Car Title Transfer After Divorce in Colorado

Your divorce decree may assign a vehicle to one spouse, but the Colorado DMV does not monitor divorce decrees. Until you physically transfer the title, both names remain on the registration — and both parties remain liable for anything that happens with the vehicle.

How to Transfer the Title

Vehicle title transfers are handled at your county motor vehicle office (not the State Driver's License Office — those handle driver's licenses). Here is the process:

1. Complete the title assignment. The spouse giving up the vehicle signs the back of the current title certificate in the "Assignment of Title" section. If both spouses are listed on the title, both must sign.

2. Bring your decree. Carry a certified copy of your Decree of Dissolution (JDF 1116) to the county motor vehicle office. The clerk uses this to verify that the transfer is court-ordered.

3. Complete Form DR 2395 (Title Application). The receiving spouse fills this out as the new owner.

4. Pay the title fee. Colorado charges a title fee (typically around $7.20) plus any applicable county-specific fees. Sales tax is generally not assessed on transfers between ex-spouses incident to divorce.

5. Update registration. The receiving spouse will need to register the vehicle in their name. If the registration is current, this happens simultaneously with the title transfer.

What If Your Ex Won't Sign?

If your decree orders the vehicle transfer and your ex refuses to sign the title, you have the same Rule 70 remedy available for any court-ordered transfer. File JDF 1814 (Motion for Clerk of Court to Transfer Title) with the district court. Once the judge signs JDF 1815, the court clerk signs the title on your ex's behalf.

Take the clerk-signed title to the county motor vehicle office and process the transfer normally.

If the Title Is Lost

If the physical title certificate is lost, the last titled owner(s) must apply for a duplicate title before the transfer can happen. File a duplicate title application at the county motor vehicle office with a fee of $7.20. If your ex is the sole titled owner and won't request a duplicate, the Rule 70 process applies here as well — the clerk can sign the duplicate application on their behalf.

Auto Loans: Title Transfer vs. Loan Liability

If there is an outstanding auto loan on the vehicle, the title will show a lienholder. You cannot transfer the title until the lien is satisfied — either by paying off the loan or by having the retaining spouse refinance the auto loan into their name alone.

Similar to a mortgage, the divorce decree assigning the vehicle to one spouse does not release the other from the loan. The lender holds both parties liable until the loan is refinanced or paid off. Set a firm deadline in your separation agreement for the refinance.

Auto Insurance Updates

Once the title is transferred:

• Remove your ex from your auto policy (or remove yourself from theirs)
• Establish your own policy if you were previously covered under a joint policy
• Update your insurer with the new title information
• Review coverage levels — if you are now the sole driver, your rates may change

Do not let insurance lapse during the transition. Colorado requires minimum liability coverage ($25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, $15,000 property damage), and driving without it carries penalties including license suspension.

The Colorado After-Divorce Checklist includes a vehicle-transfer tracker covering title, registration, loan refinancing, insurance updates, and the Rule 70 path if your ex won't cooperate.

See more Colorado guides →