How to Transfer a Car Title in Colorado: Deadlines, Taxes, and Fees

To transfer a car title in Colorado, the buyer brings the signed title, a bill of sale, proof of Colorado insurance, valid ID, and a completed Application for Title and/or Registration (Form DR 2395) to their county motor vehicle office within 60 days of purchase, and pays the applicable taxes and fees. The seller’s part is smaller but just as important: sign the assignment section on the back of the title, remove the license plates, and report the sale to the DMV.

Both sides matter. A buyer who skips a step loses time; a seller who skips a step can end up on the hook for tolls, tickets, or worse long after the car is gone.

What the Seller Signs and Hands Over

The seller’s work happens on the back of the existing Certificate of Title, in the section labeled “Assignment of Title by Owner.” Every owner named on the front must print and sign exactly as their name appears there.¹ The seller also fills in the sale price, the date of sale, and the current odometer reading. The buyer prints and signs in the buyer’s section.

Plates come off before the vehicle changes hands. In Colorado, license plates belong to the registered owner, not the vehicle. Leave them on and the seller can receive toll bills, traffic citations, or become the subject of a criminal investigation if the new driver uses the car unlawfully.² Standard plates go back to the county office or to a metal recycler. Personalized plates can be transferred to another vehicle through the county office.

Within five business days of the sale, the seller should report the transfer. This can be done online at myDMV.colorado.gov under Vehicle Services using “Report Release of Liability,” or in person at the county office.² Filing the report is not strictly mandatory, but it creates an official record of the sale date. If the buyer later causes an accident or ignores tolls, the seller has documentation showing the vehicle was no longer theirs.³

What the Buyer Brings to the County Office

Gather every document before the trip. One missing item means starting over. You need:

The original Certificate of Title, with the seller’s assignment fully completed (signatures, price, date of sale, odometer reading).⁴
A bill of sale. Colorado requires one for private-party purchases, and it must include the vehicle year, make, VIN, date and time of sale, and both parties’ signatures. Keep it in the car until registration is complete.²
Proof of Colorado auto insurance. An insurance card, a copy of the policy, a letter on insurer letterhead, or an electronic image on your phone all work.⁵
Secure and verifiable identification. A Colorado driver’s license or ID card (current or expired less than a year), a U.S. passport or passport card (current or expired less than 10 years), or a valid U.S. military ID.⁶
A completed Application for Title and/or Registration, Form DR 2395, available from the DMV website or the county office.⁷
Emissions test results, if the vehicle will be registered in a Front Range county that requires testing.
If financed, the original or a certified copy of the security agreement with the vehicle description, lien amount, and your signature. When a lien is recorded, the new title is mailed to the lienholder rather than to you.⁴

At the office, a clerk reviews the paperwork, processes the application, and collects payment. You leave with new registration and plates. The official Certificate of Title arrives by mail in about four to six weeks.⁴ Because the seller removed the plates and private sales don’t come with temporary permits, the buyer drives home unplated. Keep the signed bill of sale in the vehicle as proof of the recent purchase.²

The 60-Day Deadline and Late Penalties

Colorado law gives the buyer 60 days from the purchase date to title and register the vehicle.⁸ Miss it and two penalties can stack:

A late titling penalty between $15 and $100 for failing to apply for a title within 60 days.⁹
A late registration fee of $25 for each month or partial month past day 60, capped at $100. Trailers under 16,000 pounds and camper trailers carry a reduced $10 late fee.⁸

A buyer who waits four months can owe up to $200 in late fees before paying a cent toward actual title and registration costs.

Taxes and Fees the Buyer Pays

Several charges are collected at the county office in a single transaction:

Sales tax. The state rate is 2.9% on the purchase price. Most buyers also owe city, county, and special-district sales taxes that vary by address, so the combined rate can run considerably higher.¹⁰
Title fee of $7.20, plus additional fees if a lien is being recorded.
Registration fees based on the vehicle’s empty weight and type.¹¹
Specific ownership tax, an annual tax that replaces personal property tax on vehicles. It is calculated from the vehicle’s original taxable value (typically 85% of MSRP for passenger vehicles) and drops each year the vehicle ages. First-year vehicles are taxed at 2.10% of taxable value; by the tenth year and beyond, the tax drops to $3.¹¹

Totals vary widely. A newer vehicle in a high-tax municipality costs meaningfully more than an older vehicle in a rural county. Bring a check or money order, or confirm ahead whether your county office accepts cards.

Emissions Testing on the Front Range

If the vehicle will be registered in a Denver-metro or northern Front Range area, the seller is responsible for providing a passing emissions test that has not already been used for a prior registration.¹² The affected counties include all or portions of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld.¹³

Not every vehicle needs a test. Gasoline vehicles from model year 2019 or newer are currently exempt. New vehicles get a seven-model-year exemption; if a vehicle is sold with at least 12 months of that exemption remaining, no test is required at sale.¹³ Vehicles registered outside these counties don’t need a test.

Odometer Disclosure

Federal law requires odometer disclosure on the title assignment for most transfers, but the requirement expires with age. Model year 2010 or older vehicles are exempt after 10 years from January 1 of the model-year calendar year (a 2010 became exempt in 2020). Model year 2011 or newer vehicles carry a 20-year disclosure window; a 2011 becomes exempt starting in 2031.¹⁴ When disclosure is required, the seller writes the mileage on the title and the buyer signs to acknowledge it. Outside the window, the field can be left blank or marked “exempt.”

Special Situations

Gifting a Vehicle

When a vehicle is a gift rather than a sale, the recipient owes no sales or use tax. The catch: the giver must have already paid sales or use tax on their original purchase, and the county clerk won’t register the vehicle without receipts proving it.¹⁵ Write “gift” as the purchase price on the title assignment and on the bill of sale. Everything else works the same way: the recipient completes Form DR 2395, brings the signed title and ID to the county office, and pays the title and registration fees.

Buying a Vehicle Titled in Another State

Out-of-state purchases add a VIN verification: a physical inspection confirming the VIN on the vehicle matches the VIN on the out-of-state title. A Colorado licensed auto dealer, a Colorado licensed inspection station such as Air Care Colorado, or a Colorado law enforcement officer can perform it, and the results are recorded on Form DR 2698. If the out-of-state title lists “MSO” (Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin) in the previous-title field, no verification is needed. The same goes for brand-new vehicles bought with a Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin.¹⁶

Lost or Damaged Title

If the original title has been lost, destroyed, or damaged beyond use, the owner needs a duplicate before any transfer can happen. Complete Form DR 2539A (Duplicate Title Request), provide secure and verifiable identification, and pay the $8.20 duplicate fee.¹⁷ Every owner listed on the title must sign the application, so coordinate signatures before submitting.

Using a Power of Attorney

If the buyer or seller can’t appear in person, Form DR 2175 handles most title transactions. It must be notarized and carry a termination date, and the original must be surrendered at the transfer.¹⁸ One limit: DR 2175 cannot be used when the same person would sign as both buyer and seller for the odometer disclosure and acknowledgment. That situation requires the Secure Power of Attorney, Form DR 2174.

1
Larimer County. How to Complete a Title Assignment
2
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Buyer’s and Seller’s Responsibilities
3
Justia. Colorado Code 42-6-109 – Sale or Transfer of Vehicle – Program
4
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Titling a Vehicle
5
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Registration Requirements
6
Colorado Department of Revenue. Form DR 2841 – Secure and Verifiable Identification
7
Colorado Department of Revenue. Application for Title and/or Registration Form DR 2395
8
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Colorado Motor Vehicle Registration FAQs
9
Colorado General Assembly. SB22-123 Late Vehicle Titling and Registration Penalties
10
City and County of Broomfield. Motor Vehicle Title and Registration Fees
11
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Taxes and Fees
12
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Emissions
13
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Emissions Inspections for Gasoline-Powered Vehicles
14
eCFR. 49 CFR 580.17 – Exemptions
15
Colorado Department of Revenue. Sale and Use Tax Topics – Motor Vehicles
16
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. VIN Verification Information
17
City and County of Denver. Lost or Duplicate Vehicle Title
18
Colorado Department of Revenue. Form DR 2175 – Power of Attorney for Motor Vehicle Only