How to Register a Recently Purchased Vehicle

You should register your vehicle within 60 days of purchase (before your temporary tag expires).

Financed Purchases

Verify with your dealer or lender how they will submit the paperwork – whether it will be directly to our office or to you as the buyer. In most cases, the dealer will send the title paperwork to the Motor Vehicle Division for financed or leased vehicles. You will then receive a white postcard (Title Complete Notice) when the paperwork is completed. At that point, you can register your vehicle online (link below).

Note: Tesla often gives the paperwork directly to the buyer instead of sending to our office. Once you have the paperwork and before scheduling an appointment, please be sure to confirm the Security Agreement from the lender is in your paperwork. If it is not, obtain this from your lender and bring it with you when titling and registering your vehicle.

If you are still waiting for your Title Complete Notice, you can also check the status of your title paperwork online or contact our office.

Cash Purchases

The dealer will mail the title paperwork to you directly (usually about one month after purchase). After you receive the paperwork, you will need to make an appointment (link below) at one of our branches to title and register your vehicle.

Registration Checklist

Provide the following to register a vehicle purchased from a Colorado dealer (You can also download this checklist.):

• Secure and Verifiable ID
• Financed purchases only: Title Complete Notice – postcard from the Motor Vehicle Division
• Cash purchases only: Complete paperwork from the dealer, including vehicle title and dealer invoice/bill of sale
• Proof of Insurance
• License plates and/or current registration from previously owned vehicle, if applicable
• Proof of emissions test, if required (dealer will provide a passing emissions test or a test voucher good for 3 days)
• Payment for registration fees and taxes

Once you have gathered all of these items, use the links below to make an appointment for a “Title” transaction (if necessary) or register your vehicle online.

You must register your vehicle within 60 days of purchase to avoid late fees. See “Registration Timeline” below for more information. Use the checklists below to gather all the information needed to complete your registration. You can also download a printable version of these checklists. Once you have all the necessary paperwork, schedule an appointment to complete your registration (link below).

In-State Private Party Purchase Checklist

Provide the following to register a vehicle purchased from a private party in Colorado:

• Secure and Verifiable ID
• Vehicle Title
  • Make sure the title is properly endorsed (this includes an Odometer Reading if the vehicle is under 10 years old)
• Proof of Insurance
• Bill of Sale (in rare circumstances, such as when proper ownership documents are missing, please contact our office for alternative Bill of Sale paperwork)
• Financed vehicles only: complete paperwork from the lien holder (if not sent to the Motor Vehicle Division) – including security agreement/loan documents
• License plates and/or current registration from previously owned vehicle, if applicable
• Proof of emissions test, if required (seller must provide a new passing emissions certificate at the time of sale, even if the old one has time remaining on it)
• Payment for registration fees and taxes, including Colorado Sales Tax

Out-of-State Private Party Purchase Checklist

Provide the following to register a vehicle purchased from a private party outside of Colorado:

• Secure and Verifiable ID
• Title (notarized if required on the title)
  • Make sure the title is properly endorsed (this includes an Odometer Reading if the vehicle is under 10 years old)
• Proof of Insurance
• Bill of Sale (in rare circumstances, such as when proper ownership documents are missing, please contact our office for alternative Bill of Sale paperwork)
• Financed vehicles only: complete paperwork from the lien holder (if not sent to the Motor Vehicle Division) – including security agreement/loan documents
• Verification of the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), if an out-of-state title.
• Certified weight slip (if required)
• Proof of emissions test, if required
• License plates and/or current registration from previously owned vehicle, if applicable
• Payment for registration fees and taxes, including Colorado Sales Tax

Registration Timeline

You must register a vehicle purchased from a private party within 60 days of purchase by visiting one of our three DMV branch locations. In order to legally drive your vehicle, you must register the vehicle as soon as possible or apply for a temporary permit.

• If you purchased the vehicle at a time when our offices are closed (on a weekend, legal holiday, or between 5pm and 7:30am), you may legally drive the vehicle from the seller’s place to your home (or wherever you intend to store your vehicle) within 36 hours from the time of purchase. You must carry the Bill of Sale and Proof of Insurance in the vehicle.
• Visit a Motor Vehicle Division office on the next business day to register the vehicle.
• If you need more time before registering your vehicle, you may apply for a temporary permit.

Once you have gathered all of these items, use the link below to make an appointment for a “Title” transaction.

You should register your vehicle within 60 days of purchase (before your temporary tag expires).

Financed Purchases

• If the dealer sends all required paperwork to the Motor Vehicle Division, we will process your title and send you a Title Complete Notice (white postcard).
  • If you receive a Title Complete Notice, you can register your vehicle online. If you are still waiting for your Title Complete Notice, you can also check the status of your title paperwork online or contact our office.
  • We may send you a letter if any required paperwork is missing. In this case, you will need to come to one of our offices to finish titling and registering your vehicle.
  • License plates and/or current Colorado registration from previously owned vehicle, if applicable (you can receive credit for any time remaining on the valid Colorado registration of a previously owned vehicle)
• If the dealer mails the paperwork directly to you instead, you will need to make an appointment at one of our branches to title and register your vehicle.

Cash Purchases

The dealer will mail the title paperwork to you directly (usually about one month after purchase). After you receive the paperwork, you will need to make an appointment at one of our branches to complete your registration.

Registration Checklist

Provide the following to register a vehicle purchased from an out-of-state dealer (You can also download this checklist.):

• Secure and Verifiable ID
• Financed purchases only:
  • Title Complete Notice, or
  • Complete paperwork from the dealer/lien holder (if not sent to the Motor Vehicle Division), including:
    • Vehicle Title
    • Security agreement/loan documents
    • Miscellaneous documents (e.g., Power of Attorney, Statement of Fact, etc.)
• Cash purchases only:
  • Vehicle title (notarized if required on title)
  • Odometer disclosure statement if the vehicle is less than ten years old:
    • Disclose on title or secure document
    • Hand-printed names and signatures of buyers and sellers (required)
  • Dealer invoice or Bill of Sale
• Proof of Insurance
• Proof of emissions test (if required)
• VIN inspection (required only for used vehicles)
• Certified weight slip (if required)
• License plates and/or current Colorado registration from previously owned vehicle, if applicable (you can receive credit for any time remaining on the valid Colorado registration of a previously owned vehicle)
• Payment for registration fees and taxes, including Colorado Sales Tax. Provide proof of any sales tax already paid to another state.

Once you have gathered all of these items, use the links below to make an appointment for a “Title” transaction (if necessary) or register your vehicle online.