How to Fill Out and Submit the Colorado Odometer Disclosure Statement (DR 2445)

In Colorado, the odometer disclosure statement is completed on the back of the vehicle’s certificate of title, or on form DR 2173 (the Secure Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale) when the title has no odometer section or the space has already been used. The seller writes in the current mileage, checks one of three accuracy boxes, signs with the buyer, and the completed disclosure travels with the rest of the title paperwork to the buyer’s county motor vehicle office.¹

When You Have to Provide One

Every time a titled vehicle changes hands in Colorado, the seller owes the buyer a written odometer disclosure. The state ties this requirement to the federal odometer statute at 49 U.S.C. § 32705, and it applies to private sales and dealer sales alike.²

Some vehicles are exempt under 49 CFR § 580.17:³

Model year 2010 and older vehicles, which are exempt once 10 years have passed since January 1 of the model year. Every 2010-or-older vehicle is already exempt for 2026 transfers.
Model year 2011 and newer vehicles, which are not exempt until 20 years have passed. A 2011 model becomes exempt in 2031.
Any vehicle with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating above 16,000 pounds.
Non-self-propelled vehicles such as trailers.

For a 2026 sale, that split matters: a 2012 pickup still needs a disclosure, a 2009 sedan does not.

Where the Disclosure Goes

Most Colorado titles print an odometer disclosure block on the back, in the same area where the title is signed over to the buyer. Fill in the mileage, check the appropriate box, and sign there. That is the path the Colorado DMV expects most sellers to take.¹

If the title has no odometer section, or the block has already been used by a prior transfer, use form DR 2173 instead. DR 2173 is a controlled document printed on security paper, so you cannot download it. You order it from one of five state-approved vendors listed on the Colorado DMV’s forms page, which include the Colorado Auto Dealers Association, the Colorado Independent Automobile Dealers Association, A-B-C Enterprises, Colorado Automobile/Powersports Support Services, and BML Dealer Supplies and Title Service.⁴ Order it before the sale; county offices do not necessarily stock blanks.

How to Fill It Out

The content is the same whether you write it on the title or on DR 2173. The seller provides:

Vehicle information: year, make, model, body type, and the full 17-character VIN. Copy the VIN from the title or the dashboard plate; a single transposed digit can hold up the transfer.
Odometer reading: the whole-mile figure showing on the dashboard at the time of sale. Drop any tenths. An odometer reading 87,342.6 is recorded as 87,342.
Mileage accuracy indicator: check one of three boxes. (1) The mileage is accurate. (2) The mileage exceeds the odometer’s mechanical limits because the gauge has rolled over past its maximum. (3) The reading is not the actual mileage because of a replacement, malfunction, or other reason.
The seller’s printed name, address, signature, and date.
The buyer’s printed name, address, signature, and date.

Use dark ink. Erasures, white-out, or strike-throughs anywhere in the odometer section void that part of the document, and there is no way to fix a mistake inline; you would need a fresh title reassignment or a new DR 2173. Both parties should be present so the form is signed in one sitting.

If the Odometer Has Rolled Over or Been Replaced

When a five-digit odometer has passed 99,999 and started again from zero, record what the gauge currently shows and check the “exceeds mechanical limits” box. Do not add 100,000 yourself. The disclosure captures what the odometer reads, with the rollover notation attached.

When the odometer has been replaced or is otherwise known to be inaccurate, check the “not actual mileage” box. Colorado law also requires the owner to attach a written notice to the vehicle’s left door frame showing the mileage before the odometer was serviced and the date of the repair or replacement.²

Turning It In With the Title Transfer

The completed disclosure goes to the buyer’s county motor vehicle office along with the rest of the title paperwork.⁵ In some counties this is the clerk’s office; in others it is a separate motor vehicle office, so confirm where to go in your county.

Bring the following with you:

The certificate of title signed over by the previous owner.
A bill of sale for sales tax purposes. DR 2173 doubles as the bill of sale when you use it.
Secure and verifiable identification, such as a Colorado driver’s license or ID card.
Proof of insurance, if you are registering the vehicle at the same time.
A VIN verification on form DR 2698 if the vehicle is being titled in Colorado for the first time. A Colorado law enforcement agency, a licensed dealer, or an emissions testing station can complete the verification.

Title fees, registration fees, and applicable sales tax are collected at the counter and vary by county.⁶ Call your county office or check its website for amounts and accepted payment methods.

Penalties for a False Disclosure

Tampering with an odometer, installing a rollback device, or giving a false mileage statement on a disclosure is a class 2 misdemeanor under Colorado law.² For offenses committed on or after March 1, 2022, the maximum sentence is 120 days in jail, a fine of up to $750, or both.⁷ Knowingly driving with a disconnected or nonfunctional odometer with intent to defraud is classified separately as a petty offense.

Because Colorado’s statute incorporates federal odometer law, the same conduct can draw federal charges. A knowing and willful violation of the federal odometer statute carries up to three years in federal prison, a fine, or both.⁸

Buyers can also sue directly. Federal law lets a defrauded buyer recover three times actual damages or $10,000, whichever is greater, plus attorney’s fees and court costs. The suit must be filed within two years of discovering the fraud.⁹

Keep a Copy

Both parties should keep a photocopy or clear photograph of the signed disclosure. For the buyer, it is proof of the stated mileage if a discrepancy comes up at registration, in an insurance claim, or at a future resale. For the seller, it is evidence that a proper disclosure was made if the buyer later alleges fraud. Licensed dealers must retain odometer disclosure records for at least five years under 49 CFR § 580.8. Private sellers have no specific federal retention rule, but holding a copy for at least that long is sensible given the two-year window buyers have to sue after discovering a problem.⁹

1
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Private Sale: Buying or Selling a Vehicle in Colorado
2
Colorado.Public.Law. Colorado Revised Statutes 42-6-202 – Prohibited Acts
3
eCFR. 49 CFR 580.17 – Exemptions
4
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Forms in Number Order
5
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. County Motor Vehicle Offices
6
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Titling a Vehicle
7
Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes 18-1.3-501 – Misdemeanors – Penalties
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 49 USC 32709 – Penalties
9
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 49 USC 32710 – Civil Actions by Private Persons