Custom Built Car Registration

Just turn on the television and it is easy to see, with the emergence of shows like Monster Garage and MTV's popular Pimp my Ride, that custom rebuilt cars are back in vogue.

If you have jumped on the bandwagon hoping to grace the pages of Cruisin' magazine and are tinkering in the garage building a kit car or modifying an old Cutlass, there a few things you need to know before rolling onto Colorado roads.

As with other vehicles, custom, kit, homemade, or modified cars and trucks must be registered and titled with the state (via the local county recorder) if they are roadworthy and going to be operated on roads and highways. The process is a bit different (and some would say more confusing) than with other vehicles and might entail a few trips to the title and registration office.

Registering and Titling the Hot Rod

The main issue in getting a registration or title for a kit or rebuilt car is acquiring a vehicle identification number (VIN). If the vehicle is homemade, or the rebuilt model's VIN is missing or distorted, the state will assign a new one. The Colorado State Patrol (CSP) will then physically etch the number into the vehicle.

Colorado has a nifty information sheet that covers each procedure in overwhelming detail. The document is a bit bewildering, and covers more ground (it is also for salvage vehicles) than may be necessary in your case, but is a good tool for form gathering. Here are the basics.

Steps to Getting a Colorado Assigned VIN

• The first rung is having the vehicle inspected by a law enforcement official. This official will also fill out a form DR2365 which directs the emissions assessor on how to check the vehicle. The inspection fee is $20. Call your title and registration office for a referral list. While you have them on the phone, double-check whether the inspector will have the DR2365 form, or if you need to stop by the office and grab one. You will not find the form online.

• If the vehicle is a home-built or a kit model, you will complete a Colorado Assigned Vehicle Identification Number Declaration of Facts form and then apply for the number by filling out the Application for Colorado Assigned Vehicle Identification Number (VIN). The fee is a $3.50 fee for this service.

• Once the number is assigned you will take it and the completed DR2365 form to an emissions testing technical center operated by the Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). For information or an appointment, call (303) 744-2442 (and press 3).

Passing the emissions test (if necessary) is the final step required to prepare the vehicle for titling and registration. From here, the process is pretty much the same as with other vehicles. Expect a $9.50 titling fee.

Homemade Trailers

If you have built a trailer and intend to pull it on the roads, you must complete the following affidavit officially stating that it was you who constructed it.

This form is also obligatory in order to get an assigned identification number. When you bring the completed form to a title and registration office make sure you have noted the trailer's weight, type, value, length, and width. Also bring the bill of sale for any parts or supplies you bought. A fee of $3.50 must be paid to acquire the ID number.

For general registration information, see Registration & Titling,
Car Registration, Title Transfers, and
Registration FAQs on this site.