Colorado Assigned Vin Procedures C.R.S. 42-12-202

DR 2709 Procedure for Colorado Assigned Vehicle Identification Number is designed to instruct the vehicle owner on the requirements for issuance of an Assigned VIN. The procedure is:

• DR 2704 Colorado Certified VIN Inspection — the vehicle must be inspected by a Colorado P.O.S.T. certified VIN inspector. The certified VIN inspector will complete the DR 2704 form and charge the appropriate fee. All sections on the physical inspection form must be completed. If there is no information for a particular section, it must show N/A. The inspection must be less than one year old when the application is submitted. A report by an engineer qualified to evaluate the structural integrity and handling characteristics may be required at the discretion of the inspecting officer.

• DR 2489A Motor Vehicle Requestor Release Affidavit of Intended Use — the inspection by the P.O.S.T. certified VIN inspector will show all VINs found on the vehicle. The applicant must either have proper ownership documents for each VIN, or a DR 2489A Motor Vehicle Requestor Release Affidavit of Intended Use form with fees for each VIN need to be submitted to the Department. All out-of-state registered vehicles need out-of-state proof of a title record search in addition to the Colorado record search. When the applicant receives the completed search, the applicant must contact any owner of record found to ensure that they have no interest in that part of the vehicle. The Assigned VIN search must be less than one year old at the time the application is submitted.

• Lien Release — If the record search(es) comes back showing an active lien, the applicant must obtain a lien release from the lienholder. If a lien release cannot be obtained,  and the lien is filed in Colorado, a copy of the ‘Returned as Undeliverable” certified or registered letter mailed to the lienholder’s last known address is necessary and a bond for the amount of the lien or twice the appraised value of the vehicle, whichever is greater. If the lien is filed out of state, the customer will need to contact the state of record and request a lien release on the state’s letterhead. If the applicant is unable to provide either of the above lien releases, the applicant must provide a court order releasing the lien.

• Ownership Documents — applicant must submit proper ownership documents for all component parts used in rebuilding the vehicle. Ownership documents may be a title, MSO, salvage receipt/title or bills of sale. Any title, MSO or salvage receipt/title must be assigned to or in the name of the applicant unless the part was purchased from a salvage yard.

  • Any bill of sale or receipt submitted must be legible, identify the part sold by year, make and VIN and be notarized or signed under penalty of perjury.

Following are some examples of what is required in different circumstances:

• • When the cab or body is purchased from a salvage yard, a photocopy of the title that is assigned to the salvage yard and notarized or signed under penalty of perjury bill of sale is required from the salvage yard to the applicant or the applicant must bond.

  • When the cab or body is purchased from a private party, the original title assigned to the applicant is required or the applicant must bond.

  • If the frame is purchased from a salvage yard or an individual, a notarized or signed under penalty of perjury bill of sale and photocopy of title are required. If a copy of the title cannot be produced, a notarized or signed under penalty of perjury bill of sale is sufficient, accompanied by a statement from the seller that they cannot produce a copy of the title. If the seller will not produce a notarized or signed under penalty of perjury bill of sale, a bond is required.

  • If the proper ownership documents are not submitted with the application, a bond will be required. The applicant should not purchase the surety bond until the assigned VIN procedure has been completed and a VIN number has been assigned as the bond must show the new Colorado Assigned VIN Number.

• DR 2426 Colorado Assigned Vehicle Identification Number Declaration of Facts must be completed with the following information:

  • Year make and all VINs involved in the rebuilding of the vehicle.

  • From whom and when the vehicle and/or parts were obtained.

  • The work that was completed to build or rebuild the vehicle and why a Colorado assigned VIN is required.

  • What attempts were made to contact the owner(s) of record to insure they have no interest in the part(s) used.

  • That the vehicle is roadworthy, operational and meets all safety requirements in C.R.S. 42-4-201 through 233.

• Submit application when all steps have been completed to:

  • County Motor Vehicle Office

  • Applications submitted to the county motor vehicle office will be reviewed by the county, entered into the system in an Assigned VIN Case and sent to the state for review. When the application is submitted to the county, the Assigned VIN fee must be collected by the county.

• Application review — when the application is received by the Department and the paperwork is approved, an Assigned VIN will be issued.

  • State reviewer will complete the ‘STATE’ section of the DR 2408 and indicate if a Surety Bond is required, by checking the appropriate box.

• Application approval — once the assigned VIN is issued, State clerk prints the Certified VIN Inspection and Form DR 2408. The Clerk completes the DR2408 and attaches the VIN tag to the forms. It is now ready for pick-up by CSP. 

• CSP — Colorado State Patrol (CSP) Auto Theft section picks up the approved assigned VIN applications weekly from the Department. Appointments to affix the Colorado Assigned VIN plate to the vehicle are made by the Colorado State Patrol. Applicants will be contacted by mail or phone.

• Bond requirements — the paperwork will be returned to the applicant by CSP at the time that the Assigned VIN plate is affixed. The DR 2408 application for Colorado Assigned Vehicle Identification Number will indicate if the applicant is required to bond. If a bond is required, Retail Value will need to be established. This can be done by any Colorado Licensed Dealer. The appraisal must be on dealer’s letterhead. If the Colorado does not have letterhead, they must sign the appraisal under penalty of perjury or it must be notarized, it must describe the vehicle by VIN, Year and Make, it must be dated and signed by the dealer’s agent, it must state the dealership’s license number and the appraisal must be for the current condition of the vehicle. An appraisal from a current Kelley Blue Book or N.A.D.A. Official Card Guide is acceptable as long as it is the specific model and its for the retail value (identify by highlighting). Also accepted is an appraised value from the Kelley Blue Book web site with a statement indicating this is the applicant’s choice.

  • Bond and appraisal must show Colorado assigned VIN as the identifying number of the vehicle.

• Application for title — the applicant will submit the Assigned VIN application to their county motor vehicle office to apply for title. For applications requiring a bond, the bond and appraisal must be included.

Guidelines for issuing temporary permits to Assigned VIN applicants:

• A temporary permit can be issued to the customer for not more than 60 days.

Kit Vehicle

C.R.S. 42-6-102 (6.5) “Kit vehicle” means a passenger type motor vehicle assembled, by other than a licensed manufacturer, from a manufactured kit that includes a prefabricated body and chassis and is accompanied by a manufacturer’s statement of origin.

A vehicle assembled from a manufactured kit, either as a complete kit to construct a new vehicle, which consists of a prefabricated body and chassis, or a kit composed of a prefabricated body mounted to an existing vehicle chassis and drivetrain, commonly referred to a donor vehicle.

A manufactured new vehicle kit would be a kit that includes the fiberglass body and the frame. The VIN on the MSO should match the ID numbers found on the body and the frame (see Certified VIN inspection to verify). If the VIN on the MSO and the vehicle do not match or is not a conforming 17-digit VIN, an Assigned VIN must be issued.

• The model year will be the year the kit was manufactured as indicated on the MSO and will not be the replicated year of the pre-fabricated body.

• The make will be ASVE for kit vehicle.

A manufactured body kit is a kit that only supplies the fiberglass body and is assembled using the frame from another existing vehicle (commonly called a donor vehicle). If the frame is purchased from a salvage yard or an individual, the applicant must surrender the title assigned to them or a photocopy of the title with a bill of sale signed under penalty of perjury or notarized. If the seller cannot produce a copy of the title, the bill of sale is sufficient if accompanied by a statement that they cannot produce a copy of the title.

• The model year will be the year of application.

• The make will be ASVE for kit vehicle.

Aftermarket Frames — An aftermarket motorcycle frame is a replica of a commercially manufactured motorcycle frame. An MSO is always required on an aftermarket frame.

Prior to application for title, the following paperwork is forwarded to the Department who will determine if the VIN on the aftermarket frame conforms to Federal VIN standards.

• MSO for frame, must have 17-digit VIN.

• MSO or Bill of Sale/invoice (engine, transmission) that is notarized or signed under penalty of perjury.

• DR 2426 Colorado Assigned Vehicle Identification Number Declaration of Facts.

• DR 2704 Colorado Certified VIN Inspection showing 17 digits as the public VIN.

Conforming:

• The new title will reflect the year as shown on the frame MSO.

• Make will be ASVE.

• Body will be MC.

• VIN will be the VIN on the aftermarket frame MSO.

• Application is to be processed through the county office. 

Non-Conforming:

• If the VIN is determined to be non-conforming the procedure for a Colorado Assigned VIN will need to be completed.

Assigned VIN Application

Following is the order in which the paperwork will be stamped and numbered:

• DR 2408 Colorado Assigned Vehicle Identification Number Application.

• DR 2426 Colorado Assigned Vehicle Identification Number Declaration of Facts.

• MSO, Titles, Bills of Sale, receipts submitted to prove ownership.

• DR 2704 Colorado Certified VIN Inspection.

• Record searches and receipts for each VIN found on vehicle.

• A photo is required. Entire driver and passenger side of the vehicle