Rule 5.Service and Filing of Pleadings and Other Papers

Current through June 1, 2026 · Last verified July 10, 2026

In one sentenceRule 5 spells out how pleadings, motions, and other case papers apart from the original summons and complaint must be served on the parties and filed with the court, covering mail, electronic service, and an incarcerated litigant's filing deadline.

Full Text of Rule 5

Text sizeJump to: (a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f)

(a) Service: When Required. Except as otherwise provided in these rules, every order required by its terms to be served, every pleading subsequent to the original complaint unless the court otherwise orders because of numerous defendants, every paper relating to discovery required to be served upon a party unless the court otherwise orders, every written motion other than one which may be heard ex parte, and every written notice, appearance, demand, offer of judgment, designation of record on appeal, and similar paper shall be served upon each of the parties. No service need be made on parties in default for failure to appear except that pleadings asserting new or additional claims for relief against them shall be served upon them in the manner provided for service of summons in Rule 4.

(b) Making Service:

(1) Service under C.R.C.P. 5(a) on a party represented by an attorney is made upon the attorney unless the court orders personal service upon the party. A resident attorney, on whom pleadings and other papers may be served, shall be associated as attorney of record with any out-of-state attorney practicing in any courts of this state.

(2) Service under C.R.C.P. 5(a) is made by:

(A) Delivering a copy to the person served by:

(i) handing it to the person;

(ii) leaving it at the person's office with a clerk or other person in charge, or if no one is in charge, leaving it in a conspicuous place in the office; or

(iii) if the person has no office or the office is closed, leaving it at the person's dwelling house or usual place of abode with someone 18 years of age or older residing there;

(B) Mailing a copy to the last known address of the person served. Service by mail is complete on mailing;

(D) Delivering a copy by any other means, including E-Service, other electronic means or a designated overnight courier, consented to in writing by the person served. Designation of a facsimile phone number or an email address in the filing effects consent in writing for such delivery. Parties who have subscribed to E-Filing, pursuant to C.R.C.P. 121 Section 1-26 § 1.(d), have agreed to receive E-Service. Service by other electronic means is complete on transmission; service by other consented means is complete when the person making service delivers the copy to the agency designated to make delivery. Service by other electronic means or overnight courier under C.R.C.P. 5(b)(2)(D) is not effective if the party making service learns that the attempted service did not reach the person to be served.

(c) Service: Numerous Defendants. In any action in which there are unusually large numbers of defendants, the court, upon motion or of its own initiative, may order that service of the pleadings of the defendants and replies thereto need not be made as between the defendants and that any cross claim, counterclaim, or matter constituting an avoidance or affirmative defense contained therein shall be deemed to be denied or avoided by all other parties and that the filing of any such pleading and service thereof upon the plaintiff constitutes due notice of it to the parties. A copy of every such order shall be served upon the parties in such manner and form as the court directs.

(d) Filing Certificate of Service. All papers after the initial pleading required to be served upon a party, together with a certificate of service, must be filed with the court within a reasonable time after service, but disclosures under Rule C.R.C.P. 26(a)(1) or (2) and the following discovery requests and responses shall not be filed until they are used in the proceeding or the court orders otherwise: (i) depositions, (ii) interrogatories, (iii) requests for documents or to permit entry upon land, and (iv) requests for admission.

(e) Filing with Court Defined. The filing of pleadings and other papers with the court as required by these rules shall be made by filing them with the clerk of the court, except that the judge may permit the papers to be filed with the judge, in which event the judge shall note thereon the filing date and forthwith transmit them to the office of the clerk. A paper filed by E-Filing in compliance with C.R.C.P. 121 Section 1-26 constitutes a written paper for the purpose of this Rule. The clerk shall not refuse to accept any paper presented for filing solely because it is not presented in proper form as required by these rules or any local rules or practices.

(f) Inmate Filing and Service. Except where personal service is required, a pleading or paper filed or served by an inmate confined to an institution is timely filed or served if deposited in the institution's internal mailing system on or before the last day for filing or serving. If an institution has a system designed for legal mail, the inmate must use that system to receive the benefit of this rule.

End

Amendment History

Amended effective September 6, 1990; January 1, 1993; July 1, 2001. Amended October 20, 2005, effective January 1, 2006. Amended effective June 21, 2012.

Plain-English Summary

Once a case is underway, Rule 5 governs how everything besides the original summons and complaint gets delivered to the other parties and filed with the court: later pleadings, motions other than those a court hears without notice to the other side, discovery papers the rules require to be served, notices, and similar documents. If a party is represented by a lawyer, service normally goes to the lawyer rather than the client directly.

Papers can be served by handing them over, leaving them at an office or, if the office is closed, at a home with an adult resident there, mailing them to the last known address, service is complete the moment it's mailed, or leaving a copy with the clerk if no address is known. Electronic service, including email, fax, or another agreed method, works too, but only with the recipient's written consent; listing an email address or fax number in a filing counts as that consent, as does subscribing to the court's e-filing system.

Most served papers need a certificate of service filed with the court within a reasonable time. Discovery materials are the exception: depositions, interrogatories, document requests, and requests for admission stay out of the court file until they are used in the case. An inmate's filing or service is timely if deposited in the institution's internal mail system by the deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to serve every document I file in a Colorado case?

Most of them. Later pleadings, motions heard with notice, discovery papers the rules require to be served, and similar documents must go to every party, with narrow exceptions like ex parte motions.

When is service by mail considered complete in Colorado?

The moment the paper is mailed, not when the other side receives it.

Can I serve opposing counsel by email in a Colorado civil case?

Yes, if they've consented in writing, which happens automatically by listing an email address on a filing or by subscribing to the court's e-filing system.

Do interrogatories and deposition transcripts have to be filed with the court?

No, not until they're used in the proceeding, or the court orders otherwise; Rule 5(d) keeps them out of the file until then.

Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the official Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure (Colo. R. Civ. P. 5). Prescribed by the Supreme Court of Colorado (C.R.S. § 13-2-108; Colo. Const. art. VI). The plain-English summary is original and written by us. Last verified July 10, 2026. · Official source

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