Colorado small claims
How to fill out Colorado's JDF 250 (Notice, Claim and Summons)
Official form: JDF 250 — Notice, Claim, and Summons to Appear for Trial · Walkthrough written against JDF 250 R 1-24
Download the official form — free, from the court
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Get the official JDF 250 from the court's site →Link verified 2026-07-04. If it has moved, the court's forms index and clerk's office will have the current version — verify with the court before filing.
What this form is
The JDF 250 — "Notice, Claim and Summons to Appear for Trial" — is Colorado's statewide small claims form. It is three documents in one: your claim, the court's notice setting the trial date, and the summons that gets served on the defendant. You complete the claim portions and file with the small claims division of the county court; the clerk completes the trial-date notice.
Colorado small claims covers claims up to $7,500 — and the form's own note spells out that the combined value of money, property, specific performance, or the cost to remedy a covenant violation cannot exceed that figure. The packet comes in multiple copies (court copy, defendant's copy, plaintiff's copy) because the served copy carries the same information.
Two housekeeping facts are printed right on the form: service is the plaintiff's responsibility (by a non-party adult, at least 15 days before trial, with written proof filed), and Colorado caps how often anyone can use small claims — no more than 2 claims per month or 18 per year in the same county, which you certify under penalty of perjury when you sign.
The form, field by field
What each part of the form asks for, in the form's own order. These are descriptions of the questions — what to answer depends on facts only you know, and the court clerk or the form's own instructions are the authoritative sources.
The caption — court and parties
County and court address
Which county's small claims court you are filing in. Proper venue is addressed by question 2 below.
Plaintiff(s) — name, address, city/state/zip, home/work/cell phones
Your identifying and contact information.
Defendant(1) and Defendant(2) — the same block each
Name, address, and phone numbers for each defendant you are suing. The case number, division, and courtroom boxes are for court use.
The registered-agent line (business defendants)
"If Defendant(s) is/are other than a person..." — agent name and address
For a business or other entity defendant, the form directs you to look up the registered agent on the Colorado Secretary of State's site (coloradosos.gov) and enter the agent's name and address — that is who gets served for the entity.
Questions 1–4 — the yes/no screening block
1. "The Defendant(s) is/are in the military service: Yes / No / Unknown"
The military-service question federal law requires courts to screen (it limits default judgments against active-duty servicemembers).
2. Venue question
A yes/no statement that the defendant resides, is regularly employed, has a business office, or is a student in this county — or that real property in the county is the subject of a restrictive-covenant or security-deposit claim. This is Colorado's small-claims venue rule, phrased as a checkbox.
3. Service acknowledgment
A yes/no acknowledgment that it is your responsibility to have each defendant served with the "Defendant's Copy" by a person 18 or older who is not a party, 15 days before trial, and to file written proof of service with the court.
4. "I am an attorney: Yes / No"
Colorado small claims is designed to run without attorneys; this question flags the exceptions (attorney representation triggers extra rules).
Notice and Summons to Appear for Trial (court-completed)
Trial date, time, clerk signature
The clerk fills this section when you file — it tells the defendant when to appear, warns that judgment may be entered on non-appearance, and explains that a defendant who wants to defend or counterclaim files a written response and pays a fee by the trial date. You leave it blank.
Plaintiff's Claim
"The Defendant(s) owe(s) me $___ ... for the following reasons"
The amount claimed (the form notes it includes penalties, with interest and costs added as allowed by law) and five lines to summarize the reasons — including a description of any property whose return you are requesting. The $7,500 combined-value cap is printed directly under the lines.
Perjury declaration + filing-frequency certification, date, signature(s)
Pre-printed text declaring under penalty of perjury that the claim is true and correct AND that you have not filed more than 2 small claims this calendar month or 18 this calendar year in this county. You date and sign; two signature lines exist for co-plaintiffs.
Common reasons clerks reject this form
Clerks bounce filings for mechanical, fixable reasons. These are the patterns that come up with this particular form:
- ⚠Serving the defendant yourself — the form requires a non-party adult (18+) to serve, at least 15 days before trial, with written proof filed; self-service is invalid.
- ⚠Suing an entity without the registered agent — the form points to coloradosos.gov for a reason; service on a business goes to its agent.
- ⚠Answering "No" to the venue question (question 2) — a "No" says on the form's face that the case is in the wrong county.
- ⚠Writing in the Notice and Summons section — the trial date and clerk signature are court-completed.
- ⚠A claim whose money-plus-property value exceeds $7,500 — the cap is printed on the form; larger claims belong in county court's regular civil division.
- ⚠Signing past the filing caps — the perjury declaration covers the 2-per-month / 18-per-year certification, so the numbers have to be true.
What filing costs, and where it happens
Colorado small claims filing fees are tiered by claim amount — $31 for claims of $500 or less and $55 for claims over $500 (the defendant's response fee is separate). Service by a private process server or the sheriff has its own cost. The clerk's published fee schedule governs; verify before filing.
You file with the clerk of the county court's small claims division in the county that satisfies question 2 — in person or by mail, and several districts accept e-filed small claims. The clerk sets the trial date on the form, and the served Defendant's Copy carries it.
Published fees and court locations for your county are in our Colorado small claims guide and the court directory. Fees change — verify the current amount with the clerk before filing.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I get the JDF 250?
From the Colorado Judicial Branch website (coloradojudicial.gov) — the official fillable PDF is free (linked on this page). Clerk's offices also stock it.
How much can I sue for in Colorado small claims?
Up to $7,500 — and the form's note is explicit that money, property value, specific performance, and covenant-remedy costs combine toward that single cap.
Who can serve the defendant?
Any person 18 or older who is not a party to the case — commonly the sheriff or a private process server — at least 15 days before the trial date, with written proof of service filed with the court. The form makes you acknowledge this in question 3.
How many small claims can I file?
Colorado caps it at 2 claims per calendar month and 18 per calendar year in the same county's small claims court — and the signature block has you certify compliance under penalty of perjury.
What happens after I file?
The clerk assigns the trial date and completes the Notice and Summons section. You arrange service of the Defendant's Copy within the deadline, file proof of service, and both sides appear on the trial date with their evidence. A defendant who wants to counterclaim files a written response before trial.
Related guides
Form link verified: 2026-07-04. Reviewed against our Editorial Standards.
This is general information to help you understand the form — not legal advice, and not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney about your specific situation. Courts revise forms, fees, and procedures; the court's own instructions and your court clerk are the authoritative sources. Always verify with the court before filing.