Overview
Private-party sales are taxed too, on whatever price you and the seller put on the bill of sale, collected by the county when you title the car - Colorado doesn't run a presumptive-value database the way some states do, but a suspiciously low number can draw questions. Bona fide gifts skip sales tax entirely, provided no money or debt assumption changes hands. Pick your scenario below.
01 - Official fees
Colorado car sales tax fees at a glance
| Fee | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| State rate | 2.9% | floor for every Colorado vehicle sale |
| Denver combined | ≈ 9.15% | state + city + county + RTD + SCFD |
| Aurora combined | ≈ 8.50% | |
| Colorado Springs combined | ≈ 8.20% | |
| Unincorporated El Paso County | ≈ 5.13% | no city layer |
| Dealer sale base | price − trade-in | |
| Private sale base | documented purchase price | |
| Bona fide gift (no consideration) | $0 |
Figures verified June 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with your county motor vehicle office (Colorado DMV sets the rules) - counties can add small local fees.
03 - Same state, other costs
More Colorado vehicle costs
04 - Common questions
Colorado car sales tax FAQ
Why did my coworker in the next county pay less tax on the same-price car?
Because Colorado sales tax is really a stack of independent taxing districts. The 2.9% state rate is universal, but county tax, city tax, and - inside the Denver metro - RTD and SCFD taxes are all layered by where the buyer registers, not where the dealer is located. A $30,000 car can owe $2,745 in Denver and roughly $1,539 from an unincorporated address with no city tax.
Does trading in my old car lower the tax?
Yes, but only at a licensed dealer - Colorado deducts your trade-in allowance from the taxable price before applying the rate. Trade a $12,000 car against a $30,000 purchase in Aurora (8.5%) and you're taxed on $18,000 instead of $30,000, saving $1,020. Private-party sales get no such deduction.
Is a private-party car sale actually taxed the same as a dealer sale?
Yes - Colorado taxes private sales at the same combined state-plus-local rate, based on the price shown on your bill of sale, collected by the county when you title the vehicle. There's no separate presumptive-value formula; the county simply expects a documented, plausible price.
Do I owe sales tax if someone gives me a car?
Not if it's a genuine gift with no payment or debt exchanged - Colorado's sales tax rules exempt bona fide gifts regardless of who's giving it (unlike some states, there's no restriction to immediate family). If you take over any remaining loan balance, that assumed debt counts as consideration and gets taxed.
I'm moving to Colorado with a car I already own - do I pay sales tax again?
No sales tax is due on a vehicle you already owned before becoming a Colorado resident and are simply titling here - you'll pay the title fee, registration stack, and Specific Ownership Tax instead, the same as any resident renewing.
What if I bought the car in a state with no sales tax, like Oregon?
Colorado charges use tax at your local combined rate when you title the vehicle here, since no tax was paid at the point of sale. If you did pay tax to another state, Colorado credits it against what's owed here, so you're not double-taxed on the same purchase.
05 - Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.