Notice of Valuation (NOV)
The notice your county assessor mails by May 1 with your home's actual value for the year.
It is the number your property-tax bill is built on — read it when it arrives.
Colorado Homebuyer & Mover Timeline
Moving and buying can happen on the same day, but they start different clocks. DMV deadlines count from the day you establish Colorado residency. Home dates follow closing and the county's property-tax calendar.
Timeline
Build your Colorado move and home calendar
These are two different clocks. DMV dates run from the day you establish Colorado residency. Property dates run from closing and the county tax calendar.
Enter either date above. Use both if you are moving to Colorado and buying a home.
This is a planning calendar, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Some counties run alternate protest schedules and exact dates can shift, so confirm protest, exemption, and payment deadlines with your county assessor and treasurer, and registration steps with your county motor vehicle office.
The jargon, decoded
The terms behind the dates
A few words you will see on county notices and at the DMV.
Actual value
The assessor's estimate of your home's market value. Colorado taxes a percentage of it.
If it looks too high versus what you paid, that is what you protest.
Protest
Your appeal to the county assessor disputing the actual value or the property record.
The standard date was June 8 for 2026 and moves to June 1 for later cycles. The notice controls.
Specific ownership tax
Colorado's annual vehicle tax, based on the original MSRP and the vehicle's age — a big part of registering a car.
Estimate it before the 90-day registration deadline so the bill is not a surprise.
Why this tool asks for two dates
The DMV clock starts when you establish Colorado residency. Colorado lists several ways that can happen, including employment, operating a business, or living here for 90 straight days. A purchase closing does not automatically answer that question. The home calendar begins with closing and then moves to fixed county dates. Keeping the clocks separate prevents an early or late DMV deadline.
The property-tax cycle in one paragraph
The county assessor mails a Notice of Valuation by May 1. It lists your home's actual value — the county's estimate of what it is worth. If that value looks wrong, you can protest it with the assessor. The deadline is printed on the notice. The standard date was June 8 for the 2026 cycle and moves to June 1 for later cycles, while alternate county schedules can differ. Your tax bill is built from that value. You pay it the following year, in full by April 30, or in two halves due the last day of February and June 15.
Do not forget the car
New residents have 90 days to title and register a vehicle. You have 30 days to switch to a Colorado driver's license. Registration includes the specific ownership tax. This yearly tax is based on the car's original sticker price (MSRP) and its age, so a newer car can be a real bill. Front Range counties may require an emissions test first.
Exemption dates need an eligibility check
A closing date alone does not make an owner eligible. A veteran with a qualifying disability or a Gold Star spouse generally must own and occupy the home on January 1 of the application year. The regular deadline was July 1 for the 2026 cycle and becomes July 15 for later cycles. The standard senior exemption also requires age 65 and ten years of ownership and primary residence. The timeline shows planning dates, but the county assessor decides eligibility.
FAQ
Quick answers
When will I get my first Notice of Valuation?
County assessors mail them by May 1. If you closed after this year's notices went out, your first one as the owner usually arrives the following May.
How long do I have to register my car and switch my license?
After establishing Colorado residency, you generally have 90 days to title and register a vehicle and 30 days to get a Colorado driver's license. Those clocks do not necessarily start on your home closing or lease date.
Do I still owe property taxes if my lender uses escrow?
Often your lender pays the tax for you out of an escrow account — money set aside from your monthly payment. Even so, the bill is still your responsibility. Read it and make sure it was paid by April 30, or by the February and June half-payment dates.
I closed mid-year — whose property taxes are whose?
The signed contract and closing statement control the proration. They show how buyer and seller divided the expected tax for the year. Colorado bills property tax after the tax year ends, so the closing calculation often uses an estimate that can later differ from the county bill.
Sources and review
Where this information comes from
For current requirements, exceptions, forms, and deadlines, use the linked official source.
Data used: Colorado property-tax calendar, enacted 2026 deadline change, and DMV new-resident guidance Reviewed: July 2026 Colorado Division of Property Taxation Colorado SB26-046 Colorado senior property tax exemption Colorado veteran and Gold Star exemptions Colorado DMV: new residents
Use this carefully: The DMV and property clocks do not necessarily start together. County schedules can differ, eligibility rules matter, and the signed closing statement controls buyer-seller tax proration. Confirm with the DMV, county assessor, county treasurer, and the professionals handling the closing.
Next steps
Put numbers on the big two
The timeline tells you when. These tell you how much.
Estimator
Property tax estimator
Turn your home's value, the assessment rate, and local mills (tax rates) into a yearly tax estimate.
Estimate property tax ->Estimator
Vehicle registration estimator
Estimate the specific ownership tax and registration fees before the 90-day deadline.
Estimate my bill ->For fun
Know your new state?
Take the two-minute Colorado Quiz — the rules, the places, and the quirks of living here.
Take the quiz ->