Motor Vehicles
The Custer County Motor Vehicle Department is responsible for vehicle registration, titling, and issuing license plates.
Required Documents
Proof of Insurance is REQUIRED at the time of registering a vehicle.
A form of identification may also be required if a title or duplicate title is to be printed in the office.
Registration Fees
Fees are required at time of registration of any vehicle.
Fee Calculation
Fees are based on several factors, such as:
- Type of plate requested
- Date of purchase
- Weight of vehicle
- Year of vehicle
- Manufacturer's suggested retail price or taxable value of vehicle
Proof of Insurance
Colorado law requires proof of insurance for all vehicle registrations.
Insurance Requirements (HB1213)
In 1998, HB1213 was enacted. This law, which was effective July 1999, requires that the County Clerk and Recorder's Office deny vehicle registration if proof of insurance is not provided. This law was enacted to ensure that Colorado motorists comply with the mandatory auto insurance laws. The intent of the law is to reduce the rising number of uninsured drivers and vehicles in Colorado.
Accepted Forms of Proof of Insurance:
- A letter from your insurance agent or insurer on company letterhead verifying insurance coverage
- The declaration page from the insurance policy
- An insurance binder or policy
- An insurance card for your vehicle
Required Information on Proof of Insurance:
Any of the above forms of proof of insurance must include:
- The effective dates of coverage
- The vehicle identification number
- The make and year of the vehicle
- The date of expiration
Note: Proof of insurance is also required on a temporary permit.
Identification Requirements
Secure and Verifiable Identification is required for most motor vehicle transactions.
Secure and Verifiable Identification
Effective July 1, 2006, Secure and Verifiable Identification is required for most motor vehicle transactions. The following types of identification are considered secure and verifiable:
- Any Colorado driver license, Colorado driver permit or Colorado identification card expired one year or less. (Temporary paper license with invalid Colorado driver's license, Colorado driver's permit or Colorado identification card, expired one year or less, is acceptable.)
- Out of state issued photo driver's license, photo identification card or photo driver's permit expired one year or less
- U.S. Passport expired less than ten years
- Valid foreign passport with I-94 or valid processed for I551 stamps
- Valid I551 Resident Alien/Permanent Resident Card. No border crosser or USA B1/B2 Visa/BCC cards.
- Valid I688 Temporary Resident, I688B and I766 Employment Authorization Card with intact photo
- Valid U.S. Military I.D. (active duty, dependent, retired, Reserve and National Guard)
- Tribal Identification Card with intact photo (U.S. or Canadian)
- Certificate of naturalization with intact photo
- Certificate of U.S. Citizenship with intact photo
Sales Tax
Sales tax information for vehicle purchases in Custer County.
Tax Rates
Sales tax is based on the purchase price of a vehicle and the owner's resident address that is used on the title assignment or title work done by the dealership.
- All Custer County residents: 2.9% state sales tax + 2% county use tax
- Silver Cliff city limits: Additional 2% use tax
- Westcliffe city limits (buyer and seller): 2% city sales tax also due
Payment Methods
Accepted payment options for motor vehicle services.
Accepted Payments
We accept:
- Visa
- MasterCard
- Discover
- American Express
- Personal checks
Special Mobile Machinery
Information about registering Special Mobile Machinery (SMM) equipment.
Basic Information on Special Mobile Machinery
Special Mobile Machinery vehicles are of a design commonly used in the construction business. These vehicles, self propelled or otherwise, are not designed to transport persons or cargo over the public highways.
Motor vehicles which have been redesigned or modified with attachment of SMM (over 500 pounds), and this attachment becomes an essential part of the operation for which the vehicle was intended, will be classified as Special Mobile Machinery.
- If the SMM equipment is used solely on property owned or leased by the SMM owner, the equipment must be registered on the personal property tax schedule filed with the County Assessor or the County Motor Vehicle Department.
- If the SMM equipment is used in a business and is moved from one job site to another, whether pulled, hauled, or driven, the equipment must be registered in the county where the equipment is housed. It must be registered through the County Motor Vehicle Department.
SMM Registration Exemptions
- SMM equipment owned by the United States Government or agency thereof
- SMM equipment that is used solely on property owned or leased by the SMM owner, and appears on the personal property tax schedule filed with the County Assessor
- Tow dollies and converter gears/converter dollies are not required to be registered in Colorado
- Equipment weighing 500 pounds or less
- Farm equipment not being used commercially
SMM Equipment That is Titled
Titling is mandatory for SMM equipment, which is constructed on a truck or trailer chassis and is designed and intended to be used over the highway. The addition of the SMM, either through manufacture or modification, will cause the final vehicle to be classified as SMM. The body style of the SMM should be that of the chassis on which it is mounted, truck or trailer. This category includes complete vehicles, which have been redesigned or modified by addition of equipment.
SMM equipment that has wheels mounted directly to the machinery shall be titled as trailers and registered as SMM.
Non-Titled SMM Equipment
Vehicles that run on their own power such as: road graders, back hoes, fork lifts, scrapers, front end loaders and caterpillars, etc. are not titled because they are not built on a chassis that is designed and intended to be used over the highway.
SMM Registration Categories
Equipment mounted on a truck or trailer chassis must be titled and registered. One of the following documents is required to register all NON-TITLED SMM equipment:
- Title or MSO
- Bill of Sale
- Equipment Invoice
- Affidavit of Ownership
- Previous owner's registration with proof of purchase
In order to register the equipment properly, you need to know the year, make, model, VIN or serial number, purchase date and purchase price.
Plated SMM
SMM equipment which is constructed on a truck or trailer chassis that is designed and intended to be used over the highway.
- Self propelled
- Rubber tires
- Permanently mounted to a trailer
- Pulled or driven over the highways
- Vehicle with permanently mounted SMM equipment must have the same manufacture year
- Office trailer 8 ½ feet wide or less
A vehicle with attached SMM equipment, that transports cargo other than the tools to service the unit, can't be issued an SMM plate.
SMM Decals
SMM equipment on tracks or a specifically built chassis for specialized construction jobs.
- Self propelled with tracks
- Always hauled to destination
- Office trailer 8 ½ feet wide and over - oversized permit must be obtained from CDOT (Colorado Department of Transportation)
- SMM equipment mounted to a truck or trailer different from the manufacture year
Contact the Clerk
Phone:
719-783-2441
719-783-0441
Fax:
719-783-2885
Email:
custerclerk@custercounty-co.gov
Office Location:
Custer County Courthouse
205 S. 6th Street
Westcliffe, CO 81252
Hours:
Monday - Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Required Items
You must bring:
Proof of insurance
Valid ID
Payment method
Sales Tax Rates
County: 2% use tax
State: 2.9% sales tax
Additional:
Silver Cliff: +2% use tax
Westcliffe: +2% city sales tax