Colorado Trailer Bill of Sale Form

Browse more Colorado bill of sale templates, or read our guide to the bill of sale to see why the document matters before you move forward.

Trailer Bill of Sale Basics

Think of a trailer bill of sale as the receipt for a trailer sale. It records who sold the trailer, who bought it, what the vehicle is, how much the buyer paid and when. That gives both sides a written record of the change of ownership. Each person can keep a signed copy.

The bill of sale is a separate paper from the certificate of title, and the title steps come later on this page. You can use the free FormsPal template to create one, or download the PDF and complete it by hand.

Colorado Bill of Sale Requirements for a Trailer

Colorado does not always require a bill of sale for a trailer. The DMV says a bill of sale is not needed for the title transfer if all the information on the title is completed correctly. A bill of sale is best practice, and it is required if the sale price is not listed on the title.^[2]

A trailer bill of sale in Colorado should cover these points:

• Seller: use the seller's full name. First initial and last name is not acceptable for the seller or the seller's agent.^[1]
• Trailer: give the vehicle description, which means the year, make and VIN.^[1]
• Price and date: enter the purchase price and the date.^[2]
• Signature: the bill of sale must be signed. The DMV form deals with the case where the original title was not signed by the owner listed on the title.^[1]
• Lien: if a lienholder has a lien on the trailer, the lien must be released. The DMV form asks for the date the lien was released.^[1]

Title Transfer and the 60-Day Deadline

After the sale, Colorado DMV says buyers have 60 days from the date of purchase to title and register the vehicle. To transfer the title, the seller provides the properly endorsed Colorado certificate of title.^[2]

Mark the purchase date on the bill of sale and on your calendar. Our deadline calculator counts the 60 days for you.

The Owner's Declaration Under Colorado Law

When a titled vehicle is sold in Colorado, the person in whose name the title is registered, if not a dealer, must make a formal transfer of the vehicle. That person, or the person's agent or attorney, affirms the sale or transfer with a written declaration made under the penalties of perjury in the second degree.^[3]

The statute says:

Upon the sale or transfer of a motor or off-highway vehicle for which a certificate of title has been issued or filed, the person in whose name the certificate of title is registered, if the person is not a dealer, shall execute a formal transfer of the vehicle described in the certificate. The person in whose name the certificate of title is registered or the person's agent or attorney shall affirm the sale or transfer, accompanied by a written declaration that the statement is made under the penalties of perjury in the second degree, as defined in section 18-8-503, c.r.s.

Where Can You Get a Free Colorado Bill of Sale Form?

FormsPal offers a free Colorado trailer bill of sale that you can create online or download as a PDF. The template has fields for the seller, the buyer, the trailer, the price and payment method, and the signatures.

Our general trailer bill of sale template is also available if you need a version that is not specific to one state. Selling a motorcycle instead? See our Colorado motorcycle bill of sale.

Trailer Bill of Sale Form Details

Create a free high quality Colorado Trailer Bill of Sale online now!

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How to Write a Colorado Trailer Bill of Sale

These steps follow the FormsPal template part by part, in the order the form presents them. Before you start, gather the seller's and buyer's contact details, the trailer's make, model, year, color and VIN, the price, and the payment method.

The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Colorado trailer bill of sale template filled with sample entries in blue, so you can see where each answer goes. The names, addresses, dates and amounts are examples only.

1. Enter the date of the bill of sale. Write the date the bill of sale is made in the DATE line at the top of page 1.

   

2. Section 1: Seller's information. Enter the seller's name, street address, city, state and zip code, telephone number and email address.

   

3. Section 2: Buyer's information. Enter the buyer's name, street address, city, state and zip code, telephone number and email address.

   

4. Section 3: Trailer description, the parties. In the sentence under the heading, repeat the seller's name and the buyer's name where the form asks for them.

   

5. Section 3: Trailer description, make, model, year, color and VIN. Fill in Make, Model, Year, Color and the VIN # of the trailer being sold.

   

6. Section 4: Purchase date. On page 2, write the date the trailer is sold in the purchase date line.

   

7. Section 4: Total price and how it is paid. Enter the total purchase price in U.S. dollars, then initial one option: all at once on the purchase date, a deposit with the balance on a later date (fill in both amounts and dates), or a gift with no consideration paid.

   

8. Section 4: Payment method. Initial one method: Cash, Check (enter the check number), Cashier's check or Money Order.

   

9. Section 4 taxes and section 5 miscellaneous provisions. Initial whether taxes are included in the purchase price or not. Then read section 5 below it: it has no fields and covers the seller's ownership statement, the as-is sale and the entire agreement.

   

10. Section 6: Signatures. On page 3, the seller and buyer each sign, print their name and add the date. The form also has two witness signature lines with printed name and date.

    

11. Acknowledgment: county, date and officer. Page 4 is the acknowledgment. Fill in the county, the date, the name and title of the officer, and the name of the person who signed, in front of the notary or other officer.

    

12. Acknowledgment: officer's signature and seal. The notary or other officer signs and seals on the Signature (seal) line at the bottom of page 4.

    

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a trailer bill of sale need to be notarized in Colorado?

Colorado has no statute that requires a bill of sale to be notarized. The state's published requirements for the document do not list notarization either. Instead, the owner of a titled vehicle affirms the transfer with a written declaration made under the penalties of perjury in the second degree.^[3]

If you want a notary to acknowledge the signatures anyway, FormsPal also has a Colorado notary acknowledgment form.

General information, not legal or tax advice.

Sources

1. Colorado DMV Form DR 2173.
2. Colorado DMV, Buying and Selling.
3. C.R.S. § 42-6-110(1).

Mara Erlach

Writer & Attorney

Mara has been practicing estate planning and trust law in California since 2003, taking pride in helping clients of all backgrounds and asset profiles form a complete and customized estate plan. Her specialties are: estate planning, wills and trusts, trust and probate administration.