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Motor Vehicles Division~  Costs

Fees/Sales Tax | Sales Tax Rates | What Happens to My Money?

Fees/Sales Tax

There are many different fees applied to titling and registering a motor vehicle. The cost of license plates is based on two separate fees. The license fee is based on the weight of the vehicle and the type of plate used. The ownership tax is based on the year, original taxable value and purchase date of the vehicle. Ownership tax is a personal property tax. The formulas used are set by the Department of Revenue. Registration costs cannot be quoted over the telephone or e-mail.

Sales tax is collected when a vehicle is purchased. State, County, City, and Regional Transportation District (RTD) taxes due are based on the purchase price of the vehicle and the residence address of the owner. Sales taxes are due when a vehicle is purchased. Dealers may collect all or only some of the sales taxes due, depending on where the vehicle is purchased. The County Clerk & Recorder's Motor Vehicle office collects any previously unpaid taxes on vehicles purchased from a dealer. Motor Vehicle also collects all sales taxes due on private party purchases. These taxes are paid at the time a temporary permit is issued or as part of the purchase of license plates.

Tax rates are as follows:
State: 2.9%, two and nine-tenths percent
RTD: 1.2%, one and two-tenths percent
Boulder County: 0.65%, sixty-five hundredths of one percent

City tax rates for the community in which the vehicle owner lives vary from 0.5% to 3.56%.
The fee for a title is $7.20.
If a lien is to be filed on the title, the filing fee is usually $10.00 depending on the security document submitted.
A duplicate title costs $8.20 and a duplicate registration costs $2.20 The fee for a homemade trailer ID is $3.50, plus the cost of the title.

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