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Colorado Criminal Statute of Limitations Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Colorado Criminal Statute of Limitations Laws<\/h1>\n
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\n By Olivia Wathne, J.D.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by FindLaw Staff<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
\n \n <\/i>\n Legally Reviewed\n <\/summary>\n\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

The criminal justice system in the state of Colorado enforces a criminal statute of limitations, which establishes the time frame within which prosecutors must file charges for criminal offenses. This period of time varies depending on the nature of the case, distinguishing between criminal cases and civil cases.<\/a><\/p>\r\n

For example, Colorado’s misdemeanor charges<\/a> have statutes of limitations ranging from six months to five years. Certain felony charges<\/a>, such as murder, kidnapping, and treason, have no statutory limit for filing charges. Read on to learn essential details regarding Colorado’s criminal statute of limitations laws.<\/p>\r\n

What Is the Purpose of a Time Limit?<\/b><\/h2>\r\n

Criminal statutes of limitations help ensure that criminal trials are fair and based on the best possible evidence. Evidence of a crime, both physical (fingerprints and DNA<\/a>) and testimonial (officer statements and eyewitness accounts), can fade or become unusable over time. In some instances, they can be lost completely.<\/p>\r\n

Particular statutes of limitations vary in length. This depends on the type of crime and how the justice system is attempting to address the severity of the offense:<\/p>\r\n