Colorado vehicle bill of sale

Fill in the free Colorado bill of sale on this page and print it.

If the title is filled out correctly, including the sale price and date, a bill of sale is not needed for the title transfer. The DMV calls a bill of sale best practice and requires one if the sale price is not on the title. A secure version of the bill of sale, sold through vendors the DMV lists, can also carry the odometer disclosure. A buyer driving home without plates under the 36-hour rule must carry a bill of sale signed by both parties that shows the time and date of sale.

Use the official form if you prefer it: Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale (DR 2173).

Colorado lists these items:

• Purchase price
• Date of sale (and time of sale if the buyer will use the 36-hour rule)
• VIN
• Year, make and model
• Buyer's and seller's names
• Buyer's and seller's signatures

1. Sign and print your name in the Seller section on the back of the Colorado title, exactly as printed on the front.
2. Make sure every owner named on the front of the title signs as a seller.
3. Enter the exact odometer reading, purchase price and date of sale on the title.
4. Give the buyer the signed title and a bill of sale (DR 2173 or a written equivalent).
5. If the vehicle is more than 7 model years old and the buyer lives in an emissions area, give the buyer a new passing emissions certificate.
6. Remove your license plates before the buyer drives away.
7. Report the sale within 5 days with Report Release of Liability on myDMV or at your county motor vehicle office.

Back of the Colorado title, in the Assignment of Owner section. The seller prints their name and signs in the Seller area, enters the odometer reading and checks actual mileage, not actual mileage, or mileage in excess of mechanical limits, and enters the purchase price and date of sale. All owners named on the front must sign. If the printed name does not match the front of the title, a Statement of One and the Same (DR 2421) is required. A first initial and last name is not acceptable. The title signature does not need a notary in Colorado.

Optional. Colorado doesn't require it, but you can report the sale (Report Release of Liability) within 5 days of the sale. You can file it online. The DMV says it removes the seller from liability for the buyer's later actions with the vehicle.

Plates are tied to the registered owner, not the vehicle. Remove them before the buyer drives away. Under Senate Bill 21-069, regular plates expire when ownership transfers. Return them to a county motor vehicle office or recycle them with a recycling service that takes metal. Personalized plates may be moved to your next vehicle through your county office.

Inspection. If the vehicle is more than 7 model years old and the buyer lives in an emissions testing area, the seller must give the buyer a new passing emissions certificate. Testing areas are Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties, and parts of Adams, Arapahoe, Larimer and Weld counties.

Odometer disclosure. Required on every transfer for model year 2011 and newer vehicles for their first 20 years. Exempt: vehicles 20 years or older, vehicles with a gross weight rating over 16,000 lbs, and trailers. The seller enters the mileage on the title or on a DR 2173 bill of sale and checks actual mileage, not actual mileage, or mileage in excess of mechanical limits.

Sales tax. A private seller who is not a licensed retailer generally does not collect sales tax. The buyer generally pays the 2.9% state sales tax and any local sales or use taxes to the county clerk at registration. The buyer also pays Specific Ownership Tax as part of registration.

The buyer has 60 days to apply for a new title. The title fee is $7.20.

Forms used in the transfer:

• Secure Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale (DR 2173)
• Statement of One and the Same (DR 2421)
• Branded Title Disclosure Statement (DR 2710)
• Statement of Transfer (in place of notarizing an older title), DR 2445
• Application for Title and/or Registration (DR 2395)

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so check with the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles and county motor vehicle offices if anything about your sale is unusual. Last verified October 20, 2026.

Listing it first? Good photos sell cars faster: see how to take pictures of a car to sell, and read the full guide to selling a car. Buying or selling in another state? Pick it on the bill of sale page.