Transfer a car title after a death in Colorado
The DMV does not accept the court form JDF 999; it uses its own small estate affidavit, DR 2712. Take the signed and notarized DR 2712 and the death certificate to your county motor vehicle office. All title transfers are done at the county motor vehicle office.
Checked against official sources: October 30, 2026.
Car or vehicle title after a death in Colorado
The DMV does not accept the court form JDF 999; it uses its own small estate affidavit, DR 2712. Take the signed and notarized DR 2712 and the death certificate to your county motor vehicle office. All title transfers are done at the county motor vehicle office. If the title is in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, the surviving owner brings a copy of the death certificate. If the owner completed form DR 2009 naming a beneficiary, the beneficiary brings the death certificate, DR 2009 and an application for title (DR 2395).
Law: C.R.S. 15-12-1201(3), 42-6-110.5; DMV forms DR 2712, DR 2009
- Agency
- Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles (title work at the county motor vehicle office)
- Waiting period
- 10 days after the death
- Fee
The county motor vehicle office charges title fees.
- Transfer-on-death title
An owner can name a transfer-on-death beneficiary for a vehicle with form DR 2009. After the death, the beneficiary presents the death certificate, DR 2009 and form DR 2395.
Source: Official page
Do vehicles count toward the small estate limit?
| Kind of property | How it is treated | Details |
|---|---|---|
Cars and other vehicles | Counts | A vehicle in the person's name alone counts, minus any loan. A vehicle with a transfer-on-death beneficiary or a surviving joint owner is not counted. Law: C.R.S. 15-12-1201(1)(a); DMV form DR 2712 |
Boats and mobile or manufactured homes | Counts | A boat or mobile home in the person's name alone that passes by will or inheritance counts, minus liens. Law: C.R.S. 15-12-1201(1)(a) |
Related pages
Free help in Colorado
A court self-help center or a legal aid office can check whether the estate qualifies, free of charge or at low cost.
- Colorado Legal Services
- Colorado Bar Association: for the public
- Colorado Judicial Branch: Collection of Personal Property by Affidavit (JDF 999)
- Colorado Judicial Branch: Open an Estate
- LawHelp.org
- Legal Services Corporation (LSC) - Find legal aid
- Eldercare Locator · 1-800-677-1116
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (debt collection and mortgage complaints) · (855) 411-2372