Licensing - Auto Industry Division

All licenses expire on the date printed on the license next to "expires", except in cases where a license is denied, revoked or suspended.  In these cases the Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer Board order will clearly state when the license is not valid.  Performing any activity which requires a license when that license is expired, denied, revoked, or suspended is a violation can result in disciplinary action and/or criminal charges.

If you have any questions as to whether you have a valid license and/or when it will expire please contact the Division at (303) 205-5604.

A grace period is the period of time that a license holder may renew their license rather than reapply for their license.  C.R.S. 44-20-111(4)(d) allows for a 30 day grace period.

If your license has expired and so has the grace period, you will need to re-apply. This requires a new application and bond. See the respective licensing page for more details on how to apply for license. Note that you will be required to follow all of the requirements listed.

As soon as a license expires, a late fee will be assessed at the time of renewal, if you renew within the 30 day grace period.  For the late fee amount, please see the Fee Schedule.

If you are renewing your license you do not need to re-take the mastery exam. If your license expired more than a year ago, you will need to take the exam.

Yes, if they will be participating in negotiations or involved in any other activity which can be construed as sales related activity of any kind they would need to be licensed.

If you did not disclose an arrest of conviction on your salesperson application, you should immediately contact the Auto Industry Division Background Investigation Team at (303) 205-5752 right away and provide all related arrest documents. Failure to disclose your criminal history (or recent arrests) is considered a material misstatement in an application for a license (44-20-121  C.R.S.) and could be grounds for denial of a Sales license.

No, the Auto Industry Division does not have a list and does not make recommendations of this nature. Bond providers can be located online or in the Yellow Pages under "Surety Bonds."

All natural persons receiving a benefit from the State of Colorado must provide secure and verifiable identification and an affidavit on restrictions of public benefits.  This would mean salespeople, the principals involved in a dealership or manufacturer, etc., would need to provide this information upon application for a license and at renewal.

The Colorado Department of Revenue Auto Industry Division conducts approximately 4,500 background investigations per year.  The Background Investigation Team is tasked with performing a complete and thorough investigation into an applicant’s licensing, criminal, and financial character.  In many cases this can be accomplished in 30-60 days; however, there are circumstances where it can take significantly longer. In such cases the background investigator will keep the applicant informed as to their specific circumstances.

The Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer Board currently requires the disclosure of ALL felony convictions and ALL misdemeanor convictions within the past 10 years.  Please be aware that there are many things people believe are minor traffic violations which are in fact misdemeanors. Driving Under the Influence (DUI), No Proof of Insurance, Careless Driving, Reckless Diving, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, and Driving Under Restraint are just a few examples.  If you served time in jail or were placed on probation as a part of the conviction there is a high probability that it was a misdemeanor and needs to be disclosed.  If you have any questions as to whether something in your driving history is a misdemeanor or not disclose it anyway.

The Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer Board currently requires the disclosure of ALL misdemeanor convictions within the past 10 years in addition to ALL felony convictions regardless of how long ago it occurred. You can obtain a copy of your Colorado Criminal History from the CBI; however this information only lists offenses where fingerprints were taken.  If you were issued a summons and then released, such as with most traffic misdemeanors, it will not appear on the CBI report.  Most other states offer a similar service if you have lived in a state other than Colorado. The FBI can provide you with a criminal history as well but it will only list offenses where fingerprints were taken. Your driving record is available from the Colorado Department of Revenue Driver License Office.  There are many 3^rd party companies that can provide this information for a fee.  The bottom line is that an applicant should know what they have been convicted of and should properly disclose that information to the Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer Board. It is always better to disclose something you didn’t need to because not disclosing something you should have usually ends with the denial of a license.

The Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer Board requires the disclosure of ALL felonies no matter how long ago they occurred.  Just because a conviction isn’t required to be disclosed to the Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer Board doesn’t mean that it isn’t important. The Background Investigation Team reports to the Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer Board all of an applicant’s criminal convictions, not just those from the past 10 years.  An applicant’s pattern of convictions can be used as a basis for denial even when some of those convictions are over 10 years old and/or were not required to be disclosed to the Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer Board.

It depends.  The Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer Board has the discretion to deny, suspend, revoke or otherwise discipline a license for criminal character.  Driving Under the Influence (DUI) is an unclassified misdemeanor in Colorado which means it is a criminal conviction.  If an applicant properly discloses minor criminal history the Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer Board has historically granted licenses.  Failing to disclose these convictions or if the applicant has a pattern of violations the Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer Board could deny, revoke, suspend or take some other disciplinary action against a license.

Most salesperson applicants will receive a temporary salesperson license which is valid until the application is either granted and a permanent license is issue, the application is denied at which point the temporary license is void, or 120 days whichever comes first.  The temporary salesperson license will allow the applicant to act as a salesperson while a background investigation into the applicants licensing, criminal, and financial character is performed. If the applicant’s temporary salesperson license expires the applicant is no longer allowed to do anything that would require a salesperson license.

Yes, the temporary license will permit you to sell for 120 days or until your permanent license is granted or denied. As soon as a permanent license is granted or denied, your temporary license becomes invalid. If the temporary salesperson license expires without the issuance of an additional temporary license or a permanent license you no longer have a salesperson license and must stop all sales related activity.

Dealers and salespeople are both responsible for renewing salesperson licenses. The AID office is required by law to send renewal information to all dealers 30 days prior to their salespeople licenses expiring; however, salesperson licenses are required to be renewed whether or not the dealer receives this information or not.  If a dealer does not receive renewal information the salesperson must fill out a new salesperson application, check the box that it is a renewal, and provide all required documents.

A Salesperson's license number is kept and re-issued to that salesperson whenever they have an active license. You will not be assigned a new license number. The license number that you are assigned is yours for a lifetime.

No, an additional license is not necessary, however, you will need a bond rider that covers both the sale of Motor Vehicles and Powersports.

If you have transferred to another dealership you will need to provide the lower portion of the DR 2132 License (the actual license) which is labeled "Change of Employer Notification" to the Auto Industry Office.

You must obtain a Colorado salesperson license issued by the Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer Board.  In Colorado salespeople must be employed by a licensed Colorado motor vehicle dealer.  Contact the Dealer that is conducting the Sales Event or go here for more information.

Included with your notice of denial you should have received an information packet which explains your rights.

If you believe your denial can be cured through a reapplication such as properly disclosing a criminal conviction that wasn’t disclosed on the denied application, you can always try to reapply for your salesperson license.  To do this you will need to fill out a new application providing all appropriate information. You will need a new bond and you will need to pay the fee for an original salesperson application.

Otherwise you have 60 days to appeal the Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer Board’s denial of your license.  If you don’t respond to the denial within those 60 days, the denial is final and you cannot appeal.

Note: If you have requested a hearing, the Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer Board will table any new applications until there is a resolution to the appeals process.  This means in effect that you will need to choose to reapply or exercise your due process right.

Make sure the Colorado Department of Revenue Auto Industry Division has a good mailing address for you.  All correspondence related to your denial will be handled through the mail. If your address changes during the course of your appeal, make sure you inform the Division in writing so you receive all appropriate correspondence.

At any time within that 60 day period, you can appeal the denial and request a hearing.  You may use the request form included in the information packet to request a hearing.  You can hand deliver the hearing request to the AID office. See CONTACT US section of the AID website. The Division suggests you get a date stamped copy of the hearing request from the receptionist and mail it to P.O. Box 173350, Denver, CO 80217-3350 (the Division suggests you send it by certified mail with a return receipt for your records), or fax it to (303) 205-5649 (the Division suggests you keep a fax transmission report showing the date and time the hearings request was successfully received by the Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer Board).

After the Division has received your request for a hearing, a hearing will be scheduled 30-60 days in advance. You will be notified by mail of the date, time, and location of the hearing.  If you do not receive any correspondence related to your hearing within 30 days of your request for a hearing, contact the Auto Industry Division, 303-205-5696, to find out why. The Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer Board conducts salesperson hearings one or two days per month through the Colorado Department of Revenue Hearings Division.

The Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer Board will be represented by the Colorado Attorney General’s Office.  You may be represented by an attorney at your expense or you may appear without representation.  The Attorney General will provide witnesses and evidence to prove the denial was appropriate and should be upheld.

No, refer to: C.R.S. § 44-20-118 (7)(a)  states that "a person applying for a used motor vehicle dealer's license, a wholesale motor vehicle auction dealer's license or a wholesaler's license shall file with the board a certification that the applicant has met the educational requirements for licensure under this subsection (7). This subsection (7) shall not apply to a person who has held a license, within the last three years, as a motor vehicle dealer, used motor vehicle dealer, wholesaler, wholesale motor vehicle auction dealer, powersports vehicle dealer, or used powersports vehicle dealer under part 1 or part 4 of this article."  This new requirement pertains to applications submitted on or after September 4, 2008.

See Pre-Licensing Education Program page.

Yes, if you are not an existing motor vehicle dealer, refer to: C.R.S. § 44-20-118 (7)(a) states that "a person applying for a used powersports dealer's license shall file with the board a certification that the applicant has met the educational requirements for licensure under this subsection (7), unless the applicant is licensed as a motor vehicle dealer or a used motor vehicle dealer. This subsection (7) shall not apply to a person who has held a license, within the last three years, as a motor vehicle dealer, used motor vehicle dealer, wholesaler, wholesale motor vehicle auction dealer, powersports vehicle dealer, or used powersports vehicle dealer under part 1 or part 4 of this article." This new requirement pertains to applications submitted on or after September 4, 2008.

Yes, if a dealer or wholesaler through either a voluntary or involuntary action, ceases to be a motor vehicle dealer or wholesaler, they must notify the Auto Industry Division immediately regarding this change.

When your dealer or wholesaler license is issued, the demo plates and full-use plate authorization will be computer printed on the lower right-hand corner of the license. You will be required to show a copy of your license when submitting your plate renewal request to the County Clerk. 

All dealers are authorized to purchase demonstrator plates.  In order to purchase dealer full-use plates the dealer must show that they have a starting inventory of more than 50 vehicles, they have sold more than 25 vehicles in the previous 12 months, or they are purchasing a dealership which sold more than 25 vehicles in the previous 12 months.

Yes, per C.R.S. 44-20-119 "Should the motor vehicle dealer or used motor vehicle dealer change the site or location of such dealer's principal place of business, such dealer shall immediately upon making such change so notify the board in writing, and thereupon a new license shall be granted for the unexpired portion of the term of such license at a fee established pursuant to section 44-20-111. "If a dealer abandons its licensed locations for more than 30 days, the licensee is required to file a new application to renew the license. You must submit a DR 2003 - Application for Change of Location and the appropriate fee.

See Laws & Regulations page.

Yes, whenever a change of entity occurs, a new application must be completed with all the required forms, financial information and fee. A new bond is also required for the new entity. The new application is required to meet the current Dealer Board guidelines for financial fitness and credit score in addition to any licensing character, criminal character, and financial character requirements. Refer to regulation 44-20-104 (3) (g) in the Laws and Regulations manuals located on the Laws & Regulations page. 

Yes, regulation 44-20-102 (22) states "A motor vehicle dealer or used motor vehicle dealer shall obtain an off-premise permit to offer, display, and sell motor vehicles away from the dealer's place of business. A request for an Off-Premise permit shall be made in writing prior to the event and shall list the location and the date(s) of the sale. The permit shall be posted for inspection at the sale."

Manufacturer Plates are issued by the Division of Motor Vehicles and not the Auto Industry Division. To obtain plates, you will need to fill out form DR 2670 and submit it to the Division of Motor Vehicles.