Buying a used car in Colorado: what to bring and what happens next

Buying from a dealer is a one-hour appointment if you arrive with the right things. Here is the whole process, start to finish.

Bring

• Driver’s license. Current and matching the name that will go on the title.
• Proof of insurance. You need an active policy to drive off. Call your insurer with the VIN before you come; most can add a car in minutes. If you have no policy yet, buy one by phone before the appointment.
• Your down payment (card, cashier’s check, or wire; check with us on limits) or your lender’s approval if you arranged financing yourself.
• If you are trading in: the title in your name, or the lender’s name and account number if you still owe on it, plus all keys.

What you pay, and what you don’t

The advertised price is the full price of the car. On top of it, Colorado adds:

• Sales tax, figured by the address where you will register the car, not by the dealer’s address. The state rate is 2.9% and the city and county add their own. In Aurora it comes to about 8%. A trade-in lowers the taxable amount, which is the quiet reason trading in sometimes beats selling privately.
• Title and registration fees, which depend on the car’s age, weight and your county.
• Emissions, if the car needs a test; see our emissions guide.

You will see every one of these as a line item before you sign.

The temporary tag

You leave with a dealer temporary permit good for 60 days. In that window the title paperwork is processed and you register the car at your county motor vehicle office. Register late and the county charges a late fee of $25 per month.

After you drive away

• Price honored. An advertised price is good for five days after the listing was last shown, so a car you saw on the site on Monday is the same price Friday.
• Emissions protection. For five business days after the sale the dealer remains responsible for an emissions failure.
• Financing contingency. If the dealer arranged financing and it cannot be completed, Colorado law gives the dealer ten days to notify you, and your deposit comes back.

What we do differently

We sell by appointment, so the car you came to see is cleaned, charged or fueled, and waiting with its history report and emissions certificate on the seat. The paperwork takes about an hour. Text us the stock number and a time.