State guide
Colorado
Colorado requires a personal representative to publish a creditor notice unless one year or more has already passed since death. Colorado’s Judicial Branch also publishes current small-estate affidavit materials that update the threshold by year of death.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Publishing the notice
- Publication is generally required unless one year or more has elapsed since death; the personal representative provides the notice to a local newspaper, it runs once a week for 3 consecutive weeks, and Colorado forms describe the paper simply as a local newspaper.
- Creditor claim deadline
- 4 months after first publication (or the written-notice deadline stated in mailed notice), but never later than 1 year after death
- Outside deadline
- 1 year after death
- Law
- C.R.S. §§ 15-12-801, 15-12-803, 15-12-1201
- Small-estate limit
- $88,000 for year of death 2026 under JDF 999; personal property affidavit only
Official resources in Colorado
Official probate self-help page with estate forms, including creditor notice and affidavit materials.
Official step-by-step estate-opening page explaining when probate may be avoidable and what forms are required.
Official instructions explaining publication, mailing notice to known creditors, and filing proof of publication.
Official form used for creditor publication and showing the claim date formula.
Official small-estate affidavit form listing year-of-death thresholds.
Key facts for Colorado
- JDF 906 says the personal representative must publish notice unless 1 year or more has elapsed since death. (Colorado Judicial Branch)
- JDF 943 instructs the newspaper to publish once a week for 3 consecutive calendar weeks. (Colorado Judicial Branch)
- JDF 943 says the claim date cannot be earlier than 4 months after first publication or later than 1 year after death. (Colorado Judicial Branch)
- JDF 906 says known and unpaid creditors must be sent JDF 944 unless 1 year or more has elapsed since death. (Colorado Judicial Branch)
- The estate can sometimes be handled without probate using JDF 999 for personal property only. (Colorado Judicial Branch)
- JDF 999 lists the 2026 year-of-death small-estate threshold as $88,000, excluding liens and encumbrances. (Colorado Judicial Branch)
What to do next
- Publish JDF 943 promptly after appointment and file the newspaper’s proof of publication with the court.
- Send JDF 944 to known unpaid creditors and keep a mailing record because the written-notice deadline can differ from publication.
- Check JDF 999 before opening a probate if there is no real estate transfer and the estate may fall under the current year-of-death limit.
Helpful guides
- What is a notice to creditors in probate?
- How to publish a probate notice in a newspaper
- How much does it cost to publish a probate notice?
- What counts as a legal newspaper for probate notices
Creditor deadline calculator →