Colorado Contract Deadlines Explained (CBS1, 2026)

Colorado contract deadlines are the 43 dates in § 3.1 of the Commission-approved Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate (Residential), CBS1. Most come in threes (delivery, objection, resolution) for title, appraisal, survey, inspection and due diligence documents. Each day ends at 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time, and weekend deadlines roll forward only if the box is checked.

More on this topic: Contract deadlines by state, every guide in one place.

This guide explains each family of deadlines in the current form (adopted August 5, 2025, mandatory from January 1, 2026), with section numbers so you can check the contract yourself. It's general information, not legal advice; the executed contract controls. Other states: see the deadlines in a purchase contract.

Key takeaways

• Deadlines are dates the parties fill in for each deal; the form sets what each one means, not how many days it allows.
• A day ends at 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time unless a Time of Day Deadline (item 1) is filled in for objection, resolution, examination and termination deadlines (§ 3.3.1).
• Weekend and holiday deadlines are extended only if “Will” is checked in § 3.3.3; if neither box is checked, they are not.
• Miss a termination or objection deadline and the buyer generally accepts the matter and loses that right to terminate (§ 24.1).
• Once a buyer objects, the default flips: with no written settlement or withdrawal by the resolution deadline, the contract terminates.

What are the deadlines in a Colorado real estate contract?

They're the items in the Dates and Deadlines table in § 3.1 of the CBS1. Each row names the section that governs it. A row left blank, or marked N/A or Deleted, doesn't apply, and the provision behind it is deleted (§ 3.2).

If the FHA or VA boxes are checked in § 4.5.3, the appraisal deadlines don't apply. The ET35 extension form numbers the same deadlines differently, so say which form an item number comes from.

What is the Record Title Deadline?

The Record Title Deadline is the date by which the buyer must have the title commitment, copies of the documents listed as exceptions in it (the Title Documents), any abstract of title the seller has, and the tax certificate (§§ 8.1, 8.5). Unless the box in § 8.1.2 is checked, the seller selects the title company and furnishes the commitment (§ 8.1.1).

Record Title Objection Deadline. By this date the buyer may object to anything in the title commitment or Title Documents, or terminate, “in Buyer's sole subjective discretion” (§ 8.2). If documents arrive late, or an endorsement adds a new exception, the buyer gets until the earlier of closing or ten days after receiving them to object to those items. If the seller has delivered everything and gets no timely Notice to Terminate or Notice of Title Objection, the buyer accepts the condition of title as satisfactory. More on reading the commitment in how to object to title exceptions.

What is the Off-Record Title Deadline?

The Off-Record Title Deadline is when the seller must deliver existing surveys in the seller's possession and disclose known easements, liens and other title matters not shown by public records, which the form calls Off-Record Matters (§ 8.3). The buyer may also inspect for third-party rights not in the records, such as an unrecorded easement, a boundary discrepancy or water rights.

Off-Record Title Objection Deadline. The buyer's Notice to Terminate or Notice of Title Objection about off-record matters must be received by this date. A matter disclosed after the Off-Record Title Deadline gives the buyer until the earlier of closing or ten days after receipt. If nothing is received in time, the buyer accepts title subject to those matters and any third-party rights the buyer actually knows about.

What is the Title Resolution Deadline?

It's the last day for the buyer and seller to agree in writing how a title objection is fixed. If the seller received a timely Notice of Title Objection and there's no written settlement by the Title Resolution Deadline, the contract terminates when that deadline expires, unless the seller receives the buyer's written withdrawal of the objection by then (§ 8.7.1). If title documents came late, it extends to the earlier of closing or fifteen days after the buyer receives them.

What is the Appraisal Objection Deadline?

The Appraisal Objection Deadline is the date by which a buyer whose appraisal came in below the purchase price, or didn't arrive by the Appraisal Deadline, must act (§ 6.2.1, which also applies to cash deals). The buyer can send a Notice to Terminate, or deliver a written objection with a copy of the appraisal or the lender's written confirmation that the value is below the price.

Appraisal Resolution Deadline. If the seller receives a timely objection and the parties haven't agreed a settlement in writing by this date, the contract terminates on the Appraisal Resolution Deadline unless the buyer withdraws the objection in writing first (§ 6.2.1.3). FHA and VA loans use their federal amendatory clauses instead (§§ 6.2.2, 6.2.3). For the negotiating options when value comes in low, see appraisal gap options.

What is the New Loan Terms Deadline?

The New Loan Terms Deadline is the last day a financed buyer can terminate because the loan's payments, interest rate, conditions, costs or other terms aren't satisfactory to the buyer, in the buyer's sole subjective discretion (§ 5.2.1). After it passes, unhappiness with the loan terms is no longer a reason to terminate.

Don't confuse it with the New Loan Availability Deadline (§ 5.2.2), about whether the lender will make the loan after underwriting. Availability can't be used to terminate over loan terms, appraised value, lender property requirements, insurability or a conditional sale, and the form warns in capitals that without a timely Notice to Terminate the buyer's earnest money becomes nonrefundable (unless the seller is in default).

What is the Due Diligence Documents Objection Deadline?

It's the deadline for the buyer to object to, or terminate over, the due diligence documents the seller delivers under § 10.6.1: current leases and occupancy agreements, documents for leased items and encumbered inclusions, any solar power plan, a septic use permit where required, and anything else listed. The seller must deliver them by the Due Diligence Documents Delivery Deadline.

By the objection deadline the buyer can send a Notice to Terminate or a written description of what's unsatisfactory (§ 10.6.2). With an objection and no written settlement by the Due Diligence Documents Resolution Deadline, the contract terminates unless the buyer withdraws the objection in writing first. A document delivered late gives the buyer until the earlier of closing or ten days after receipt to object, and moves the resolution deadline to the earlier of closing or fifteen days after receipt (§ 10.6.2.4).

How do the inspection deadlines work in Colorado?

The CBS1 gives the buyer two separate routes, with two deadlines (§ 10.3):

• Inspection Termination Deadline: the buyer may terminate in writing for any unsatisfactory condition, but only if no Inspection Objection has been delivered. Delivering an objection ends this termination right.
• Inspection Objection Deadline: the buyer delivers a written description of the conditions the buyer requires the seller to correct.
• Inspection Resolution Deadline: with no written settlement by this date, the contract terminates unless the seller receives the buyer's written withdrawal of the objection by then.

Commission Position 25 says the buyer's broker should use the Commission-approved Inspection Objection Notice, which is a notice, not part of the contract; agreed fixes go on an Inspection Resolution or an Agreement to Amend/Extend Contract. See also the inspection objection process.

Do Colorado contract deadlines include weekends and holidays?

Yes, by default. The CBS1 counts days, not business days: when a period is counted (for example, three days after mutual execution), the first day is excluded and the last day is included (§ 3.3.2). If a deadline lands on a Saturday, Sunday or a federal or Colorado state holiday, it is extended to the next day that isn't one only if “Will” is checked in § 3.3.3. If neither box is checked, the deadline isn't extended.

Time is of the essence: “all dates and deadlines are strict and absolute” (§ 20). A day ends at 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time unless a Time of Day Deadline is set (§ 3.3.1).

A worked example: mutual execution on Thursday, July 2, with an objection deadline of “MEC + 2 days”. Day one is Friday, July 3 and day two is Saturday, July 4. If “Will” is checked, the deadline moves to Monday, July 6 at 11:59 p.m.; if not, it ends Saturday, July 4 at 11:59 p.m. (or at the Time of Day Deadline, if one is set). The dates are illustrative; see calendar days vs business days for the general rules.

For a quick count, the free real estate deadline calculator lists every “MEC + days” deadline at once, with the first day excluded. Turn on its roll-forward only if “Will” is checked, and remember it skips federal holidays but not Colorado state holidays.

What happens if you miss a deadline in a Colorado contract?

For a right to terminate, the termination is effective when the other party receives a written Notice to Terminate on or before the deadline. If it isn't received in time, the party with the right “accepts the specified matter, document or condition as satisfactory and waives the Right to Terminate”, and a late notice is ineffective (§ 24.1). The title sections repeat this: no timely objection means the buyer accepts title as disclosed (§§ 8.2, 8.3).

After an objection, missing the resolution deadline works the other way: the contract terminates unless there's a signed settlement or a written withdrawal. Notices must be in writing (§ 26) and changes signed by the parties (§ 25). With consequences this strict, ask a Colorado real estate attorney about anything unusual. See also missing a contingency deadline.

Which Colorado forms go with these deadlines?

On October 7, 2026 the Division released 2027 forms for education, mandatory from January 1, 2027. The list updates TON45 (renamed Title, Survey, and Due Diligence Related Objection Notice) and AVN44 but has no new CBS1, so the January 2026 contract appears to stay current.

How do you track Colorado deadlines without missing one?

Enter every § 3.1 date on day one, including the N/A rows; note the Time of Day Deadline and the § 3.3.3 election next to the dates they affect; recalculate the ten- and fifteen-day extensions when a document arrives late; and update every date when an AE41 or ET35 is signed.

Closingbird reads the executed contract and fills in the dates it finds, which you check and edit, then reminds each deadline owner every morning. It counts calendar days, or business days that skip weekends and US federal holidays (not Colorado state holidays), and it doesn't apply the § 3.3.3 election by itself: when a deadline rolls past a weekend or holiday, set it to the fixed date. See deadline tracking.

Frequently asked questions

What is the off-record title deadline in Colorado?

The date in § 3.1 (item 5) by which the seller must deliver existing surveys and disclose known easements, liens and other title matters not shown by public records (§ 8.3 of the CBS1). The buyer's objections are due by the Off-Record Title Objection Deadline (item 6).

What is the record title objection deadline?

The last day for the buyer to object to, or terminate over, the title commitment, abstract or Title Documents (§ 8.2, item 4). Without a timely objection, the buyer accepts the condition of title as disclosed.

What does MEC mean in a Colorado contract?

Mutual execution of the contract: the date on which both parties have signed it (§ 3.2). Deadlines are often written as a number of days after MEC.

Are Colorado contract deadlines calendar days or business days?

The CBS1 counts every day, with the first day excluded and the last included. A deadline on a weekend or federal or Colorado holiday rolls forward only if “Will” is checked in § 3.3.3.

What time do Colorado contract deadlines end?

At 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time, unless a Time of Day Deadline is filled in, in which case objection, resolution, examination and termination deadlines end at that time (§ 3.3.1).

What happens if the seller doesn't fix a title or inspection objection?

If there's no written settlement by the resolution deadline, the contract terminates, unless the buyer withdraws the objection in writing by then (§§ 8.7.1, 10.3.3).

Run it in Closingbird

Upload a Colorado contract and check the dates Closingbird fills in against your § 3.1 table, with a morning reminder for every deadline owner. Start a free trial (14-day free trial, no credit card required) or see pricing.

Related reading

• The deadlines in a purchase contract
• Calendar days vs business days
• How to read a title commitment
• Transaction coordinator email templates
• Deadline tracking in Closingbird

Sources

Checked in October 2026. Rules and prices change, and many vary by state, so confirm with the source, your state's real estate commission or your broker before you rely on them.

• Colorado Real Estate Commission: Contract to Buy and Sell Real Estate (Residential), CBS1 (adopted August 5, 2025, mandatory January 1, 2026)
• Colorado Division of Real Estate: real estate broker contracts and forms (NTC43, TON45, AVN44, NTT44, AE41, ET35)
• Colorado Real Estate Commission: Commission Position 25, Resolving Inspection Issues
• Colorado Division of Real Estate: new 2027 forms released for educational purposes (advisory, October 7, 2026)