A Colorado bill of sale for a vehicle is the document that records a private-party sale, and the buyer has to keep a copy in the vehicle until the title is transferred. It identifies the car by year, make, and VIN, states the price, notes the date and time of sale, and carries both parties’ signatures. The county clerk uses the price on that document to calculate your sales tax, so the details need to be right the first time.
Which Form to Use
Colorado gives you two options for a private sale, and picking the wrong one causes most of the trouble at the county window.
The DR 2173 is Colorado’s official Secure Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale. It also works as an odometer disclosure, so a single form covers two requirements. It’s a secure document, which means you can’t just download a PDF. You buy it from an authorized vendor such as the Colorado Auto Dealers Association, Colorado Independent Automobile Dealers Association, A-B-C Enterprises, or Colorado Automobile/Powersports Support Services.1Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Forms in Number Order
A generic bill of sale is also accepted. You can draft one yourself or use a free template, provided it contains the required elements: vehicle year, make, VIN, date and time of sale, purchase price, and both signatures.2Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Private Sale: Buying or Selling a Vehicle in Colorado The tradeoff is that a generic form does not satisfy the federal odometer disclosure on its own, so the mileage has to be recorded on the certificate of title instead.
One form to not confuse with a bill of sale: the DR 2395. It shows up in searches for “Colorado bill of sale PDF,” but it’s actually the Application for Title and/or Registration that you complete at the county clerk’s office.3Colorado Department of Revenue. DR 2395 – Application For Title and/or Registration You’ll need both: a bill of sale as proof of purchase, and the DR 2395 as the title application.
What the Bill of Sale Must Contain
Whether you use the DR 2173 or write your own, the Colorado DMV requires the following:
- Full legal names and addresses for both buyer and seller, matching government-issued ID.
- Vehicle year, make, model, and the full 17-character VIN. The VIN is usually visible on the driver’s side dashboard or the door jamb.
- The exact purchase price. The county clerk uses this figure to calculate sales tax, and any mismatch with the title application will slow things down.
- Date and time of sale. Colorado specifically wants the time, not just the date, because it fixes the moment ownership changed hands.
- Signatures from both parties.2Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Private Sale: Buying or Selling a Vehicle in Colorado
Typed forms process faster, but handwritten is fine if it’s legible. If the clerk can’t read the VIN or the price, expect to be sent home.
Odometer Disclosure
Federal law requires an odometer reading for most vehicle transfers. The seller records the mileage at the time of sale and the buyer acknowledges it. You can put it directly on the certificate of title where space is provided, or you can use the DR 2173, which has a dedicated odometer section.2Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Private Sale: Buying or Selling a Vehicle in Colorado
Not every vehicle needs one. Under NHTSA’s updated rules, disclosure is required for model year 2011 and newer vehicles for the first 20 years of the vehicle’s life.4National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Consumer Alert: Changes to Odometer Disclosure Requirements For 2026, that leaves vehicles with a model year of 2006 or older exempt.
Does It Need to Be Notarized
Colorado does not require every vehicle bill of sale to be notarized, but the title itself sometimes does. Older Colorado titles that include a notary signature line must either be notarized or accompanied by a completed Statement of Transfer form (DR 2445), which stands in for notarization. Out-of-state titles may require notarization depending on how the issuing state formats its title.
Check the back of the title. If there’s a notary line, deal with it before the clerk sees the paperwork. Sign the title in front of the notary, not before. Signing early voids the notarization and forces you to apply for a duplicate title.
After the Sale: Deadline, Fees, and Sales Tax
The buyer has 60 days from the purchase date to apply for a new title at the county clerk and recorder’s office. Miss it and late fees run $25 per month up to $100, with separate penalties for failing to apply for title running from $15 to $100.5Colorado General Assembly. SB22-123 Late Vehicle Titling and Registration Penalties
At the counter, expect a mix of fixed fees and sales tax:
- Title fee of $7.20 statewide.6Larimer County. Vehicle Licensing Taxes and Fees
- Lien filing fee of $40 if the vehicle has a new lien, for loans filed on or after July 1, 2025.6Larimer County. Vehicle Licensing Taxes and Fees
- Sales tax based on the price you wrote on the bill of sale and your home address. The state rate is 2.9%, and city and county taxes stack on top. Denver’s combined rate reaches 8.81%.7City and County of Denver. Fees and Sales Tax
The state mails the new title to the owner or lienholder after fees and taxes are paid. If permanent plates aren’t issued at the counter, most counties give you a temporary registration good for up to 60 days from the purchase date.8Jefferson County, CO. Temporary Tags Temporary tags expire at midnight on the printed date. No grace period.
Emissions and VIN Verification
Two other requirements often catch private buyers off guard, and both can block titling even when the bill of sale is perfect.
If the vehicle is being registered in the Denver metro or North Front Range areas, the seller must provide a passing emissions test that has not been used for a previous registration or renewal.9Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Emissions If they don’t, the buyer will need to get the vehicle tested before the county completes registration. Gasoline vehicles are exempt for their first seven model years and diesels for their first four, but a sale in the final exemption year still requires a test.
A vehicle titled in Colorado for the first time from out of state needs VIN verification. A Colorado law enforcement officer, licensed dealer, or county clerk inspects the vehicle and completes form DR 2698 to confirm the VIN matches the paperwork.10Colorado Department of Revenue. DR 2698 – Verification of Vehicle Identification Number
Adding an “As-Is” Clause
Private sales in Colorado are as-is by default. The buyer takes the vehicle in its current condition and the seller makes no warranty about mechanical soundness. Writing an explicit as-is statement into the bill of sale puts that understanding on paper for both parties.
As-is language has limits. It won’t protect a seller who concealed a known defect, misrepresented the vehicle’s history, tampered with the odometer, or hid a salvage or rebuilt title. Fraud overrides any as-is clause. Buyers who want more assurance can pay for a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic and run the VIN through the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System before handing over money.
Check for Liens Before You Pay
Look at the front of the title before any money changes hands. If a lienholder is listed and there’s no release documented, the county clerk will not process the transfer.11City and County of Denver. Transfer Vehicle Title to New Owner A seller who still owes on the loan needs to get a payoff figure from the lender, satisfy the loan, and either receive a title with the lien released on its face or a separate lien release document. Until that’s done, the bill of sale on its own won’t move ownership.