Colorado Trailer Bill of Sale: Form DR 2173, Deadlines, Taxes

A Colorado trailer bill of sale is Form DR 2173, the state’s Secure Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale, and it records the price, trailer details, and both parties’ identities when a trailer changes hands privately. If the existing title already captures every transaction detail, a separate bill of sale is not strictly required for the transfer, but most county clerks expect one because it sets the purchase price used to calculate your taxes. When a trailer has no title at all, the bill of sale becomes the backbone of the whole titling process.

What the Bill of Sale Must Include

The document needs enough detail to identify the trailer, the people, and the money. At minimum:

Seller’s full legal name, printed exactly as it appears on the existing title.
Buyer’s full legal name and current residential address. The county uses the address to decide which county handles registration.
Year and make of the trailer.
The full 17-character Vehicle Identification Number stamped on the frame or tongue plate.
Purchase price in exact dollars. The county uses this to calculate sales tax.
Date and time of sale. The time matters because it decides whether you qualify for the 36-hour driving window described below.

Empty weight deserves attention too. Colorado titles and registers all trailers regardless of weight, but the 2,000-pound line changes what paperwork you need and what you pay.¹ Trailers at or under 2,000 pounds qualify for a simplified in-lieu-of-bond process when no title exists, while heavier trailers with two or more axles need brakes on at least one axle.² If the weight is not printed on the existing title, you may need a certified weight slip from a commercial truck scale.

Using Form DR 2173

Form DR 2173 is a “secure form,” printed on controlled paper stock with anti-fraud features, and it is available through the Colorado Department of Revenue.³ County motor vehicle offices stock it, and some let you download a copy.

Fill it out in permanent ink. Corrections that obscure the original writing can get the document rejected, and some county offices explicitly refuse forms with white-out or cross-outs, so starting over on a fresh form beats trying to fix a mistake. Check every field against the trailer’s existing title before anyone signs. A transposed digit in the VIN is the single most common reason a bill of sale gets kicked back.

Signatures and Notarization

Both buyer and seller must sign. Colorado treats those signatures as a declaration under penalty of perjury that the information is accurate and that the seller has the legal right to transfer ownership.⁴ Without both signatures the document is incomplete and the clerk will not process it.

A standard trailer sale with a clean title does not require notarization. Notarization can come into play with older Colorado titles that include a notary block on the form itself; in that case the seller must either have the title notarized or complete a Statement of Transfer (Form DR 2445) instead.⁵ Homemade trailers and trailers moving through the in-lieu-of-bond process involve additional sworn statements that may need notarization at the VIN inspection step.

Colorado caps notary fees at $15 per document for in-person notarization and $25 for electronic or remote notarization.⁶ The cap is per document, so both parties signing the same form counts as a single fee. Banks, shipping stores, and law offices commonly offer the service.

Driving the Trailer Home Before You Register It

Buy the trailer outside regular business hours (a weekend, a legal holiday, or between 5:00 PM and 8:00 AM) and Colorado gives you a 36-hour window to tow it from the seller’s location to where you plan to keep it, without registering first. During that window you must carry the signed bill of sale showing the date and time of sale, plus proof of insurance, in the towing vehicle.⁷ The exemption covers the trip from seller to buyer. It does not turn the trailer loose for general use.

If the sale happens during normal business hours, the 36-hour grace period doesn’t apply. Arrange a temporary permit, have the seller deliver the trailer, or plan to handle the sale and registration on the same day.

The 60-Day Registration Deadline

Every trailer owner must register within 60 days of purchase.⁸ Registration happens at the county clerk and recorder’s motor vehicle office in your county of residence. Bring the signed-over title with the seller’s release, the bill of sale, proof of insurance, and your ID.

Colorado titles and registers every trailer, including small utility trailers under 2,000 pounds.⁹ If you’ve seen unplated trailers rolling around in other states, that is not how Colorado works. Every trailer on a Colorado road needs plates.

Miss the 60-day window and the late fee is $10 per month (or partial month), capped at $100.¹⁰ Lower than the $25-per-month penalty on cars, but it stacks fast.

Taxes and Fees When You Register

The county uses the purchase price on your bill of sale to calculate sales and use tax. The state rate is 2.9%, and your county and any special districts add their own on top.¹¹ Combined rates vary significantly by location, so a $3,000 trailer might owe $90 in state tax alone or well over $200 once local levies apply.

You will also pay:

A title fee of $7.20 for a new certificate of title.¹²
Ownership tax. Colorado classifies trailers as Class D personal property, with taxable value starting at 85% of the original MSRP. The rate is 2.10% of that value in year one and declines each year down to 0.45% (or $3, whichever is greater) by year ten.¹
A county road and bridge fee of $0.94 for trailers over 2,000 pounds, or $2.50 for trailers under 2,000 pounds.¹
A registration base fee calculated by weight, varying by class and empty weight.

An older, lighter utility trailer may run under $100 before sales tax. A newer trailer with a high original MSRP costs more because the ownership tax hasn’t depreciated yet. Budget more than you expect if the trailer is less than five years old.

When the Trailer Has No Title

This is where private trailer deals get complicated. Plenty of trailers in Colorado came from states that don’t title small trailers, or the original paperwork vanished years ago. Colorado still issues a title, so trailers at or under 2,000 pounds go through the in-lieu-of-bond process outlined on checklist Form DR 2908.¹²

The steps:

A POST-certified VIN inspector completes an equipment inspection (Form DR 2697), verifying condition, weight, and identification number. The inspection must be less than one year old when you apply.
The county runs a title record search, both in Colorado and nationally, at $2.20 per search. A salvage history turns up additional documentation requirements.
You must send certified mail to any owners or lienholders the search identifies. Any existing lien must be released before you can proceed.
If the trailer has no readable VIN, the county assigns one through Form DR 2409.
Once those steps clear, you apply for the title at your county motor vehicle office. The title fee is $7.20.

This path only covers trailers at or under 2,000 pounds empty weight. Heavier trailers without titles face a more involved bonding procedure, so talk to your county clerk before buying one that lacks paperwork.

Check for Title Brands Before You Pay

Before any money changes hands, look at the title itself for a brand like “Salvage,” “Rebuilt,” or “Flood.” Those brands indicate the trailer was previously declared a total loss or suffered major damage, and they follow the trailer permanently.

Colorado law requires sellers to disclose any title brand using the Branded Title Disclosure Statement (Form DR 2710). Failing to disclose is a misdemeanor.¹³ If a seller brushes off title-history questions or won’t show you the physical title before the sale, walk away. A clean bill of sale doesn’t override a branded title. The brand will still be there when the county processes your paperwork, and by then your money is gone.

1
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Taxes and Fees
2
Colorado State Patrol. Get A VIN Inspection
3
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Forms in Number Order
4
Boulder County. Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale
5
Elbert County, CO. Steps in Purchasing a Vehicle from a Private Party
6
Justia. Colorado Code 24-21-529 – Notarys Fees
7
Douglas County. Buying or Selling a Vehicle
8
Justia. Colorado Code 42-3-103 – Registration Required
9
Boulder County. Trailers
10
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. FAQs – Registration
11
Colorado Department of Revenue – Taxation. Sales Tax Guide
12
Colorado Department of Revenue. In Lieu of Bond for Trailers 2000 Pounds or Less
13
Colorado Department of Revenue. DR 2710 Branded Title Disclosure Statement