Colorado § 42-5-202 - Vehicle identification number inspection.

§ 42-5-202. Vehicle identification number inspection.

(1) No bonded title vehicle, homemade vehicle, rebuilt vehicle, reconstructed vehicle, or vehicle assembled from a kit shall be sold in the state of Colorado or issued a Colorado certificate of title unless the seller or owner of such vehicle has had its vehicle identification number inspected and recorded by an inspector on the inspection form approved by the department of revenue.

(2) No bonded title commercial vehicle, homemade commercial vehicle, rebuilt commercial vehicle, reconstructed commercial vehicle, or commercial vehicle assembled from a kit shall be issued a Colorado certificate of title unless an inspector inspects the vehicle identification number and records the number on the inspection form approved by the department of revenue.

(2.5) The department is authorized to perform a vehicle identification number inspection on any motor vehicle subject to this article that the department determines is necessary or convenient in carrying out its duties pursuant to this article and to charge and receive an inspection fee pursuant to section 42-5-204 for such inspection.

(3) The inspections required by this section include a physical inspection of the vehicle or commercial vehicle and a computer check of the state and national compilations of wanted and stolen vehicles or commercial vehicles. If the inspector determines that the vehicle identification number has not been removed, changed, altered, or obliterated and that it is not the identification number of a wanted or stolen vehicle or commercial vehicle, the inspection form shall be transmitted to the executive director of the department of revenue, who shall then act upon the application for a Colorado certificate of title for such vehicle or commercial vehicle.

(4) If the inspector determines that the vehicle identification number has been removed, changed, altered, or obliterated or if the inspector has good and sufficient reason to believe that the vehicle or commercial vehicle is wanted or was stolen in the state of Colorado or another state, the inspector shall proceed according to the provisions of part 1 of this article.

(5) [Editor's note: Subsection (5) is effective July 1, 2027. For the applicability of this subsection (5) on or after January 1, 2028, see the editor's note following this section.] The department of revenue, the agents of the department of revenue, the Colorado state patrol, the agents of the Colorado state patrol, or a person that has contracted with the department of revenue or the Colorado state patrol shall not require a vehicle to have an inspection because it is a kei vehicle, as defined in section 42-1-102 (45.3), or has the design or manufacturing parameters of a kei vehicle, as defined in section 42-1-102 (45.3). This subsection (5) applies for the purposes of both article 6 of this title 42 and part 3 of article 4 of this title 42.

Source: L. 94: Entire title amended with relocations, p. 2446, § 1, effective January 1, 1995. L. 2001: (2.5) added, p. 591, § 2, effective May 30. L. 2025: (5) added, (HB 25-1281), ch. 176, p. 737, § 7, effective July 1, 2027.

Editor's note: Section 13(2) of chapter 176 (HB 25-1281), Session Laws of Colorado 2025, provides that the act changing this section applies to applications submitted or offenses committed on or after January 1, 2028.