(a) Request for Admission. Subject to the limitations contained in the Case Management Order, a party may serve upon any other party a written request for the admission, for purposes of the pending action only, of the truth of any matters within the scope of C.R.C.P. 26(b) set forth in the request that relate to statements or opinions of fact or of the application of law to fact, including the genuineness of any documents described in the request. Copies of documents shall be served with the request unless they have been or are otherwise furnished or made available for inspection and copying. Leave of court must be obtained, consistent with the principles stated in C.R.C.P. Rules 16(b)(1) and 26(b), to serve more requests for admission than the number set forth in the Case Management Order. Without leave of court or written stipulation, requests for admission may not be served before the time specified in C.R.C.P. 26(d). Each matter of which an admission is requested shall be separately set forth. The matter is admitted unless, within 35 days after service of the request, or within such shorter or longer time as the court may allow or as the parties may agree to in writing pursuant to C.R.C.P. 29, the party to whom the request is directed serves upon the party requesting the admission a written answer or objection addressed to the matter, signed by the party or by the party's attorney. If objection is made, the reasons therefor shall be stated. The answer shall specifically deny the matter or set forth in detail the reasons why the answering party cannot truthfully admit or deny the matter. A denial shall fairly meet the substance of the requested admission, and when good faith requires that a party qualify an answer or deny only a part of the matter of which an admission is requested, the party shall specify so much of it as is true and qualify or deny the remainder. An answering party may not give lack of information or knowledge as a reason for failure to admit or deny unless the party states that the party has made reasonable inquiry and that the information known or readily obtainable by the party is insufficient to enable the party to admit or deny. A party who considers that a matter of which an admission has been requested presents a genuine issue for trial may not, on that ground alone, object to the request; the party may, subject to the provisions of C.R.C.P. 37(c), deny the matter or set forth reasons why the party cannot admit or deny it. The party who has requested the admissions may move to determine the sufficiency of the answer or objections. Unless the court determines that an objection is justified, it shall order that an answer be served. If the court determines that an answer does not comply with the requirements of this Rule, it may order either that the matter is admitted or that an amended answer be served. The court may, in lieu of these orders, determine that final disposition of the request be made at a pretrial conference or at a designated time prior to trial. The provisions of C.R.C.P. 37(a)(4) apply to the award of expenses incurred in relation to the motion.
Rule 36.Requests for Admission
Current through June 1, 2026 · Last verified July 10, 2026
In one sentenceC.R.C.P. 36 lets a party ask another party to admit or deny specific facts, legal-to-fact conclusions, or the genuineness of documents, and treats an unanswered request as admitted after 35 days.
Full Text of Rule 36
(b) Effect of Admission. Any matter admitted under this Rule is conclusively established unless the court on motion permits withdrawal or amendment of the admission. Subject to the provisions of Rule 16 governing amendment of a pretrial order, the court may permit withdrawal or amendment when the presentation of the merits of the action will be subserved thereby and the party who obtained the admission fails to satisfy the court that withdrawal or amendment will prejudice him in maintaining his action or defense on the merits. Any admission made by a party under this Rule is for the purpose of the pending action only and is not an admission by him for any other purpose nor may it be used against him in any other proceeding.
Amendment History
Amended April 14, 1994, effective January 1, 1995; October 30, 1997, effective January 1, 1998. Amended effective January 1, 2012.
Plain-English Summary
A request for admission asks the other side to concede something rather than produce new information, whether that's a fact, an opinion about how the law applies to the facts, or whether a document is genuine. Copies of any document at issue have to go along with the request unless they've already been shared. As with interrogatories, Colorado leaves the exact number of requests to the Case Management Order rather than fixing it in the rule.
The responding party has 35 days to answer or object in writing and signed; anything not addressed in that window is deemed admitted. An answer must specifically deny the matter or explain in detail why the party can't truthfully admit or deny it, and a party can't hide behind a lack of knowledge unless it has made a reasonable inquiry and still comes up short. Wanting to preserve an issue for trial isn't, by itself, a valid reason to object instead of answering.
Once admitted, a matter is conclusively established for that case unless the court allows the admission to be withdrawn or amended, and it can't be used against that party in any other proceeding. If a party denies something the requesting side later proves true, the requesting party can ask the court to make the other side pay the cost of that proof.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if I don't respond to a request for admission in time?
The matter is deemed admitted. Rule 36 gives the responding party 35 days to serve a written answer or objection, and silence past that deadline counts as an admission.
Can I use my admission from this case in a different lawsuit?
No. Rule 36(b) limits any admission to the pending action; it isn't an admission for any other purpose and can't be used against that party in another proceeding.
Can I object to a request for admission just because it's disputed at trial?
No. Believing a matter presents a genuine issue for trial isn't, on its own, a valid ground to object; the party should instead deny it or explain why it can't be admitted or denied.
What if the other side denies something I later prove is true?
You can ask the court to order the other side to pay the reasonable expenses, including attorney fees, you spent proving the matter, unless the court finds a valid excuse for the denial.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure (Colo. R. Civ. P. 36). 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
Also known as: RFArequest for admissionrequests to admitdeemed admittedadmission of genuinenessrequest to admit facts