Who may serve a summons and complaint in Colorado?

Any person 18 or older who is not a party to the case, under C.R.C.P. 4(d). A sheriff, marshal, or similar official may also serve. Colorado has no statewide process-server license, registration, or bond requirement.

Can a party serve their own summons in Colorado?

No. C.R.C.P. 4(d) requires the server to be a non-party. Service must come from another adult, a sheriff, a marshal, or a paid process server, none of whom need any state license or registration.

Is ordinary mail enough to serve a Colorado summons?

No. Ordinary mail alone never serves a summons in Colorado. Rule 4(g) allows mail only in actions affecting specific property or status or other proceedings in rem, only after a court order on a verified motion showing diligence, and only by registered or certified mail with a signed return receipt filed as proof.

Does Colorado have an official proof of service form?

Colorado has two self-help forms, JDF 98, Affidavit of Service, for initial process, and JDF 70, Certificate of Service, for later papers. Neither is mandated by C.R.C.P. 4 or 5, so a separate proof stating the same required facts also satisfies the rule. If your court requires its own version, that court's form controls.

Does a Colorado proof of service need to be notarized?

No. C.R.C.P. 4(h) was amended in 2020 to implement the Uniform Unsworn Declarations Act, which Colorado adopted by statute in 2018 (C.R.S. § 13-27-101 et seq.), so a non-officer server signs an unsworn declaration under penalty of perjury instead of a notarized affidavit. JDF 98 has no notary block. A sheriff or marshal instead gives a certified statement.

How long do I have to serve a summons in Colorado?

A defendant must be served within 63 days, nine weeks, after the complaint is filed. If not, the court must dismiss the claim against that defendant without prejudice, on motion or on its own, unless the plaintiff shows good cause for more time (C.R.C.P. 4(m)).

Is there a deadline to file the proof of service in Colorado?

The Colorado civil rules set no separate day count for filing the initial proof beyond the 63-day service window itself. For later papers, C.R.C.P. 5(d) requires the certificate of service to be filed within a reasonable time after service, not on a fixed schedule.

How do I serve later papers like motions in a Colorado case?

Serve the opposing attorney of record, or the party directly if unrepresented, under C.R.C.P. 5(b): by hand delivery, by leaving a copy at their office with a person in charge or at their dwelling with someone 18 or older residing there, by mail, complete on mailing, or by other means they consented to in writing, such as E-Service, email, or overnight courier. File a certificate of service within a reasonable time; the self-help form JDF 70 is optional.

What happens if service of a Colorado summons is defective?

Defective service can prevent the court from gaining authority over the defendant, which can void a default judgment later. Follow C.R.C.P. 4's manner, timing, and proof requirements exactly, and never sign a declaration that misstates how or when service occurred, since it is made under penalty of perjury.

Does this Colorado proof of service cover federal court, service abroad, or a government defendant?

No. Service on the federal government, a foreign country, or under the Hague Service Convention, and service in federal court under the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, follow separate rules not covered on this page.

Colorado Proof of Service

Colorado lets any adult non-party serve a civil summons with no process-server license or registration, but service must happen within 63 days of filing and proof is normally an unsworn declaration under penalty of perjury, not a notarized affidavit.

Find out where you stand in Colorado

Where are you with service?

DocDraft provides document preparation, not legal advice.

Introduction

Colorado has no license, registration, or bond requirement for private process servers. Under C.R.C.P. 4(d), any person 18 or older who is not a party may serve the summons and complaint; a party cannot serve their own summons. A sheriff or marshal may also serve and prove it with a certified statement instead of a declaration. Self-help forms JDF 98 and JDF 70 are not mandated by C.R.C.P. 4 or 5, so a separate proof with the same facts works. Rule 4(h), amended in 2020 to implement the Uniform Unsworn Declarations Act, lets a private server sign an unsworn declaration under penalty of perjury, not a notarized affidavit. Delivery to a family member 18 or older at home, or to a supervisor at work, counts as personal service under Rule 4(e), not a lesser substituted method. Ordinary mail alone never serves a summons. Mail or publication under Rule 4(g) applies only in actions affecting specific property or status or other proceedings in rem, and needs a court order on a verified motion showing diligence, and mail must be registered or certified with a signed return receipt filed as proof. A defendant must be served within 63 days after filing, or the court must dismiss that defendant without prejudice absent good cause. The civil rules set no separate day count for filing the proof beyond that window. Later papers are served under Rule 5 by hand, by mail, or by written consent, and a certificate of service is filed within a reasonable time. Federal, foreign, and government service follow separate rules not covered here. Attorney review is available before you file.

Key Things to Know

1
Any person 18 or older who is not a party to the case may serve the summons and complaint, and Colorado has no process-server license, registration, or bond requirement of any kind (C.R.C.P. 4(d)). The self-help form JDF 98, Affidavit of Service, is not mandated by Rule 4, so a separate proof with the same facts also works; if the issuing court requires its own version, that court's form controls.
2
A party to the case cannot serve their own summons. A sheriff, marshal, or similar official may serve instead and prove it with a certified statement, which C.R.C.P. 4(h) treats differently from the sworn or unsworn declaration required of a non-officer server.
3
Colorado does not require a notarized affidavit. Rule 4(h), amended in 2020 to implement the Uniform Unsworn Declarations Act that Colorado adopted by statute in 2018 (C.R.S. § 13-27-101 et seq.), lets any non-officer server sign an unsworn declaration under penalty of perjury instead; JDF 98 has no notary block at all.
4
Delivery to the person, to a family member 18 or older at the person's usual home, or to a supervisor or similar recipient at the person's workplace, all count as ordinary personal service under Rule 4(e)(1), not a separate substituted-service category requiring a follow-up mailing.
5
Ordinary mail alone is never valid to serve a summons. Rule 4(g) permits mail only in actions affecting specific property or status or other proceedings in rem, only after a court order granted on a verified motion showing diligence, and only by registered or certified mail with a signed return receipt filed as proof.
6
A defendant must be served within 63 days (nine weeks) after the complaint is filed, or the court must dismiss the claim against that defendant without prejudice, on motion or on its own, unless the plaintiff shows good cause for more time (C.R.C.P. 4(m)).
7
The Colorado civil rules set no separate day count for filing the affidavit of service beyond the 63-day service window itself. For later papers, C.R.C.P. 5(d) requires a certificate of service to be filed within a reasonable time after service; the self-help form JDF 70 may be used but is not mandated.

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Proof of Service in Colorado, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Proof of Service guide walks through them.

Open the Proof of Service guide

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[COURT NAME] COURT, [COUNTY] COUNTY, COLORADO

[PLAINTIFF NAME], Plaintiff, v. Case No. [CASE NUMBER] Division/Courtroom [DIVISION] [DEFENDANT NAME], Defendant.

AFFIDAVIT OR DECLARATION OF SERVICE

Colorado's self-help form JDF 98, Affidavit of Service, is not mandatory under C.R.C.P. 4. This proof may be used instead, stating the facts Rule 4(h) requires. If the issuing court requires its own version of JDF 98, that court's form controls.

OFFICER CERTIFICATE (sheriff, marshal, or similar official)

I certify that I am a sheriff, marshal, or similar governmental official. I served a copy of the Summons and Complaint, together with [LIST OF ADDITIONAL PAPERS SERVED, IF ANY], on [NAME OF PERSON SERVED] on [DATE OF SERVICE] at [TIME OF SERVICE], at [ADDRESS OR PLACE OF SERVICE], by [PERSONAL DELIVERY TO THE PERSON OR DELIVERY TO A FAMILY MEMBER 18 OR OLDER AT THE PERSON'S HOME OR DELIVERY TO A SUPERVISOR OR SIMILAR RECIPIENT AT THE PERSON'S WORKPLACE].

NON-OFFICER DECLARATION (any other server)

I am 18 years of age or older and not a party to this action, as C.R.C.P. 4(d) requires. I served a copy of the Summons and Complaint, together with [LIST OF ADDITIONAL PAPERS SERVED, IF ANY], on [NAME OF PERSON SERVED] on [DATE OF SERVICE] at [TIME OF SERVICE], at [ADDRESS OR PLACE OF SERVICE], by [PERSONAL DELIVERY TO THE PERSON OR DELIVERY TO A FAMILY MEMBER 18 OR OLDER AT THE PERSON'S HOME OR DELIVERY TO A SUPERVISOR OR SIMILAR RECIPIENT AT THE PERSON'S WORKPLACE].

ADDITIONAL SERVICE FACTS (check any that apply)

[ ] Service was made under a court order for substituted service. I delivered a copy to [NAME AND RELATIONSHIP OF RECIPIENT], a person the court found appropriate, on [DATE], and I also mailed a copy to [ADDRESS] as the order required.

[ ] Service was made under a court order for mail or publication in this action affecting specific property or status or other proceeding in rem. I mailed a copy by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to [ADDRESS] on [DATE OF MAILING]. The signed return receipt is attached to this proof.

[ ] [NAME OF PERSON SERVED] signed a waiver of service admitting service as of [DATE], attached to this proof.

I declare under penalty of perjury under the law of Colorado that the foregoing is true and correct.

[SIGNATURE] [NAME OF SERVER] [ADDRESS OF SERVER] [CITY, COLORADO ZIP] Official title, if any: [OFFICIAL TITLE OF SERVER]

CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE OF LATER PAPERS

I certify that on [DATE], I served a copy of [NAME OF DOCUMENT] on [NAME OF PARTY OR ATTORNEY OF RECORD] by [HAND DELIVERY OR LEAVING A COPY AT THE OFFICE WITH A PERSON IN CHARGE OR LEAVING A COPY AT THE DWELLING WITH A PERSON 18 OR OLDER RESIDING THERE OR MAILING A COPY TO THE LAST KNOWN ADDRESS OR OTHER MEANS THE RECIPIENT CONSENTED TO IN WRITING, SUCH AS E-SERVICE, EMAIL, FAX, OR OVERNIGHT COURIER], at [ADDRESS, EMAIL ADDRESS, OR FAX NUMBER], as C.R.C.P. 5 requires.

[SIGNATURE] [NAME]

Colorado Requirements for Proof of Service

No Process-Server License Required
Any person 18 or older who is not a party to the case may serve a Colorado summons and complaint, with no statewide process-server license, registration, or bond requirement (C.R.C.P. 4(d)).
Party Barred From Serving the Summons
A party to the case cannot serve their own summons. A sheriff, marshal, or similar official may serve instead and proves it with a certified statement, distinct from the declaration a non-officer server must sign (C.R.C.P. 4(d), (h)).
Unsworn Declaration Replaces the Notarized Affidavit
C.R.C.P. 4(h), amended in 2020 to implement the Uniform Unsworn Declarations Act that Colorado adopted by statute in 2018 (C.R.S. § 13-27-101 et seq.), lets a non-officer server sign an unsworn declaration under penalty of perjury instead of a notarized affidavit; JDF 98 contains no notary block.
Abode and Workplace Delivery Count as Personal Service
Delivery to a family member 18 or older at the person's home, or to a supervisor or similar recipient at the person's workplace, is classified as personal service under C.R.C.P. 4(e)(1), not a separate substituted-service category needing a follow-up mailing.
Mail Alone Never Serves a Summons
Rule 4(g) permits mail service of a summons only in actions affecting specific property or status or other proceedings in rem, only under a court order granted on a verified motion showing diligence, and only by registered or certified mail with a signed return receipt filed as proof.
63-Day Time to Serve With Dismissal
A defendant must be served within 63 days (nine weeks) after the complaint is filed, or the court must dismiss the claim against that defendant without prejudice unless the plaintiff shows good cause for more time (C.R.C.P. 4(m)).
No Rule-Set Deadline to File the Initial Proof
The Colorado civil rules set no separate day count for filing the affidavit of service beyond the 63-day service window itself (C.R.C.P. 4(m)).
JDF 98 Affidavit of Service Is Optional, Not Mandatory
Colorado's self-help form JDF 98, Affidavit of Service, is not named or required anywhere in C.R.C.P. 4, so a separate proof stating the same facts also satisfies the rule, unless the issuing court requires its own version, which then controls.
Certificate of Service for Later Papers
C.R.C.P. 5(d) requires a certificate of service to be filed within a reasonable time after later papers are served on the opposing attorney or self-represented party; the self-help form JDF 70 may be used but is not mandated.

Find out where you stand in Colorado

Introduction

Key Things to Know

Key decisions before you file

Customize your Proof of Service Template with DocDraft

Colorado Requirements for Proof of Service

No Process-Server License Required

Party Barred From Serving the Summons

Unsworn Declaration Replaces the Notarized Affidavit

Abode and Workplace Delivery Count as Personal Service

Mail Alone Never Serves a Summons

63-Day Time to Serve With Dismissal

No Rule-Set Deadline to File the Initial Proof

JDF 98 Affidavit of Service Is Optional, Not Mandatory

Certificate of Service for Later Papers

Frequently Asked Questions