how do I trade my car with a private seller?

[alex_n/a]

I have a couple nice offers on trades. My question is how do I trade it. I looked up at the dmv website and it says I need some form. But it didn't give me any info like if I have to pay a trading fee.

Has anyone here traded a car from a private buyer?
What exactly did you do.

can I transfer my current license plate over to the new car with out filling out hundreds of pages?

is it cheaper or much easier to just "say" that I sold my current car and purchased a different one. And tell the other owner to "say" the same thing at the dmv.

what should I get from the other owner? Tittle, bill of sale, and what else?

any other info?

[chickenwafer]

Any trade I've been involved with just meant signing over the titles, including a bill of sale to state no lien on the car and everything is clear so you have a receipt, and putting whatever value you want in the sale mount box to avoid some taxes.

In Colorado you keep your plates, so take the plates off both cars (but DON'T swap them!) and get a temp tag from the DMV when you transfer your title. It's much easier to just do it as if you sold your car and bought another one, very easy.

[Learjet45]

Your best bet might be to go to the DMV in person to find out, or do what you were thinking and what chickenwafer said with both of you saying you purchased the car. A google search has shown various things, and it's hard to find CO specific info on the topic online.

Also, if you live in a county that requires emissions, you do need the emissions test. It's the seller's responsibility to provide the test.
And from my experience from getting my Subaru, I think swapping plates cost more than getting new ones. We swapped the plates from the Mazda, but it actually ended up costing my dad more to go get the plates transfered from the Mazda to the Subaru than it did to get new plates for my dad's Acura, which cost a few thousand more when we bought it.

[dommo_g]

If you trade straight across, just hand write a bill of sale saying you traded car X for car Y, listing VIN numbers. If there's a price difference, the person paying the difference will have to pay tax on the amount of difference. That's why its best to just put on the bill of sale that its a straight trade. If you take in your plates, you'll get prorated credit on the ownership tax you paid to apply to the new car.

[geo2maz]

no matter what.... make SURE you have a CLEAR title in hand for the car you are about to receive, period.

[alex_n/a]

Any trade I've been involved with just meant signing over the titles, including a bill of sale to state no lien on the car and everything is clear so you have a receipt, and putting whatever value you want in the sale mount box to avoid some taxes.

In Colorado you keep your plates, so take the plates off both cars (but DON'T swap them!) and get a temp tag from the DMV when you transfer your title. It's much easier to just do it as if you sold your car and bought another one, very easy.

I'm not sure if the dmv goes by what you said you pay for the car. I think it's by the value of the car by kbb or whatever. I put I paid 600$ for my 89 rx7 and I paid 400$ for registration and they wouldn't let me get a temp tag. Had to go straight to license plate.

and I meant to register the new car and keep my plates to avoid more fee's. Thankyou for the info though. I probably will just say I sold my car and purchased a new one.

Your best bet might be to go to the DMV in person to find out, or do what you were thinking and what chickenwafer said with both of you saying you purchased the car. A google search has shown various things, and it's hard to find CO specific info on the topic online.

Also, if you live in a county that requires emissions, you do need the emissions test. It's the seller's responsibility to provide the test.
And from my experience from getting my Subaru, I think swapping plates cost more than getting new ones. We swapped the plates from the Mazda, but it actually ended up costing my dad more to go get the plates transfered from the Mazda to the Subaru than it did to get new plates for my dad's Acura, which cost a few thousand more when we bought it.

I really don't want to go to the dmv just to ask this question. It takes so freaken long to get service unless I go at 7am.

hmm. I was hoping transferring plates would be a lot cheaper. But I will have to wait and see what others say.

If you trade straight across, just hand write a bill of sale saying you traded car X for car Y, listing VIN numbers. If there's a price difference, the person paying the difference will have to pay tax on the amount of difference. That's why its best to just put on the bill of sale that its a straight trade. If you take in your plates, you'll get prorated credit on the ownership tax you paid to apply to the new car.

it is a straight trade so hopefully it will be cheaper. Do you know about how much I would save? 10% 50% 75%.? Do I need to get that form dmv website mentioned? Before or after the trade?

[alex_n/a]

no matter what.... make SURE you have a CLEAR title in hand for the car you are about to receive, period.

I know how to check that the vin matches and is a real tittle. Is there something else I should check? I'm a little scared of buying a car now since the car and tittle could all check out but it could be stolen like the guy who bought a stolen car with the tittle except the guy he bought it from paid the original owner with a fake check.

[dommo_g]

hmm. I was hoping transferring plates would be a lot cheaper. But I will have to wait and see what others say.



it is a straight trade so hopefully it will be cheaper. Do you know about how much I would save? 10% 50% 75%.? Do I need to get that form dmv website mentioned? Before or after the trade?

The kid doesn't know what he's talking about when it comes to transferring plates. There may have been some different circumstances with the purchase of their car. You can't base what will happen with your registration on what happened with someone else's. There's too many factors that go into deciding what your plates will cost.

I don't know what you mean by 'how much you'll save, 10, 50, 75%'. If it's a straight across trade, (or if that's what you're going to tell them), then you don't pay sales tax on the transaction. For instance, you buy a car for $10,000. Where you live has a sales tax rate of 8%. You'll have to pay $800 in tax. Now say you have a trade that's worth $5,000. The cash balance is $5,000 and your tax would be $400. If the trade is worth the same as the car you're buying, in other words, a straight across trade, then you owe no sales tax. When you go to register the car, you'll still pay all of your normal fees for registration, including ownership tax. If you take in your old plates/registration, they'll give you partial credit on the ownership tax you've already paid on the old car. That amount just depends on when you registered the last car, and how much ownership tax you paid on it. Could be a little, could be more.

I know how to check that the vin matches and is a real tittle. Is there something else I should check? I'm a little scared of buying a car now since the car and tittle could all check out but it could be stolen like the guy who bought a stolen car with the tittle except the guy he bought it from paid the original owner with a fake check.

A good idea would be to do the sale at the DMV with both titles in hand. That way both titles can be transferred at that time and there's no surprises with a fake title.

[speedjunkie]

When I traded cars with my buddy back in NC we just went to his bank IIRC (possibly to a notary, I don't remember) and we signed over each other's titles. The only problem is I registered those cars several months after we traded. All I remember is that it was very easy. But this was in NC.

So basically this post is of no help to you at all. Have fun Alex! lol

[ecam8000]

DMV will tax a "gift" at taxable value. Compare the VINs on title and car. Get an e-test and head to DMV with your old plates. If all is kosher, they will credit the unused protion of your current registration (old plates) and charge fees and taxes. You can then bolt your old tags on your new car in their parking lot.

Better still would be both of you heading down with new e-tests to the DMV to complete the trade. They may be more easy on the taxes when both are there with the same "trade story". But expect taxable value.

Too many tax dollars were lost with "creative" bill of sales.

[dommo_g]

DMV won't necessarily tax a gift at all. If you buy a car and later give it to yur kid, they won't need to pay tax on that, you're allowed to gift it to him without him needing to pay more tax. I just did it with my mom a couple months ago. Can the agent technically add sales tax if she thinks you're trying to pull a fast one? Probably. Besides, nobody is saying anything about a gift. All you're doing is confusing this poor guy wth statements like 'expect taxable value'. Your post added nothing that wasn't already said.

[Shooter McGavin]

I just skimmed the first few posts so sorry if this was already mentioned. When I first moved out here during college my car was titled in NY under my dads name w/ NY plates (while it was out here). My insurance ran out in NY so I had to transfer it out here. All I needed was proof of residency (mail), the title signed over to me by my dad (the previous owner of your trade car) and a bill of sale that I got at the DMV. I told them my parents gave it to me and I cant remember if I put a sale amount of $1 or they left it as a gift but whichever it was they were fine with it, very easy process.

The car was a 96 accord, total fees were right around $100, plates, taxes, etc included. I forget what the exact amount of taxes were.

I think this might be the easiest route to go.