Wheel ScoutWhat a Colorado plate lookup shows
A license plate points to one car. We turn the Colorado plate into the car's 17-character VIN, show you the year, make and model, then read its history: salvage, flood and rebuilt brands, title history by state, odometer readings and theft records. You also see the factory specs and the safety recalls for that model year before you pay. What it never shows is the owner: the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act keeps names and addresses in DMV records private, and we don't sell them.
What a Colorado plate looks like, and what changed
The standard Colorado plate is green and white. Alongside it you will see the 150th Anniversary of Statehood plate created under House Bill 22-1388, which costs the same taxes and fees as a regular plate and is issued until August 1, 2027, plus a long list of group special plates. Type the plate without spaces; we find the car.
Plates belong to the owner, not the car. Under Senate Bill 21-069 the plates on a regular passenger vehicle expire when the owner's title or interest transfers, so a seller must take them off and never let a buyer drive away on them. Regular plates go back to a county motor vehicle office or to a metal recycler; personalized plates can move to the seller's next car through the county office. If a car shows up for sale with plates and a seller who says "just keep them," that is not how Colorado works.
Temporary registration permits come from the county or from a dealer. A dealer's permit is good for 60 days, the dealer or county can issue a second one, and you go to the county if you need more than two. Colorado also has a narrow 36-hour rule for a sale between two people: you can drive the car without a permit only if you bought it within the last 36 hours, on a weekend, holiday or when the county office is closed, and only from the seller's storage location to yours. You must carry a bill of sale signed by both of you showing the year, make, VIN and the time and date of the sale, plus proof of insurance.
Before the car can be driven at all you need Colorado-compliant insurance, at least $25,000 for one person's injuries, $50,000 for all injuries in an accident and $15,000 for property damage.
Colorado title brands: what the lookup can show
Our $5 report reads the NMVTIS record, the national title database the Colorado DMV itself tells buyers to check, so a brand from Colorado or from any other state shows up next to the odometer history and theft check. These are the brands Colorado puts on a title:
| Salvage | Under C.R.S. 42-6-102(17)(a) a car is salvage when it was damaged by collision, fire, flood, accident, trespass or another occurrence and the cost to repair it to a roadworthy condition is more than its retail value before the damage. A salvage title cannot be registered and no lien can be filed against it. A salvage buyer must get a salvage title in their own name within 60 days of buying it. |
|---|---|
| Rebuilt from salvage | A salvage car repaired to roadworthy condition. The owner files a Salvage Title Statement of Fact (DR 2424) declaring the car roadworthy, a P.O.S.T.-certified law enforcement inspector does a Certified VIN Inspection (form DR 2704, handed out by the inspector, not online), a detailed check of the car's identification numbers to make sure it isn't stolen, and receipts for the major parts are verified. Before the inspection the words REBUILT FROM SALVAGE must be stamped on the car in letters at least a quarter inch high. |
| Nonrepairable, Flood damaged, Odometer tampered with | All brands the Colorado DMV lists. A flood car is branded as flood damaged. |
| Lemon law buyback, Brand designation by another state | Colorado also carries brands from the manufacturer buyback process and keeps any brand another state put on the title. |
| Junk | A junk vehicle is no longer considered a motor vehicle and its title is canceled. Colorado will not title any vehicle ever classified as junk, parts only or for crusher, even if another state would. |
The hail rule. Colorado's salvage definition expressly leaves out hail damage, and the salvage title application asks for the type of damage, excluding hail. So a car with a crushed roof and a field of dents from a Front Range storm does not become salvage under that definition. The official pages are not fully consistent, though: the Colorado State Patrol's VIN inspection page lists hail among the damage behind the salvage titles it sees on insurance total losses. Either way, a hail car's title can be clean, so the body panels may tell you more than the brand does. Look along the roof, hood and trunk lid in low light, and ask whether an insurance claim was paid.
Any branded car sold in Colorado needs the Branded Title Disclosure Statement (DR 2710), completed by both seller and buyer. If the seller doesn't bring one up, run the report and ask.
What a Colorado title transfer costs
Buying from an individual, you pay everything at your county motor vehicle office. The Colorado DMV publishes the title fee and the ownership tax schedule, the Colorado Department of Revenue publishes the sales tax rules, and your county motor vehicle office can tell you the local taxes and fees for your address.
| Title fee | $7.20 for a transfer of ownership. Filing a lien is $40 more; a duplicate title is $8.20. |
|---|---|
| Sales and use tax | The state rate is 2.9%, plus the city, county and special district taxes where the car will be registered. A seller who isn't a licensed retailer doesn't collect it, so the buyer pays it to the county clerk, and the clerk cannot title or register the car until it is paid. The tax is on the full purchase price; a trade-in's fair market value is excluded only when you trade a vehicle in as part of the purchase. |
| Gifts | The person receiving a gift owes no sales or use tax, but whoever gave it must have paid tax on their own purchase, and the county clerk won't register it without proof. |
| Specific Ownership Tax | A yearly tax paid with your registration, based on 85% of the car's original MSRP and its year of service: 2.1% in year one, 1.5% in year two, 1.2% in year three, 0.9% in year four, 0.45% in years five through nine, and $3 from year ten on. The DMV describes it as a property tax for your vehicle. |
| Other registration fees | For a car between 2,001 and 5,000 pounds, a $19.30 Road Safety Surcharge (through August 31, 2027) and an $18 Bridge Safety Surcharge, plus an age-of-vehicle fee of $12, $10 or $7 depending on age. Plug-in electric cars pay a $63.05 electric vehicle fee and, from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, a $26 road usage fee ($13 for plug-in hybrids). The $29 Keep Colorado Wild state parks pass is an opt-in. |
| Late fees | $25 for each month or part of a month after the 60-day deadline, up to $100. |
Colorado forms and deadlines
| Buyer's deadline | 60 days from the purchase date to title and register. |
|---|---|
| The title | The seller signs and prints their name exactly as it appears on the front; if more than one person is listed, all of them sign as sellers. The seller writes in the price and date and completes the federal odometer disclosure. The buyer signs in the buyer section. |
| Odometer | Required on every transfer of a 2011 or newer vehicle for its first 20 years. The seller checks actual mileage, not actual mileage, or in excess of mechanical limits. If the reading is wrong, the seller needs a new title. |
| Bill of sale (DR 2173) | Not required if every title field is filled in, but required if the price is not on the title. The secure DR 2173 form can also serve as the odometer disclosure. |
| DR 2395 and DR 2841 | The Application for Title and/or Registration, and the Secure and Verifiable Identification form. The buyer prints their name as it appears on that ID. |
| DR 2710 | Branded Title Disclosure Statement, required if the car has any brand. |
| Seller's release | Within 5 days the seller reports the sale on myDMV (Report Release of Liability) or at the county office. It removes the seller from liability for what the buyer does with the car. |
| Out-of-state cars | Need a VIN verification on form DR 2698, done by a Colorado law enforcement officer, a licensed Colorado dealer, an Air Care Colorado emissions station, or the county clerk (at the clerk's discretion). |
The Colorado DMV's own checklist for buyers: match the VIN on the title to the car, check the state's Motor Vehicle Verification System to confirm it hasn't been reported stolen, check NMVTIS for history, and check the National Insurance Crime Bureau for a total loss.
Inspections in Colorado
Registering a personal car in Colorado doesn't call for a safety inspection. What it can call for is an emissions test, and a VIN verification for cars coming in from other states.
- Where: cars registered in Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties, and parts of Adams, Arapahoe, Larimer and Weld counties.
- Which cars: vehicles more than 7 model years old. Model year 1982 and newer test every other year; 1981 and older test every year. Hybrids 8 years and older need an OBD test under a 2015 law.
- At the sale: if the car is more than 7 model years old and the buyer lives in an emissions county, the seller must provide a new passing certificate. The DMV tells buyers to check that the test is tied to the car's VIN and to look for altered or inconsistent details.
- Where to test: Air Care Colorado stations; results usually reach the state within a few hours. Some cars qualify for a roadside emissions test instead; the registration renewal postcard says so.
Outside the emissions counties, registration doesn't test the car's condition at all. Bring a mechanic, and on a car with a hail history, look at the panels yourself.
Before you meet a Colorado seller
- Run the plate or the VIN here first, before the deposit. Then match the year, make, model and trim to the car in front of you.
- Match the VIN on the dashboard, the door sticker and the title.
- Match the name on the title to the seller's ID. All owners on the front must sign.
- Look for hail. Hail damage does not make a Colorado car salvage, so a clean title doesn't rule it out.
- Get the emissions certificate if the car is more than 7 model years old and you live in a program county.
- Expect the plates to come off. You drive home on a county permit or under the 36-hour rule, with a bill of sale and insurance.
- Budget for the county office: 2.9% state tax plus local tax on the price, the $7.20 title fee and the Specific Ownership Tax.
Where these Colorado facts come from
Read on the state's own pages on October 31, 2026. Fees and rules change; the county tax office has the final word on the day you file.
- Colorado DMV: Buying and selling a vehicle
- Colorado DMV: Title information and brands
- Colorado DMV: Taxes and fees
- Colorado DMV: Registration
- Colorado DMV: License plates
- Colorado DMV: VIN inspections
- Colorado DMV: Emissions testing for gas vehicles
- Colorado Title and Registration Manual: salvage
- Colorado Department of Revenue: Sales and use tax topics, motor vehicle sales
- Colorado DMV: 2026 gas emissions requirements
- Colorado State Patrol: VIN inspections
- Colorado Department of Revenue: Sales tax guide
- Colorado General Assembly: House Bill 22-1388 (signed)
Look up a plate from another state
The reports
Works for Colorado plates and every other state. You see the car before you pay.
Basic history report
By VIN or license plate · official NMVTIS record · shows right away
- Salvage, junk, flood and rebuilt title brands
- Title history by state, with dates
- Odometer readings and rollback flags
- Total-loss records from insurers
- Theft check
- Market value for the car
Full vehicle history report
By VIN or license plate · Not instant: emailed or texted to you within two hours
- Every owner, how they used it (personal, lease, rental or fleet) and where
- Accidents and damage reports
- Title brands: salvage, junk, rebuilt, flood, fire, hail, lemon
- Odometer readings over time, checked for rollbacks
- Service and maintenance history
- Open recalls and common owner complaints for the model
Colorado license plate lookup questions
How do I look up a Colorado license plate?
Type the plate above with Colorado selected. We turn it into the car's VIN and show the year, make and model at no charge, then the $5 report shows its title brands, odometer readings, total-loss records and theft check.
How much does it cost to transfer a car title in Colorado?
The title fee is $7.20. The buyer also pays 2.9% state sales tax plus local taxes on the purchase price, and registration, which includes the Specific Ownership Tax (based on 85% of the original MSRP and the car's age) and road and bridge safety surcharges. Register within 60 days or pay $25 a month, up to $100.
Who collects sales tax on a car bought from an individual in Colorado?
The county clerk. A seller who isn't a licensed retailer doesn't collect it, so the buyer pays the state and local tax at the county motor vehicle office, and the car cannot be titled until it is paid.
Does Colorado require a vehicle inspection?
Not a safety inspection. Cars more than 7 model years old registered in the emissions counties (Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson, and parts of Adams, Arapahoe, Larimer and Weld) need an emissions test, and the seller must provide a new passing certificate when selling to a buyer in those counties. Out-of-state cars need a VIN verification.
Does hail damage make a Colorado car salvage?
Not under the state's salvage definition, which expressly excludes hail damage, so a hail-damaged car can keep a clean title. The Colorado State Patrol does list hail among the damage behind some salvage titles it inspects, so check the title and the report either way, inspect the roof, hood and trunk lid, and ask about insurance claims.
Can a junk or salvage car be titled again in Colorado?
A salvage car can be rebuilt and retitled as Rebuilt from salvage after a Certified VIN Inspection by a P.O.S.T.-certified officer. A car ever classified as junk can never be titled in Colorado, even if another state allows it.
Can I find the owner of a Colorado plate?
No. The federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act keeps owners' names and addresses in Colorado DMV records private, and no legitimate plate lookup shows them. You see the car, not the person.
Who runs vehicle titles in Colorado?
The Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles, part of the Department of Revenue, sets the title and registration rules, and your county motor vehicle office handles the transfer and collects tax and fees. The Department of Revenue also publishes the sales tax rules.
More ways to check a car
Find the deal, then check it.
Wheel Scout alerts you the moment an underpriced car posts on Marketplace, OfferUp or Craigslist near you, and runs the history right in the app.
The basic history report uses NMVTIS data from an approved NMVTIS data provider. NMVTIS records come from states, insurers and salvage yards; not every event is reported to it. Vehicle specs and recalls come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Wheel Scout is not affiliated with any marketplace or government agency. Wheel Scout is not affiliated with the Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV).