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Colorado Guide

How to Gift a Car in Colorado

Last verified: October 2026 against Colorado DMV and Department of Revenue sources

The person receiving a gifted vehicle in Colorado owes no sales or use tax. The giver must have paid tax when they acquired it, and the county needs proof.

Here is how to transfer the car.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Collect the giver’s tax receipts

    The county clerk cannot register a gifted vehicle without receipts showing the giver paid the applicable tax on their own acquisition.

  2. 2

    Do not take over the loan

    Assuming the loan on a vehicle is a taxable sale. The taxable price is the debt you take on plus anything else you pay.

  3. 3

    Endorse the title

    The giver signs the title over to you and completes the odometer disclosure if required. The date and price go on the back of the title unless you include a bill of sale.

  4. 4

    Bring your ID

    Bring secure and verifiable ID (DR 2841), and a VIN inspection if the vehicle has an out-of-state title.

  5. 5

    Register within 60 days

    Register at your county motor vehicle office within 60 days of the transfer. Pay the $7.20 title fee and registration.

What to bring

  • The title, endorsed to you
  • Receipts showing the giver paid tax on the vehicle
  • Secure and verifiable ID (DR 2841)
  • VIN inspection, for an out-of-state title
  • Payment for the title and registration

Estimate your Colorado costs

For a gift, enter $0 as the price to see the title and the statewide registration fees.

Open the full Colorado calculator

Vehicle & Transaction Details

Enter purchase information to calculate true out-of-pocket costs in Colorado.

51 Jurisdictions Active
Colorado 2.9% tax base
$
7 years old
Sets the yearly tax
$

The Colorado specific ownership tax is figured from the price when new and drops as the vehicle ages. Blank uses $30,000.

Colorado tag options
1-Year Term (Colorado registers for one year)
EV surcharge rules
Lien fee: $40.00
Colorado: Deductible
$

Colorado Statute: Colorado allows trade-in value on private sales to be deducted from the purchase price before applying the 2.9% fee.

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Estimated taxes & fees

Estimated taxes & fees

Jurisdiction

Colorado

Estimated taxes & fees
$622.14 – $1,867.14

Sales/Excise Tax (State + Local Range) + Title Certificate + Tags & Registration

Itemized Line ItemEstimated Fee
1Vehicle Sales / Excise Tax (2.9% State + Local Range)

State tax $435.00 + Local tax (varies by county) $0.00–$1,245.00

$435.00 – $1,680.00
2Certificate of Title Fee

Standard state title certificate issuance

$7.20
3Lien / Security Filing Fee

Unfinanced / cash purchase (waived $0.00)

$0.00
4Registration & Tag Fee

Base license plates & tags + $114.75 Colorado specific ownership tax for a $30,000.00 list price

$179.94

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Colorado rates last verified: November 2026
Official Notice & Statutory Disclaimers

Estimates only, not tax or legal advice. Verify with your county motor vehicle office or the Colorado Department of Revenue.

The local range is from the July 2026 DR 1002 and changes each January 1 and July 1. Home-rule cities collect their own tax and DR 1002 suggests confirming their rates with the city.

County fees, the emissions-area fee, and license plate materials are not included, and motorcycles are shown without the specific ownership tax. The DMV’s registration fee estimator gives your total.

Whether plug-in hybrids pay the $63.05 road usage fee is not spelled out on the DMV page; the estimate includes it.

Registration shown is the statewide fees for a car between 2,001 and 5,000 lbs, with the weight-based base fee figured at 3,500 lbs. It includes the $19.30 road safety surcharge ($23 from September 1, 2027).

Plug-in electric vehicles pay a $63.05 road usage fee, plus the electric motor vehicle road usage fee of $26 ($13 for plug-in hybrids) from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027. The estimate includes both.

County & Local Tax Note: Colorado adds the local sales or use taxes of the city, county, and special districts (such as RTD) that apply to the sale or where you register the car. On the July 2026 DR 1002 rate list, they total 0% to 8.3%: none in a county without a sales tax outside any city or district, up to Winter Park’s 7% city tax plus Grand County’s 1.3%. Look up your address with the Colorado Sales Tax Lookup Tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about this Colorado DMV and Department of Revenue process.

No. Colorado’s rule covers any vehicle transferred as a gift, as long as the giver paid tax on it.

Sources

Last verified: October 2026. Rules change, so check with Colorado DMV and Department of Revenue before you go.

More Colorado guides

How to Title a Private Car Sale in ColoradoThe endorsed title, ID, 60 days, and the tax at the county.Titling a Car in Colorado After Moving From Another State90 days, no use tax on your car, the VIN inspection, and fees.
Colorado Private Party Car Tax Calculator