Colorado Porch

The Colorado first-90-days sheet

A Colorado address comes with local layers the city name won't reveal. This sheet fits on one page: the two deadlines that follow a move, what the registration bill really includes, and the checks to run for the exact address.

Free to print — please link to this page rather than saving a copy.

The Colorado first-90-days sheet

Colorado Porch · coloradoporch.com/handouts/new-resident/ · reviewed June 2026. Free to print and copy; please keep this line.

The two deadlines

New residents have 30 days to switch to a Colorado driver's license and 90 days to title and register a vehicle. The county motor vehicle office handles the vehicle side, and the steps can change from county to county.

The registration bill is not just plates

  • Specific ownership tax — a yearly tax based on the vehicle's original value and age. Newer or pricier vehicles can cost much more to register.
  • Emissions testing — mostly in the Front Range program area, for qualifying vehicles. Check the DMV requirements for your address and vehicle.
  • County and state fees — local fees, FASTER road surcharges, and extra fees for EVs.
  • Keep Colorado Wild Pass — a state parks pass added during many registrations. Owners can decline it during the process.

Check the exact address, not the town name

Your exact address decides your county, your school and fire districts, and who provides your water. It also decides whether your car needs an emissions test, what the local rental rules are, and how much insurance will cost.

Buying a home? Collect these papers up front

  • The county property record and the tax bill
  • Any special district papers and any HOA documents
  • The seller's property disclosure
  • An insurance quote
  • The water documents, plus a well permit or septic records if the home has them
  • The permit history for the property