How to transfer a title when you purchase a vehicle in Colorado

Purchasing a vehicle to upgrade or replace your current model can often be a rewarding experience, especially when you’re signing off on one that’s more efficient, powerful or innovative than the car that’s been in your driveway. However, you’ll want to be aware that signing on the dotted line isn’t the final step for vehicle ownership – today, our Carville’s Auto Mart team will show you how to transfer a title when you purchase a vehicle in Colorado!   

What you’ll need to transfer a title when you buy a used vehicle from a private seller 

As mentioned above, once you sign off with your vehicle’s original owner/seller, you should take your model to the Colorado DMV right away. Once there, confirm that you have all the following documents:  

  • Complete original Vehicle Title (including signatures from your seller, sale date and price, odometer reading, and your name/address) 
  • Passed emissions inspection (Not required in Mesa County) 
  • Application for Title & Registration 
  • Proof of insurance 
  • Any form of secure/verifiable identification 
  • Payment method for transfer fees and taxes 

Once you’ve got the process completed, you should expect to receive your new title in the mail within six weeks – we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention to check that your new vehicle has a clean history; you can check on that by visiting this link, which will prompt you to input your purchased car’s VIN. From there, you’ll be able to see its full Vehicle History Report.


  Read More: Does my vehicle need two plates when registered in Colorado?


Test drive a quality used model at Carville’s Auto Mart 

If what’s listed above sounds like a bit too many hoops to jump through, be aware that if you buy a used model from Carville’s Auto Mart, we’ll handle all the paperwork, title transferring and plate registration for you! Click here to view our used inventory, and contact us at your earliest convenience if you’re looking to schedule a test drive today; we’re always happy to help you roll off the lot in a vehicle that you’ll love.