Title Check: what a Colorado car title really says
No brand, salvage, rebuilt, flood and the other brands this state uses. Each word changes what the car is worth and what you can do with it.
The title is the document that says who owns the car and what serious things have happened to it. Brands and disclosures depend on the issuing jurisdiction’s rules; also review available records from previous states. A branded car can be the right buy at the right price; the problem is paying a no-brand price for one that has a brand.
Title brands and disclosure information in Colorado
| Brand or condition | What it means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| No brand | An unbranded title does not establish that there were no accidents, flooding or repairs. Review available records and the car’s condition. | Check odometer and listing history, and get a pre-purchase inspection. |
| Salvage | Damaged by collision, fire, flood or another event (not hail or theft) and declared a total loss by the insurer, or whose repair to a roadworthy condition cost more than its retail fair market value immediately before the damage (§ 42-6-102(17)(a)). Colorado law sets no fixed damage percentage: the threshold is the car's value. Cars registered as a collector's item, horseless carriage or street rod at the time of the damage do not count as salvage (§ 42-6-102(17)(c)). It carries a salvage title and cannot be driven until rebuilt and inspected. | Not a car to drive; a project. Only at a project price. |
| Rebuilt from Salvage | It was salvage, was repaired and passed a VIN inspection by a state-designated inspector. The title says "REBUILT FROM SALVAGE" permanently and the car carries that stamp on the driver's door B pillar (§ 42-6-136.5). Removing or altering the stamp is a crime. | Can be a good buy if the repair was serious. The seller must give you an affidavit with the type of damage; also demand parts receipts and photos. |
| Flood damaged | Water rose over the doorsill, entered the cabin and damaged electrical, computer or mechanical parts (§ 42-6-102(6.1)). It is salvage by definition. | For most buyers: no. If you still consider it, a full electrical inspection. |
| Nonrepairable | Incapable of safe operation and worth nothing except as scrap or parts, or so designated by the owner (§ 42-6-102(11.2)). It never gets a road title again. | Never as a road car. If someone offers it with a plate, it is illegal. |
| Junk · Export only (otro estado) | Colorado will not title a car branded "junk" or "export only" by another state, or one sold "parts only" on a bill of sale. | Parts source only. |
| Lemon Law Buyback | The maker bought it back over a defect it could not fix (title 42, article 10). It carries a "LEMON LAW BUYBACK" decal on the B pillar and a branded title (§ 42-10-109). The dealer must let your own mechanic inspect it or give you a 7-day free-look return period (§ 42-10-108). | Ask what the defect was and whether it was fixed. Use the inspection or the 7-day period. |
| Odometer tampered | The odometer mileage is not the real one. The car's price was built on a lie. | Without a full service history with mileage, walk away. |
| Colorado Brand · Marca de otra jurisdicción | A brand placed by another state or by Colorado for another reason (prior use, rebuild, etc.). Ask exactly what it means. | Pull the NMVTIS history on the VIN before paying. |
The law protects you, if you use it
If the car was rebuilt from salvage, any seller — dealer or private — must hand you, before the sale, an affidavit with the words "rebuilt from salvage" in bold and the type of damage, and you sign that you received it; if you were not given it and later find out, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the price (§ 42-6-206). A seller acting in the course of business must also disclose in writing, before the sale, that the car is salvage or that the manufacturer bought it back, and may not knowingly hide that it sustained material damage in any one incident; that is a deceptive trade practice (§ 6-1-708(1)(b), applied to used cars by § 42-6-205). The DMV uses form DR 2710 to declare title brands. Note: the § 6-1-708 rule binds someone selling as a business, not the neighbor selling their own car; with a private seller, your solid protection is the rebuilt affidavit and the NMVTIS history.
How to review the title and available history
- Colorado DMV: check which title records are available and how to request them.
- NMVTIS: the federal title-history system. Consumer access is through approved providers; report prices and limitations depend on the service.
- NICB VINCheck: thefts and total losses reported by insurers.
- The paper: ask to see the physical title (or the printed electronic one) before handing over money. The VIN on the title must be the car's, and the name the seller's.
Odometer: the other brand
Where an odometer disclosure is required, review the mileage and any notation of unknown mileage or counter limits. Exemptions exist; check current requirements and compare the odometer with maintenance and inspection records.
How much it changes the price
This guide sets no fixed discount and recommends no individual vehicle price. Consider condition, documented repairs, insurance terms and market context, supported by an independent inspection.
From a guide to the individual vehicle
Sources
- C.R.S. 2026, Title 42 — § 42-6-102 (definitions of brand, salvage, flood damaged, nonrepairable, junk), § 42-6-136.5 (rebuilt from salvage), § 42-6-206 (disclosure)
- C.R.S. 2026, Title 6 — § 6-1-708 Vehicle sales — deceptive trade practice
- Colorado DMV — Salvage Vehicles
- Colorado DMV — DR 2710 Branded Title Disclosure
- NMVTIS — National Motor Vehicle Title Information System
- NICB — VINCheck
- NHTSA — Odometer Fraud
- FTC — Buying a Used Car From a Dealer
This guide informs; it is not legal or financial advice, nor an offer, quote or appraisal. Every figure carries its source and date; check it is still current before you decide.