Colorado Car Sales Tax Calculator
Colorado charges 2.9% state sales and use tax plus state-collected local sales taxes on a used car purchase, verified September 15, 2026. Local taxes also apply; the range is not verified. A trade-in is deducted before tax. Private-party sales are taxed too, paid when you title the car.
Figures verified September 15, 2026; sources linked per row. Re-checked quarterly, next due December 15, 2026.
Taxable amount: $25,000. Tax only; dealer doc fees, title and registration are separate, and some states tax the doc fee as part of the price. The local figure is an estimate from the state's published range unless you entered your own rate.
The Colorado numbers, with sources
Each figure below was checked on September 15, 2026 against the page linked in the source column, and the wording the state uses is quoted so you can confirm it yourself.
| Item | Colorado | Source |
|---|---|---|
| State rate (State sales and use tax plus state-collected local sales taxes) | 2.9% | colorado.public.law(secondary, cites the statute)As published: “there is imposed upon all sales of commodities and services specified in section 39-26-104 a tax at the rate of two and ninety one-hundredths percent” |
| Local tax range | Yes, range not verified | colorado.public.law(secondary, cites the statute)As published: “there is imposed upon all sales of commodities and services specified in section 39-26-104 a tax at the rate of two and ninety one-hundredths percent” |
| Trade-in credit | Yes, full credit | colorado.public.law(secondary, cites the statute)As published: “exclusive of the fair market value of the property exchanged at the time and place of the exchange” |
| Dealer doc fee | No cap (typically $606) | caredge.com(secondary, cites the statute)As published: “Colorado: $606. This report is based on 93,200 verified out-the-door (OTD) price quotes collected between July 2025 and September 2026.” |
| Title fee | $7.20 | colorado.public.law(secondary, cites the statute)As published: “seven dollars and twenty cents” |
| Registration (flat plus value or weight) | $37.50 to $59 | colorado.public.law(secondary, cites the statute)As published: “six dollars plus twenty cents per one hundred pounds, or fraction thereof, of weight over two thousand pounds” |
| Private-party sale taxed | Yes, paid when you title the car | colorado.public.law(secondary, cites the statute)As published: “the department of revenue or its authorized agent shall collect all such applicable taxes at the time such application is made” |
- Local tax: County, city and special-district sales taxes follow the address where the vehicle is registered: CRS 29-2-105(1)(e)(II) exempts a sale from a local tax when the property is registered outside the limits of the local taxing entity, so the buyer's registration address governs which local rates apply; the range was not captured because tax.colorado.gov returned HTTP 403.
- Doc fee: CarEdge's report of 93,200 verified quotes (July 2025 to September 2026) puts the average doc fee in Colorado at $606.
- Registration: Computed from statute text: base registration fee $6 for 2,000 lb or less, $6 plus $0.20 per 100 lb over 2,000 lb up to 4,500 lb, $12.50 plus $0.60 per 100 lb over 4,500 lb (CRS 42-3-306); road safety surcharge $16 / $23 / $28 for up to 2,000 / 2,001 to 5,000 / 5,001 to 10,000 lb (CRS 43-4-804); bridge safety surcharge $13 / $18 / $23 on the same bands (CRS 43-4-805); plus a $0.50 and a $2 fee (CRS 42-3-304). Min is a 2,000 lb car, max is a 5,000 lb car. The annual specific ownership tax is added on top: taxable value is 85 percent of MSRP, taxed at 2.10 percent in year 1, 1.50 percent year 2, 1.20 percent year 3, 0.90 percent year 4, 0.45 percent years 5 to 9 and $3 from year 10 (CRS 42-3-107).
Next steps
- Out-the-door price calculator: adds the Colorado doc fee, title and registration to the tax for the full figure.
- Dealer doc fees by state and registration and title fees by state: see how Colorado compares.
- All states: the full sales tax table.
Tax is fixed. The price is not.
CarWorthIt prices a specific VIN at its mileage against cars actually for sale near your ZIP code from $2.99. The $9.99 Negotiation Bundle adds an opening offer and a walk-away figure, so the number Colorado taxes is the right one.
Colorado car tax questions
Does Colorado charge sales tax on a private-party car sale?
Yes. When the seller did not collect the tax (a private sale), the buyer pays the state and applicable local sales taxes to the county clerk, as the Department's authorized agent, when applying for title and registration.
Does Colorado give a trade-in credit on car sales tax?
Yes. The value of your trade-in is deducted from the price before Colorado tax is calculated.
What is the dealer doc fee cap in Colorado?
Colorado sets no legal cap on dealer doc fees. Dealers typically charge $606. CarEdge's report of 93,200 verified quotes (July 2025 to September 2026) puts the average doc fee in Colorado at $606. If the dealer will not drop the fee, ask for the same amount off the price.
Do local sales taxes apply to car purchases in Colorado?
Yes. County, city and special-district sales taxes follow the address where the vehicle is registered: CRS 29-2-105(1)(e)(II) exempts a sale from a local tax when the property is registered outside the limits of the local taxing entity, so the buyer's registration address governs which local rates apply; the range was not captured because tax.colorado.gov returned HTTP 403.
How much does a car title cost in Colorado?
$7.20 (flat). CRS 42-6-137(1)(a). County clerks add small transaction fees (for example a clerk hire fee) that were not verified from a fetched page.
How much is annual car registration in Colorado?
$37.50 to $59 a year for a passenger car, flat plus value or weight. Computed from statute text: base registration fee $6 for 2,000 lb or less, $6 plus $0.20 per 100 lb over 2,000 lb up to 4,500 lb, $12.50 plus $0.60 per 100 lb over 4,500 lb (CRS 42-3-306); road safety surcharge $16 / $23 / $28 for up to 2,000 / 2,001 to 5,000 / 5,001 to 10,000 lb (CRS 43-4-804); bridge safety surcharge $13 / $18 / $23 on the same bands (CRS 43-4-805); plus a $0.50 and a $2 fee (CRS 42-3-304). Min is a 2,000 lb car, max is a 5,000 lb car. The annual specific ownership tax is added on top: taxable value is 85 percent of MSRP, taxed at 2.10 percent in year 1, 1.50 percent year 2, 1.20 percent year 3, 0.90 percent year 4, 0.45 percent years 5 to 9 and $3 from year 10 (CRS 42-3-107).
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