Project Vehicle Title Change

[neohic]

Hi there, team! I've got a new question concerning changing a title on a vehicle that already has a Colorado title. Been thinking about it what my next wheeling rig and I think I've settled on what that'll be. Being that I'll be working on it and not driving it for a while, can I just change the title into my name without registering or having proof of insurance? Been finding some mixed/confusing information thus far. For the record, the vehicle in question is an '86 Comanche that I have not yet picked up. Thoughts from everyone? Thanks all!

[Chris]

IIRC the penalty fine you'd have to pay when you get it registered after finishing outweighs any savings by not registering it initially.

[Spieg]

Yes, I believe you can transfer the tile without registering. I would for sure get the title done ASAP so as to make sure it's clean/legal before spending any money on repair/modification. As Chris said, they will require payment of the back/overdue registration fees once you do register the vehicle.

[Hypoid]

can I just change the title into my name without registering or having proof of insurance?Yes!

You still have to pay the applicable taxes in your county for the ownership tax. Once you want to register it, (if you want to register it) you will have to pay those taxes as well. In the Great State of Colorado, we are not talking a lot of money for that model year.

Best bet is to call your county tax assessor.

[neohic]

Hmm.. well, prime time to figure things out, I suppose. Picked up the gem of an '86 today.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e125/neohic2/1986%20Jim%20Oshel%20Edition/IMG_2212_zpsfvjnyjik.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e125/neohic2/1986%20Jim%20Oshel%20Edition/IMG_2210_zpsgwjiwpbo.jpg

[The StRanger]

Ain't nothin wrong with a Comanche. Love painting outside the lines.

[Patrolman]

Everyone else is right. You can transfer the title into your name without needing insurance or getting plates.

As stated, when you DO go to register it, you will then need to pay any back registration that you did not pay. You will also have to pay a penalty up to $100.

Example - Project takes 4 years to complete. When you register, you will pay the following:

4 years of back registration
1 year of "current" registration going forward
$100 penalty


There are essentially 3 ways to avoid this.

Option 1 is to leave the date on the title without a date, and then fill in the date once it is ready to plate/register. At that time you would transfer the title. (used this method a lot)
Option 2 is to put the title in your name now. You can then transfer the title to your spouse when you are ready to register it. The late fees and penalties disappear (only used this method once). The cost is very minimal to do the transfer.
Option 3 is to transfer the title to your name now. Then later "sell" it to a buddy. Once you are ready to officially register it, then "buy" it back. It costs a bit, but it often is less than the fees/penalties.

[Hypoid]

You will also have to pay a penalty up to $100.

I recently transferred title on a Jeep I bought six years ago. I did ask how much it would cost to put plates on that vehicle when I was ready to put it on the road. She did not mention the "$100 penalty." I did not ask about the "late fee," but I think it is intended to get people off dead center when their plates are due. In short, the fee is for expiration of an existing registration, nothing more. If you can link the state statute that mandates the penalty fee, I would appreciate it.

[Hypoid]

Hmm.. well, prime time to figure things out, I suppose. Picked up the gem of an '86 today.

http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e125/neohic2/1986%20Jim%20Oshel%20Edition/IMG_2212_zpsfvjnyjik.jpg
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e125/neohic2/1986%20Jim%20Oshel%20Edition/IMG_2210_zpsgwjiwpbo.jpg

I am getting ready to cut up an '86 Long Bed for my next trailer. I have some other parts from another '86 as well...

[newracer]

I recently transferred title on a Jeep I bought six years ago. I did ask how much it would cost to put plates on that vehicle when I was ready to put it on the road. She did not mention the "$100 penalty." I did not ask about the "late fee," but I think it is intended to get people off dead center when their plates are due. In short, the fee is for expiration of an existing registration, nothing more. If you can link the state statute that mandates the penalty fee, I would appreciate it.

42-3-103. Registration required - exemptions

(1) (a) Within sixty days after purchase, every owner of a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or vehicle that is primarily designed to be operated or drawn upon any highway of this state or any owner of a trailer coach or of special mobile machinery whether or not it is operated on the highways, shall register such vehicle with the department. A person who violates this subsection (1) commits a class B traffic infraction.

(b) This subsection (1) shall not apply to the following:

(I) A bicycle, electric assisted bicycle, or other human-powered vehicle;

(II) Vehicles specifically exempted by section 42-3-104 (http://web.lexisnexis.com/research/buttonTFLink?_m=48211f636576e55d3967602f7e3bea6b&_xfercite=%3ccite%20cc%3d%22USA%22%3e%3c%21%5bCDAT A%5bC.R.S.%2042-3-103%5d%5d%3e%3c%2fcite%3e&_butType=4&_butStat=0&_butNum=2&_butInline=1&_butinfo=COCODE%2042-3-104&_fmtstr=FULL&docnum=1&_startdoc=1&wchp=dGLzVzt-zSkAz&_md5=ad2b093aa36216f919bc05b80ee8cb6a); and

(III) Any vehicle whose owner is permitted to operate it under provisions of this article concerning lienholders, manufacturers, dealers, nonresidents, and fleet owners.

(c) A person who violates this subsection (1) two or more times in five years commits a class 1 misdemeanor and shall be punished as provided in section 18-1.3-501, C.R.S. (http://web.lexisnexis.com/research/buttonTFLink?_m=48211f636576e55d3967602f7e3bea6b&_xfercite=%3ccite%20cc%3d%22USA%22%3e%3c%21%5bCDAT A%5bC.R.S.%2042-3-103%5d%5d%3e%3c%2fcite%3e&_butType=4&_butStat=0&_butNum=3&_butInline=1&_butinfo=COCODE%2018-1.3-501&_fmtstr=FULL&docnum=1&_startdoc=1&wchp=dGLzVzt-zSkAz&_md5=50a5e9db3485b36e7671c2a203dbf670)

(2) An owner of a foreign vehicle operated within this state for the transportation of persons or property for compensation or for the transportation of merchandise shall register such vehicle and pay the same fees and tax required by this article with reference to like vehicles. This provision shall not be construed to require registration or reregistration in this state of any motor vehicle, truck, bus, trailer, semitrailer, or trailer coach that is used in interstate commerce, but registration or reregistration shall be required in accordance with or to the extent that reciprocity exists between the state of Colorado and a foreign country or another state, territory, or possession of the United States.

(3) Every nonresident person who operates a business within this state and owns and operates in such business any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or trailer coach within this state shall be required to register each such vehicle and pay the same fees and tax therefor as are required with reference to like vehicles owned by residents of this state. This provision shall not be construed to require registration or reregistration in this state of any motor vehicle, trailer, or trailer coach that is used in interstate commerce, but registration or reregistration shall be required in accordance with or to the extent that reciprocity exists between the state of Colorado and a foreign country or another state, territory, or possession of the United States.

(4) (a) Within ninety days after becoming a resident of Colorado, an owner of a motor vehicle required to be registered by subsection (1) of this section shall register such vehicle with the department, irrespective of such vehicle being registered within another state or country. A person who violates this paragraph (a) is subject to the penalties provided in sections 42-6-139 (http://web.lexisnexis.com/research/buttonTFLink?_m=48211f636576e55d3967602f7e3bea6b&_xfercite=%3ccite%20cc%3d%22USA%22%3e%3c%21%5bCDAT A%5bC.R.S.%2042-3-103%5d%5d%3e%3c%2fcite%3e&_butType=4&_butStat=0&_butNum=4&_butInline=1&_butinfo=COCODE%2042-6-139&_fmtstr=FULL&docnum=1&_startdoc=1&wchp=dGLzVzt-zSkAz&_md5=31994e48087783c698893dd28c877c59) and 43-4-804 (1) (d), C.R.S. (http://web.lexisnexis.com/research/buttonTFLink?_m=48211f636576e55d3967602f7e3bea6b&_xfercite=%3ccite%20cc%3d%22USA%22%3e%3c%21%5bCDAT A%5bC.R.S.%2042-3-103%5d%5d%3e%3c%2fcite%3e&_butType=4&_butStat=0&_butNum=5&_butInline=1&_butinfo=COCODE%2043-4-804&_fmtstr=FULL&docnum=1&_startdoc=1&wchp=dGLzVzt-zSkAz&_md5=e0c02fd003d29c39346c8e9794211c13)

(b) Within forty-five days after the owner has returned to the United States, the provisions of this title relative to the registration of motor vehicles and the display of number plates shall not apply to motor vehicles registered with and displaying plates issued by the armed forces of the United States in foreign countries for vehicles owned by military personnel.

(c) (I) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subsection (4) and section 42-1-102 (62) (http://web.lexisnexis.com/research/buttonTFLink?_m=48211f636576e55d3967602f7e3bea6b&_xfercite=%3ccite%20cc%3d%22USA%22%3e%3c%21%5bCDAT A%5bC.R.S.%2042-3-103%5d%5d%3e%3c%2fcite%3e&_butType=4&_butStat=0&_butNum=6&_butInline=1&_butinfo=COCODE%2042-1-102&_fmtstr=FULL&docnum=1&_startdoc=1&wchp=dGLzVzt-zSkAz&_md5=2817cb8f2a9fb33911d227b404c9ed69) and (81), a nonresident shall be exempt from registering a motor vehicle owned by such person if the motor vehicle is a private passenger vehicle weighing less than sixty-five hundred pounds and the person is:

(A) A nonresident, gainfully employed within the boundaries of this state, who uses a motor vehicle in commuting daily from such person's home in another state to and from such person's place of employment within this state; or

(B) A nonresident student who is enrolled in a full-time course of study at an institution of higher education located within this state, if the motor vehicle owned by such person displays a valid nonresident student identification tag issued by the institution where the student is enrolled.

(II) Any person who is exempt from the provisions of this title concerning the registration of a motor vehicle pursuant to this paragraph (c) shall comply with the applicable provisions of the motor vehicle registration laws of such person's state of residence.

(III) This paragraph (c) shall apply only if the state in which the owner resides extends the same privileges to Colorado residents gainfully employed or enrolled in an institution of higher education within the boundaries of that state.

(5) The provisions of this title concerning the registration of motor vehicles and the display of number plates or of other identification shall not apply to manufactured homes.


42-3-112. Failure to pay tax - penalty - rules

(1) If a vehicle subject to taxation under this article is not registered when required by law, the vehicle owner shall pay a late fee of twenty-five dollars for each month or portion of a month following the expiration of the registration period, or, if applicable, the expiration of the grace period described in section 42-3-114 (http://web.lexisnexis.com/research/buttonTFLink?_m=ee8e2cbd58be310c577e4c155fd8520a&_xfercite=%3ccite%20cc%3d%22USA%22%3e%3c%21%5bCDAT A%5bC.R.S.%2042-3-112%5d%5d%3e%3c%2fcite%3e&_butType=4&_butStat=0&_butNum=2&_butInline=1&_butinfo=COCODE%2042-3-114&_fmtstr=FULL&docnum=1&_startdoc=1&wchp=dGLzVzt-zSkAz&_md5=05d6b63bdcb495c635b25c47b08c05dd) for which the vehicle is unregistered; except that the amount of the late fee shall not exceed one hundred dollars. The late fee shall be due when the vehicle is registered.

(1.5) (a) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, the executive director of the department shall promulgate rules in accordance with article 4 of title 24, C.R.S., that establish circumstances in addition to the circumstances described in subsection (3) of this section in which a vehicle owner shall be exempted from paying the late fee described in said subsection (1). The rules shall apply uniformly throughout the state and shall include, but shall not be limited to, exemptions for:

(I) Acts of God and weather-related delays;

(II) Office closures and furloughs;

(III) Temporary registration number plates, tags, or certificates that have expired;

(IV) Medical hardships; and

(V) Information technology failures.

(b) The executive director of the department shall also promulgate rules in accordance with article 4 of title 24, C.R.S., that allow the department or an authorized agent to reduce or waive the late fee that would otherwise be due upon the registration of a trailer that is a commercial or farm vehicle, as part of the normal operation, if the owner can establish, in accordance with criteria specified in the rules, that the trailer was idled so that it was not operated on any public highway in this state for at least a full registration period. Nothing in this paragraph (b) shall be construed to exempt the owner of an idled trailer from paying any fees imposed pursuant to this article other than the late fee before again operating the trailer on a public highway in this state or from paying any taxes imposed pursuant to this article. The owner shall provide to the department or authorized agent a sworn affidavit that states that the trailer has not been operated on the public highways during the period for which it was not registered as required and describes the nature of the business conditions that resulted in the removal of the trailer from service.

(c) The executive director of the department shall consult with the county clerk and recorders in promulgating the rules required by paragraph (a) of this subsection (1.5).

(1.7) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, on and after July 1, 2010, the amount of the late fee payable by the owner of a vehicle without motive power that weighs sixteen thousand pounds or less or a camper trailer or a multipurpose trailer regardless of its weight, that is subject to taxation under this article, and that is not registered when required by law shall be ten dollars. For purposes of this subsection (1.7), the weight of a trailer of any kind is the empty weight.

(2) Ten dollars of the late registration fee shall be retained by the department or the authorized agent who registers the motor vehicle. Each authorized agent shall remit to the department no less frequently than once a month, but otherwise at the time and in the manner required by the executive director of the department, the remainder of the late registration fees collected by the authorized agent. The executive director shall forward all late registration fees remitted by authorized agents plus the remainder of the late registration fees collected directly by the department to the state treasurer, who shall credit the fees to the highway users tax fund in accordance with section 43-4-804 (1) (e), C.R.S. (http://web.lexisnexis.com/research/buttonTFLink?_m=ee8e2cbd58be310c577e4c155fd8520a&_xfercite=%3ccite%20cc%3d%22USA%22%3e%3c%21%5bCDAT A%5bC.R.S.%2042-3-112%5d%5d%3e%3c%2fcite%3e&_butType=4&_butStat=0&_butNum=3&_butInline=1&_butinfo=COCODE%2043-4-804&_fmtstr=FULL&docnum=1&_startdoc=1&wchp=dGLzVzt-zSkAz&_md5=aa8f48db904e828ba0cb0e04b9ace5cc)

(3) The late fee described in subsection (1) of this section shall not be imposed on a vehicle subject to taxation under this article if:

(a) The person who owns the vehicle uses the vehicle in operating a commercial business and, as part of the normal operation of the business, idles the vehicle so that it is not operated on any public highway in this state for at least one full registration period. Nothing in this paragraph (a) shall be construed to exempt the owner of an idled vehicle from paying any fees imposed pursuant to this article other than the late fee before again operating the vehicle on a public highway in this state or from paying any taxes imposed pursuant to this article.

(b) The person who owns the vehicle is in the active military service of the United States and is serving outside the state when a registration period and grace period for renewal of registration for the vehicle end and the vehicle is not operated on any public highway of the state between the time the registration period and grace period end and the time the vehicle is reregistered. Nothing in this paragraph (b) shall be construed to exempt the owner of such a vehicle from paying any fees imposed pursuant to this article other than the late fee before again operating the vehicle on a public highway in this state or from paying any taxes imposed pursuant to this article.

(c) The vehicle registration expired during the period the vehicle was reported stolen.

[Hypoid]

Thank you!

[neohic]

I am getting ready to cut up an '86 Long Bed for my next trailer. I have some other parts from another '86 as well...

MJ parts are great to keep around! I've got quite the collection of Comanche specific parts stock piled already. It's pretty easy being that 95% of MJ parts are the same as XJ parts. In the eyes of all Comanche owners, every Cherokee is a potential donor. :lmao:

[Hypoid]

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/55/8a/55/558a551a2fe79d33e84f50ea5411db6d.jpg