Car Title/Registration Fees (Denver: car registration, insurance, how much)

[BrianAggie95]

Ok, getting ready for our move next month and I have been collecting information on all those little tidbits that are so beaurocratic....

Like getting a CO Drivers License and getting my cars titled/registered in CO.

So here is the link for you to go to to read about getting a CO Driver's License.. http://www.revenue.state.co.us/MV_di...sp?incl=dllist

DL Fees are $15.60 for a 5 year license.. ok nothing... And you have to prove residency to get one, so you either need to have a job, or have lived in CO for 90 days.

Here is the link for Vehicle Registration..
http://www.revenue.state.co.us/MV_di...?incl=titlereg

Fees for registering a vehcile are much harder to find... as each county has some differences on this... What I donot understand is the "Specifc Ownership Fees" These fees are based on the age of the vehicle and the price when new. Now I looked up Denver County and got the following numbers:
Year of Service Rate:
1st Year 2.1%
2nd Year 1.5%
3rd Year 1.2%
4th Year .9%
5th - 9th Year .45%
10th Year and older $3.00



So let me see if I get this right. on a $30,000 car, that is say 7 years old, I have to pay $135 for this? (30,000 * .45%) Is this right? If it was new, I have to pay $630...(30,000*2.1%) whoa..... Now there is a hidden tax about CO I didn't know about.. Glad I don't buy new cars anymore.. OUCH.. is this correct?

[winglady]

I had never tried to find out what the formula was before; I just paid whatever the tax bill told me to pay!
I've never lived anywhere else but Colorado, so I had no idea if the taxes were high, low, or average.

But I think you're probably interpreting the numbers correctly, based on what we paid last year in taxes on our new vehicle.

[BrianAggie95]

Thanks, ok.. well It's just different and much higher than fees where I last was... Fees in Texas were around ~40-75 depending on type of vehicle.

[MobyLL]

OK -- having just gone through this process, here is some practical info for new residents (at least for the City of Denver):

1) Registering your car and getting your Driver's License will be at two separate locations. Plus to register a car you must first get an emissions test done -- so ultimately you will be going to three places to register your vehicle and get a Colorado DL.

2) For Car registration get the emissions test done first. This will be at a differerent location than the registration itself http://www.aircarecolorado.com/image...mplified31.pdf. The emmisions test costs $25 (You Need Cash or Check) and was about a 15 minute wait, but will vary depending on the time of day. At the worst times i was told it could be up to 45 minutes. In addtion to the emissions test they also test the seal on the gas cap... i have a one and a half year old vehicle and my gas cap failed. I got a new gas cap under warranty and went back... had to go through the whole process again just to get the gas cap tested. It passed... there is no additional fee for retesting.

3) Registration is pretty quick about 15-20 minutes during the most busy times. Again, you need Cash or Check -- BrianaAggie95's formula above seems correct -- my car --new-- cost about 22k (2006) and the registration fee was $321. In addtion, to the emissions test results you need to provide proof of insurance and title and registration from your previous state.

4) Getting a Colorado Driver's License is just as bad or worse than anywhere else. 3 hour wait... maybe better at some times of the day I heard 9:00 was a good time to try. I went at 11. Anyway for most states the only ID you should need is a current driver's license from your previous state... http://www.revenue.state.co.us/mv_di...quirements.pdf

So for me, I'm thinking all I should need is my Florida driver's license... BUT NOOOOO, pay close attention to this from the DMV website:

"To be issued a Colorado Driver’s License or Identification Card, you must prove the following elements: your full legal name, identity, age, and lawful presence in the United States."

My Florida License only had my middle initial, so they required another piece of documentation to go along with my Florida License. So I had to go back home, find my birth certificate, and then go back to the office in order to get my Colorado License. Fortunately, I did not have to wait in line again. If I had been thinking fast enough I should have just said my middle initial "C" is my full legal middle name to see if i could get away with it... but i'm not that quick on my feet.

Anyway the driver's license cost $21 and again had to be paid with either cash or check.

[Mike78613]

Originally Posted by BrianAggie95

Thanks, ok.. well It's just different and much higher than fees where I last was... Fees in Texas were around ~40-75 depending on type of vehicle.

Texas here (for now), but for my 2007 Pathfinder 4x4 I pay $64.00 a year for registration.

For my 2006 Mazda6 I pay $59.00 a year.

================

How much is state inspection in CO these days? (never mind saw post above )

[Broomfielder]

I kind of like the way they do it here. If you can afford a brand new BMW then you can afford to pay higher fees. If you can only afford a 10 year old Taurus then you pay less.

[missingcol]

To get a CO DL, do they ask the question "Did you have a CO license before"? Since I used to have a CO license, just wondering if this will make any difference.

[Broomfielder]

They do ask if you have had one before. They were able to look up my old high school driver's license. I have 2 forms of id anyway since I have a military id so I don't know what is needed. It's probably best to call and ask.

[BillRadio]

Ah yes, the shock of discovering the license fee based on the value of the car. And there are add-ons, like E-470 fees, special plates and other local fees, which must be paid again if you re-up your tags between expiration dates.

The good news is the "Ownership" fee is tax-deductable, IF you itemize.

[lovethebigcity]

Originally Posted by MobyLL

OK -- having just gone through this process, here is some practical info for new residents (at least for the City of Denver):

1) Registering your car and getting your Driver's License will be at two separate locations. Plus to register a car you must first get an emissions test done -- so ultimately you will be going to three places to register your vehicle and get a Colorado DL.

You only have to get an emissions test done if your car is older than 4yrs. My car is an 06 so I didn't have to do that. When I registered my car in August it was about $300. Its a little more than what I paid in taxes in Charlotte, NC. Plus you have to register your car in the county that you are living in. To get a DL you can go to any DL office.
ETA: You do have to get a VIN verification (or whatever they call it). You can get it done at an emissions testing place or even at a car dealer.