Homestead Exemption Amounts in Colorado
At a glance
| Governing law | C.R.S. § 38-41-201 (amount and definitions), § 38-41-202 (automatic creation), § 38-41-204 (surviving spouse and minor children), § 38-41-205 (qualifying property), § 38-41-206 (levy and sale procedure), and § 38-41-207 (proceeds), with the main 2022 changes enacted by SB 22-086 |
|---|---|
| Exemption amount | $250,000 if occupied as a home by an owner or an owner's family; $350,000 if occupied by an owner, an owner's spouse, or an owner's dependent who is elderly (60+) or disabled. Raised from $75,000/$105,000 by 2022 SB 22-086, effective 4/7/2022 |
| Size or acreage limit | None. A homestead may consist of a dwelling, a house and lot(s) (including a manufactured home, mobile home, trailer, or trailer coach), or a farm of any number of acres |
| Automatic, or do you have to file something? | Automatic once the occupancy and property-type requirements are met: no recording needed for the exemption itself to exist. Recording a written declaration matters for a different reason: once one is recorded, both spouses' signatures are required to convey or encumber the property; without one, only the owner spouse's signature is needed. A declaration is also required (not just optional) to homestead against a debt incurred before 7/1/1975 |
| Who qualifies, and can spouses double it? | The dollar amount is a single, per-homestead cap covering the owner or the owner's family together; the statute does not provide a separate exemption for each co-owner. On the owner's death, § 38-41-204 continues the exemption for a surviving spouse or minor children, but makes the homestead liable for estate debts if neither survives |
| What it actually protects you from | Protects equity up to the cap from execution and attachment for any debt, contract, or civil obligation. A creditor seeking to force a sale must first file affidavits (including an independent appraisal) showing the property's value exceeds the exemption amount before any levy proceeding can go forward (§ 38-41-206) |
| Debts that can still reach your home | The statute measures the exemption against equity 'in excess of any liens or encumbrances... in existence at the time of any levy', so a mortgage, deed of trust, mechanic's lien, or tax lien that already encumbers the property is accounted for before the exemption amount is even calculated, rather than being overridden by it |
| Protection for sale proceeds | Sale proceeds, insurance proceeds from destruction of the home, and proceeds from a forced sale under § 38-41-206 all stay exempt for 3 years after receipt, as long as they're kept separate and identifiable. If reinvested in another home, the same exemption carries over to the new property (though not against a vendor's lien or purchase-money mortgage on the new property). The 3-year window was itself extended from 2 years by the 2022 amendment |
Requirements one by one
Governing law
The core exemption is C.R.S. § 38-41-201(1)-(2), which sets the dollar amounts and defines "elderly" and "disabled." Related sections fill in the mechanics: § 38-41-202(1)-(2) (how and when the exemption is created), § 38-41-204 (survival for a spouse or minor children), § 38-41-205(1) (qualifying property), § 38-41-206(1)-(2) (levy and forced-sale procedure), and § 38-41-207(1)-(2) (protection for proceeds). Senate Bill 22-086 made the principal 2022 changes.
Exemption amount
$250,000 if the home is occupied by an owner or the owner's family. $350,000 if it is occupied by an owner, an owner's spouse, or an owner's dependent who is 60 or older or disabled. Senate Bill 22-086 raised the prior $75,000 and $105,000 amounts effective April 7, 2022.
Size or acreage limit
None. Colorado's homestead can consist of a dwelling, a house and lot (including a manufactured home, mobile home, trailer, or trailer coach), or a farm of any number of acres, the statute expressly removes any size ceiling for a farm homestead.
Automatic, or do you have to file something?
Automatic, as long as you occupy a qualifying property. You don't need to record anything for the exemption itself to exist. Recording a written declaration does matter for a different reason: once one is recorded, both spouses must sign to sell or mortgage the property, instead of just the owner spouse alone. A recorded declaration is also required, not just optional, if you're trying to homestead against a debt that was incurred before July 1, 1975 (a narrow, aging category of debts by now).
Who qualifies, and can spouses double it?
The dollar cap applies once per homestead, covering the owner or the owner's family together; Colorado's statute does not give each co-owner a separate exemption. If the owner dies, § 38-41-204 continues the exemption for a surviving spouse or minor children. If neither survives, the section says the homestead is liable for the deceased owner's debts.
What it actually protects you from
The exemption protects equity up to the cap from execution and attachment for any debt, contract, or civil obligation. Before a creditor can force a sale, Colorado law requires the creditor to file affidavits, including an independent appraiser's valuation, showing the property's value actually exceeds the exemption amount; if a sale doesn't clear at least 70% of that appraised value, the whole levy proceeding must be dropped.
Debts that can still reach your home
The exemption amount is measured against equity "in excess of any liens or encumbrances... in existence at the time of any levy", in other words, a mortgage, deed of trust, mechanic's lien, or tax lien already on the property comes off the top before the exemption is even applied, rather than being overridden by the exemption.
Protection for sale proceeds
Proceeds from selling the home, insurance proceeds from its destruction, and proceeds from a forced sale all stay exempt for 3 years after you receive them, as long as you keep the money separate and identifiable rather than mixing it with other funds. If you use the money to buy another home, the same exemption carries over to the new property (though it won't beat a vendor's lien or a purchase-money mortgage on that new property).
What trips people up
Don't assume a Colorado homestead exemption you researched a few years ago is still accurate: the amounts more than tripled in April 2022, so older material may still show $75,000/$105,000. Also do not assume co-owners each get a separate exemption; Colorado's cap applies once per homestead, not once per owner.
Common questions
Do I need to record a homestead declaration to be protected? No. The exemption applies automatically once you occupy a qualifying home. Recording is mainly useful to trigger the dual-spousal-signature rule on future sales or mortgages, or to document your claim for a lender, buyer, or bankruptcy trustee.
My home is worth more than $250,000, am I unprotected? No. The $250,000 (or $350,000) is the amount of equity protected, not the home's total value. If your equity above any mortgage exceeds the cap, only the excess is potentially reachable, and even then only after the creditor clears the appraisal and minimum-bid hurdles in § 38-41-206.
I'm 62 and disabled, do I automatically get $350,000? You (or your spouse, or your dependent) need to actually meet the statutory age (60+) or disability definition and occupy the home. There's no separate filing required to claim the enhanced amount, though documenting it can help if a creditor disputes your eligibility.
Statutes and sources
- C.R.S. §§ 38-41-201 to -207, https://olls.info/crs/crs2025-title-38.pdf (accessed 2026-08-15)
- 2022 SB 22-086 enacted summary and signed act, https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb22-086 (accessed 2026-08-15)
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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