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Colorado · Paperwork

Colorado bill of sale — requirements and free generator

In Colorado the bill of sale starts as a conditional requirement and turns into your driving permit. The DMV’s rule: if the sale price is written on the title, a bill of sale is optional best practice — but if the price is not on the title, it is required. Colorado also has a form with a twist: the DR 2173 Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale is a "secure" document sold through authorized vendors, and completing the odometer disclosure on it satisfies the federal requirement. Then comes the part no other state words quite like this: a buyer may drive the newly purchased vehicle without plates for up to 36 hours, from the seller’s location to home or a registration office — but must carry a signed bill of sale identifying the vehicle by year, make, and VIN, showing the time and date of sale, signed by both parties, along with proof of insurance. After that, the buyer has 60 days to title and register before late fees start at $25 per month, capped at $100. Sales tax — 2.9% state plus local rates — is collected by the county clerk at registration. No notary is involved.

Not legal advice — general information for Colorado. Last reviewed: July 2026.

Colorado: bill of sale — required in some cases · notarization: not required

Required when the sale price is not written on the title. The secure Form DR 2173 also satisfies the federal odometer disclosure.

Official state form: DR 2173 — for DMV title/registration paperwork, use the official form; keep this generated document as your signed record of the deal.

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MOTOR VEHICLE BILL OF SALE

State of Colorado

1. The Parties. This Bill of Sale is made effective as of ______________________ (the “Sale Date”) by and between ______________________, with a mailing address of ________________________________________ (the “Seller”), and ______________________, with a mailing address of ________________________________________(the “Buyer”).

2. The Property.The Seller agrees to sell, transfer, and deliver to the Buyer the following described property (the “Property”):

  • Year: ________
  • Make: ______________________
  • Model: ______________________
  • Color: ____________
  • Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): ______________________
  • Odometer Reading: ____________ miles

3. Consideration. The Buyer agrees to pay the Seller the total sum of $____________ USD, receipt of which is acknowledged by the Seller as full payment for the Property.

4. Ownership. The Seller certifies that the Seller is the legal owner of the Property, that the Property is sold free and clear of all liens, encumbrances, and claims, and that the Seller has full right and authority to sell and transfer it.

5. Odometer Disclosure Statement

Federal law (49 U.S.C. § 32705) requires that you state the mileage upon transfer of ownership. Failure to complete an odometer statement, or providing a false statement, may result in fines and/or imprisonment. I, ______________________, certify to the best of my knowledge that the odometer reading of ____________ miles:

  • ☑ reflects the ACTUAL mileage of the vehicle;
  • ☐ exceeds the odometer’s mechanical limits;
  • ☐ is NOT the actual mileage — WARNING: ODOMETER DISCREPANCY.

6. Condition. The Buyer accepts the Property in its present condition, “AS-IS, WHERE-IS”, with all faults. The Seller makes no warranties, express or implied, including any implied warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, except the warranty of ownership stated above.

Seller’s Signature

Printed Name: ______________________

Date: ____________________

Buyer’s Signature

Printed Name: ______________________

Date: ____________________

Generated with the free Brixaz bill of sale generator (brixaz.com/tools/bill-of-sale). General information, not legal advice. For vehicles, the certificate of title transfers ownership — this document is supporting proof of the sale.

Colorado requirements for a private sale

  • ✓A bill of sale is required if the sale price is not listed on the title, and best practice in every sale — include both parties’ names, the price, the vehicle information, and the date (dmv.colorado.gov, Private Sale).
  • ✓The purchase price and date of sale must appear on the back of the title unless a separate bill of sale is included with the transfer.
  • ✓Odometer disclosure is required for model year 2011 and newer vehicles for their first 20 years; the secure Form DR 2173 satisfies it and is purchased through authorized vendors.
  • ✓The buyer has 60 days from the purchase date to title and register; late fees run $25 per month (or portion of a month) up to $100.
  • ✓The 36-hour rule: a buyer may drive the vehicle without plates from the seller’s location to home or a registration office for up to 36 hours — carrying a signed bill of sale (year, make, VIN, time and date of sale, both signatures) and proof of insurance.
  • ✓Sales/use tax — 2.9% Colorado state tax plus applicable city, county, and district rates — is verified and collected by the county clerk at titling and registration (tax.colorado.gov).
  • ✓If the vehicle is more than 7 model years old and the buyer lives in an emissions-testing county, the seller must provide a new passing emissions certificate.

Notarization: not required

Colorado asks for no notary anywhere in a private sale — not on the title assignment, not on the bill of sale, not on the DR 2173. The state’s formality budget went elsewhere: a "secure" printed bill-of-sale form, an emissions handoff rule, and a 36-hour plateless-driving window with paperwork conditions.

Official form

Colorado’s official form is the DR 2173 Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale — unusual because the secure version is purchased from authorized vendors (Colorado Auto Dealers Association and others listed by the DMV) rather than downloaded, and because it doubles as a federal odometer disclosure. A written equivalent with both parties, price, vehicle info, and date is accepted for the ordinary bill-of-sale role, including the 36-hour drive-home rule.

Worked example: selling a car in Colorado

Say you buy a 2018 Subaru Outback in Denver for $13,500 on a Saturday at 2 p.m. The seller endorses the title with the price and odometer, and you both sign a bill of sale that lists the Outback’s year, make, VIN — and the time: 2 p.m. That document plus your insurance card is what lets you legally drive home plateless within the 36-hour window. At the Denver county office you pay Colorado’s 2.9% state tax — $391.50 — plus Denver’s city, county, and district taxes on the same price, all collected with your title application. You have 60 days; wait four months instead and late fees add $100. If the seller had left the price off the title, the signed bill of sale would stop being best practice and become the required document.

Colorado bill of sale FAQ

When is a bill of sale required in Colorado?

Whenever the sale price is not written on the title — the county clerk needs the price to collect tax, so the bill of sale supplies it. The DMV calls it best practice in every other case too, and you must carry one (with year, make, VIN, time and date of sale, and both signatures) to use the 36-hour plateless drive-home window.

What is the DR 2173 and where do I get it?

The DR 2173 is Colorado’s Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale, printed as a secure document and sold through authorized vendors like the Colorado Auto Dealers Association — not downloaded free. Its superpower is doubling as the federal odometer disclosure. For a sale where the title already carries the price and odometer, a plain written bill of sale does the everyday job.

Can I drive a car I just bought in Colorado without plates?

Yes, for up to 36 hours — but only from the seller’s location to your home or a registration office, and only if you carry a signed bill of sale identifying the vehicle by year, make, and VIN and showing the time and date of sale, plus proof of insurance. Outside those conditions you need a temporary permit.

How long do I have to title and register in Colorado, and what if I am late?

60 days from the purchase date. After that, late fees accrue at $25 per month or portion of a month, capped at $100. Tax is settled at the same county visit: 2.9% state plus your local city, county, and district rates on the purchase price.

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