How to answer a debt lawsuit in Utah

How long you have, how to file, what it costs and which defenses to raise.

Checked against official sources: Oct 24, 2026.

Short answer

Served in Utah: 21 days. Served outside Utah: 30 days. Small claims: no written answer, but go to court on the date set. File the court's Debt Collection Answer form (or answer online through MyCourtCase): mark each numbered paragraph of the complaint as agree, disagree or not sure, and check any affirmative defenses that apply.

Time to answer
21 days
Official answer form
Answer to Debt Collection Complaint (form 1013GE)
Fee to answer
No fee to answer: the court fee statute charges for complaints and counterclaims, not for an answer.

The answer deadline in Utah, court by court

  • Served in Utah: 21 days.
  • Served outside Utah: 30 days.
  • Small claims: no written answer, but go to court on the date set.

21 days after you are served in Utah; 30 days if you were served outside Utah. Count every day, including weekends and holidays; the day you were served is day zero. If the last day falls on a day the court is closed, file on the next open day. If your summons says '10 days', the plaintiff has 10 days to file the case after serving you; your own deadline is still 21 (or 30) days. Small claims: go to the trial on the date set.

Law: Utah R. Civ. P. 12(a); Utah Courts, Answering a Complaint or Petition (Debt Collection)

In nearby states

Your last day to answer

The date is counted in your browser.

The court's name is at the top of your summons.

An estimate from our state data, not legal advice. Court holidays and local rules can change a deadline. File early, and ask the court clerk if you are not sure.

Defenses to know in Utah

Utah's time limit to sue on a written contract is 6 years, and on an open account or unwritten contract 4 years; for a credit agreement, a written acknowledgment or a payment restarts the 6 years. The court's debt collection answer form lists common affirmative defenses: not your account, contract cancelled, debt paid, and statute of limitations. If you skip affirmative defenses in your answer, you may not be able to raise them later (Utah Courts).

Law: Utah Code §§ 78B-2-309, 78B-2-307

Utah allows 6 years to sue on a written contract. If the debt is older, say so in your answer: the court usually won't raise it for you.

Debt buyer lawsuits in Utah: the full rules

Filing an answer in Utah

File the court's Debt Collection Answer form (or answer online through MyCourtCase): mark each numbered paragraph of the complaint as agree, disagree or not sure, and check any affirmative defenses that apply. File it in person, by email to the court, by mail, or through MyCourtCase, then send a copy to the plaintiff or its lawyer and fill out the certificate of service. Next, prepare your initial disclosures.

Fill in Utah's official answer form: a helper

Start with the official form: Answer to Debt Collection Complaint (form 1013GE)

This helper is not a court form and does not file anything. It lists what to copy onto the official form, in plain words.

Which of these are true? (optional)
What to put on the official form

When service counts in Utah

Service means officially getting the court papers. Your deadline usually starts that day.

The plaintiff must serve you with the summons and complaint by one of the methods in Utah Rule of Civil Procedure 4 (usually personal delivery by a sheriff, constable or process server, or leaving them at your home with a suitable adult who lives there).

Law: Utah R. Civ. P. 4; Utah Courts, Debt Collection

What answering costs in Utah

Fee to answer

No fee to answer: the court fee statute charges for complaints and counterclaims, not for an answer. A counterclaim costs $55-$170 depending on the amount.

Law: Utah Code § 78A-2-301

If you can't pay the fees

Request a fee waiver from the court (Utah Courts fee waiver page).

What to do now in Utah

  1. Check the court papers

    Find the court, the case number and the plaintiff's lawyer on the summons.

  2. Mark your deadline

    In Utah: Served in Utah: 21 days; Served outside Utah: 30 days; Small claims: no written answer, but go to court on the date set.

  3. Answer in writing

    Start with the official form: Answer to Debt Collection Complaint (form 1013GE).

  4. Request the debt documents

    A documents request letter asks for the contract and proof of ownership.

Federal rules in every state

  • Where a collector must sue. A debt collector that sues you over a consumer debt must file where you signed the contract or where you live when the suit starts. Law: 15 U.S.C. 1692i(a)(2)
  • Old debts. A debt collector must not sue you, or threaten to sue you, on a debt that is too old to sue on. Law: 12 CFR 1006.26(b)

Where to get free help in Utah

Questions about answering in Utah

What is the deadline to answer a debt suit in Utah?

21 days after you are served in Utah; 30 days if you were served outside Utah. Count every day, including weekends and holidays; the day you were served is day zero. If the last day falls on a day the court is closed, file on the next open day. If your summons says '10 days', the plaintiff has 10 days to file the case after serving you; your own deadline is still 21 (or 30) days. Small claims: go to the trial on the date set.

How do I answer a debt lawsuit in Utah?

File the court's Debt Collection Answer form (or answer online through MyCourtCase): mark each numbered paragraph of the complaint as agree, disagree or not sure, and check any affirmative defenses that apply. File it in person, by email to the court, by mail, or through MyCourtCase, then send a copy to the plaintiff or its lawyer and fill out the certificate of service. Next, prepare your initial disclosures.

Does Utah have a court answer form?

Answer to Debt Collection Complaint (form 1013GE): https://apps.utcourts.gov/aem-services/aem/forms/template/1013GE

Is there a fee to answer in Utah?

No fee to answer: the court fee statute charges for complaints and counterclaims, not for an answer. A counterclaim costs $55-$170 depending on the amount.

Can Utah courts waive my fees?

Request a fee waiver from the court (Utah Courts fee waiver page).

Keep reading about Utah

Sources

Sources

Last checked: Oct 24, 2026.

Federal sources
Count my deadline