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Colorado Guide

How to Title a Private Car Sale in Colorado

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

When you buy a car from a private seller in Colorado, you transfer the title at your county motor vehicle office and pay the state and local sales taxes there.

Here is the order to do it in, what it costs, and what to bring.

Step by step

  1. 1

    Check the title endorsement

    The seller prints their name as it appears on the title, signs, and completes the odometer disclosure (required for 2011 and newer models in their first 20 years). Make sure the reading matches the odometer.

    Print your name as it appears on your ID and sign. The date of sale and price go on the back of the title, or on a bill of sale.

  2. 2

    Gather your documents

    Bring the endorsed title, secure and verifiable ID (DR 2841), and a bill of sale (required if the price is not on the title). A vehicle coming from out of state needs a VIN inspection.

  3. 3

    Register within 60 days

    Register within 60 days of the sale at your county motor vehicle office. After that, late fees are $25 a month, up to $100.

  4. 4

    Pay the sales taxes

    You pay the 2.9% state tax and the city, county, and special district taxes for your address to the county clerk. If you traded in a vehicle you own as part of the purchase, its fair market value is excluded.

  5. 5

    Pay the title and registration

    The title transfer is $7.20; a lien adds $40 in filing fees. Registration combines the specific ownership tax (based on the original MSRP and age), a weight-based fee, road and bridge safety surcharges, an age fee, and smaller fees. The DMV’s fee estimator gives your total.

What to bring

  • The title, endorsed by the seller with the odometer disclosure
  • Secure and verifiable ID (DR 2841)
  • A bill of sale, if the price is not on the title
  • VIN inspection, for a vehicle from out of state
  • Payment for the taxes, title, and registration

Estimate your Colorado costs

The calculator shows the 2.9% state tax plus the 0% to 8.3% local range from the July 2026 DR 1002; your local taxes depend on the address (use the Colorado Sales Tax Lookup Tool). Registration shown is the statewide fees by vehicle age plus the specific ownership tax for the MSRP you enter; county fees are not included.

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.

The county clerk, when you register. A private seller generally does not collect 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 Gift a Car in ColoradoNo tax for the recipient, the giver’s receipts, and the steps.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