(a) Entry. Subject to the provisions of C.R.C.P. 54(b), upon a general or special verdict of a jury, or upon a decision by the court, the court shall promptly prepare, date, and sign a written judgment and the clerk shall enter it on the register of actions as provided in C.R.C.P. 79(a). The term “judgment” includes an appealable decree or order as set forth in C.R.C.P. 54(a). The effective date of entry of judgment shall be the actual date of the signing of the written judgment. The notation in the register of actions shall show the effective date of the judgment. Entry of the judgment shall not be delayed for the taxing of costs. Whenever the court signs a judgment and a party is not present when it is signed, a copy of the signed judgment shall be immediately mailed or e-served by the court, pursuant to C.R.C.P. 5, to each absent party who has previously appeared.
Rule 58.Entry of Judgment
Current through June 1, 2026 · Last verified July 10, 2026
In one sentenceRule 58 requires every judgment to exist as a signed, dated writing entered by the clerk, fixes the judge's signature date as the judgment's effective date that starts post-trial deadlines, and sets out how a satisfied money judgment gets recorded.
Full Text of Rule 58
(b) Satisfaction. Satisfaction in whole or in part of a money judgment may be entered in the judgment record (Rule 79(d)) upon an execution returned satisfied in whole or in part, or upon the filing of a satisfaction with the clerk, signed by the judgment creditor's attorney of record unless a revocation of authority is previously filed, or by the signing of such satisfaction by the judgment creditor, attested by the clerk, or notary public, or by the signing of the judgment record (Rule 79(d)) by one herein authorized to execute satisfaction. Whenever a judgment shall be so satisfied in fact otherwise than upon execution, it shall be the duty of the judgment creditor or the judgment creditor's attorney to give such satisfaction, and upon motion the court may compel it or may order the entry of such satisfaction to be made without it.
Amendment History
Amended effective January 1, 1987; April 1, 1988; June 1, 1991; July 1, 1994; July 1, 1997; January 1, 2012.
Plain-English Summary
A court's ruling does not become a judgment until it exists in a specific form. Rule 58 requires the court to promptly prepare, date, and sign a written judgment after a jury verdict or a decision by the court, and requires the clerk to enter it on the register of actions. An oral ruling from the bench, or even signed findings that have not been turned into a judgment, is not enough on its own.
The date the judge signs the judgment is its effective date, and that date controls when time limits for post-trial motions and appeals begin to run, regardless of when the clerk gets around to noting it in the register. Entry of judgment cannot be held up while the parties dispute costs. If a party was not present when the judgment was signed, the court must promptly mail or e-serve that party a copy.
Rule 58 also addresses what happens once a money judgment is paid. Satisfaction can be shown through a returned, satisfied execution, or by filing a signed satisfaction with the clerk. If a debtor pays the judgment some other way, the judgment creditor is responsible for recording that satisfaction, and the court can order it recorded even if the creditor will not cooperate.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does a judgment officially take effect?
A judgment becomes effective on the date the judge signs the written judgment, not the date the clerk later notes it on the register of actions.
The judge announced a ruling from the bench. Is that the judgment?
Not yet. Rule 58 requires a written judgment that the judge dates and signs before it counts as an entered judgment, so an oral ruling alone does not start the clock on post-trial deadlines.
Do I have to do anything after I pay off a judgment against me?
The judgment creditor is responsible for recording satisfaction of the judgment once paid. If the creditor will not cooperate, you can ask the court to compel the satisfaction or order it entered without the creditor's signature.
What if I wasn't in court when the judgment was signed?
The court must promptly mail or e-serve a copy of the signed judgment to any party who had previously appeared but was not present when it was signed.
Source & verification. The rule text is reproduced verbatim from the
official Colorado Rules of Civil Procedure (Colo. R. Civ. P. 58). 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: entry of judgmentwhen does a judgment become finalsatisfaction of judgmentjudgment effective datewritten judgment requirement