DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE
Division of Motor Vehicles – Titles and Registration Section
1CCR 204-14
MANUFACTURER’S CERTIFICATE OF ORIGIN
The statutory bases for this regulation are 12-6-102 (11), 12-6-102 (12), 42-1-102(5), 42-6-102 (11), 42-6-102 (22), 42-6-104, 42-6-105, 42-6-113 and 42-6-115 C.R.S.
The purpose of this regulation is to define a Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin as it relates to a motor vehicle and to establish the process to be followed when submitting a Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin for the issuance of a Colorado Certificate of Title and the process to be followed in lieu of submitting a Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin for the issuance of a Colorado Certificate of Title.  
Definitions
1.1	“Authorized Agent” means the officer of a county or city and county designated by law to issue motor vehicle titles and annual registrations for vehicles and to collect any registration or license fee imposed thereon by law.
1.2	“Bill of Sale” means a document furnished by a seller to a buyer specifying the vehicle year, make, model and Vehicle Identification Number, the purchase price and the terms of the sale.  If a licensed Colorado dealer furnishes the bill of sale, the document must be printed on secure paper stock that contains security features used to detect alteration.    
1.3	“Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin” means a document issued by a vehicle manufacturer which establishes ownership of the new vehicle prior to the vehicle being titled.
1.4	“Manufacturer” means any person, firm, association, corporation or trust, resident or non-resident, who manufactures or assembles new and unused motor vehicles; and is licensed in Colorado as a manufacturer,  except that ‘manufacturer’ shall not include:
A.	Any person who only manufactures utility trailers that weigh, less than two thousand pounds and does not manufacture any other type of motor vehicle; and
B.	Any person, other than a manufacturer operating a dealership (or as a dealer) pursuant to section 12-6-120.5, who is a licensed dealer selling motor vehicles that such person has manufactured.
1.5	“New Vehicle” means a motor vehicle being transferred for the first time from a manufacturer or importer, or dealer or agent of a manufacturer or importer, to the end user or customer.  A motor vehicle that has been used by a dealer for the purpose of demonstration to prospective customers shall be considered a “new vehicle” unless such demonstration use has been for more than one thousand five hundred miles.  Motor vehicles having a gross vehicle weight rating of sixteen thousand pounds or more shall be exempt from this definition.

1.6	“Used Vehicle” means a motor vehicle that has been sold, bargained, exchanged, or given away, or has had the title transferred from the person who first took title from the manufacturer or importer, dealer, or agent of the manufacturer or importer, or has been so used as to have become what is commonly known as a second hand motor vehicle.  A motor vehicle that has been used by a dealer for the purpose of demonstration to prospective customers shall be considered a “used vehicle” if such demonstration use has been for more than one thousand five hundred miles.  
Requirements
2.1	The Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin shall adhere to the printing standards established by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA).  Those specifications are as follows:
A.	SECURITY FEATURES – All “Certificates of Origin” should contain the following security features:
1.	Paper
a.	Sensitized Security Paper – paper that is reactive to chemicals commonly used to alter documents.
b.	Non-Optical Brightener Paper – paper without added optical brighteners, which will not fluoresce under ultraviolet light.
2.	Engraved Border – a border produced from engraved artwork, which shall appear on the front of the document.
3.	Prismatic – rainbow printing which is used as a deterrent to color copying, and/or
4.	Copy Void Pantograph – the word “void” appears when the document is copied.
5.	Complex Colors – colors, which are developed by a mixture of two or more colors, (red, yellow or blue) and black if required.
6.	Erasable Fluorescent Background Inks – fluoresces under ultraviolet light and reacts to any attempt to erase in such a manner as to be immediately detectable. 
7.	Background Security Design – a repetitious design consisting of a pattern, which hinders counterfeiting efforts.
8.	Microline – a line of small alpha characters in capital letters which requires a magnifying glass to read. 
9.	Consecutively numbered – documents that contain a number, which is consecutively numbered for control purposes.
10.	Security thread – with or without watermark and/or
11.	Intaglio Print – with or without latent image.
B.	DOCUMENT SIZE – “Certificates of Origin” shall be seven (7) inches by eight (8) inches.
C.	PAPER STOCK – Sixty (60) pound offset or equivalent durability.
D.	CONSTRUCTION – Unless otherwise specified by the user, the forms should be constructed and fan folded for use on high-speed pin-fed computer printer and/or continuous typewriters.
E.	LAYOUT – Test matter space for 1/10” horizontal and 1/16” deep characters per AAMVA H-12 policy for standard format.
F.	FACILITY SECURITY – To insure the integrity of the manufacturer’s “Certificate of Origin”, the use should require the vendor to maintain secure printing and storage facilities.  [Revised 1990]
2.2	Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin shall represent the vehicle by identifying the following vehicle features:
A.	Date the Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin was issued
B.	Invoice number (where ownership transferred from the manufacturer)
C.	Vehicle Identification number
D.	Year of manufacture of the vehicle
E.	Make of vehicle
F.	Body type
G.	Shipping weight
H.	Horsepower
I.	Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
J.	Number of cylinders
K.	Series or model of vehicle
2.3	The Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin must contain a clause that certifies that the new vehicle as described on the certificate is the property of the manufacturer identified and has been transferred on the date and to the distributor or dealer as identified on the face of the certificate.
2.4	The Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin must contain a clause that certifies that the certificate represents that this was the first transfer of this new vehicle in ordinary trade and commerce.  The signature of an authorized representative for the manufacturer must acknowledge this clause.

Process
3.1	Upon the sale or transfer of a new motor vehicle by a licensed dealer, the dealer shall make, execute and deliver to the purchaser or transferee a sufficient bill of sale and the Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin specific to that vehicle.
3.2	The Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin shall be assigned from the last licensed dealer who had possession of the vehicle to the purchaser or transferee.  This assignment shall include disclosure of the odometer reading at the time of sale.  All licensed dealers who have had the vehicle in their possession subsequent to the manufacturer must show in the assignment chain.
3.3	The Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin with the sufficient bill of sale and all other required documents shall be submitted to the purchaser’s authorized agent in the county in which the purchaser is a resident.
3.4	The department or its authorized agent shall examine all submitted documents to verify that proper ownership has been established and that the purchaser or transferee is entitled to a Colorado Certificate of Title for the identified vehicle.
3.5	For vehicles directly imported into the United States through legal means, the following documents are required to establish ownership and must be included in the application for a Colorado Certificate of Title when a foreign Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin or foreign title is submitted.  
A.	The U.S. DOT certification that the vehicle meets all safety standards required in the United States.
B.	The Application for Final Admission of Non-Conforming Imported Vehicle or Engine issued by the Environmental Protection Agency and EPA issued Certificate of Conformity.
C.	The Entry Summary issued by the Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection and the Release of Bond letter.
D.	The bill of sale or invoice from the vehicle importer to the licensed Colorado dealer (if applicable).
E.	The odometer reading disclosed on a secure form.  The applicant taking title will disclose the mileage on the DR2173 Motor Vehicle Bill of Sale.  Unless it is known that the odometer is inoperable, the odometer indicator will be “Actual”.
F.	A DR2395 verification of the Vehicle    Identification Number by a Licensed Colorado Motor Vehicle Dealer, a Law Enforcement Agency or the Authorized Agent.  The completion date of this document cannot be more than one year at the time of title application.

3.6	For the issuance of a Colorado Certificate of Title for vehicles directly imported into the United States through legal means, when a foreign Manufactured Certificate of Origin or a foreign country title is not available, the documents identified above in rule 3.5 will be required in addition to:
A.	An invoice certified by the manufacturer that the vehicle was purchased and paid for by the named importer, if available.
B.	The Certificate of Conformity from the manufacturer literally translated in English for each specific vehicle including but not limited to VIN, place of manufacture, date of manufacture, and manufacturer name.
C.	In lieu of form DR 2395 required per 3.5 (F) of this rule, a completed DR2704 Certified VIN Verification from a certified law enforcement officer.  This replaces the Verification of Vehicle Identification Number listed above.  The completion date of this document cannot be more than one year at the time of title application.
D.	The DR2539 Title Information Request and Receipt (Validated copy) of the title record search.  This search must be completed through the Colorado title records and the state from which the vehicle was sold.  This search will assist in verifying that the vehicle has not yet been titled in the United States.  The completion date of the search cannot be more than one year at the time of title application.    
E.	DR2423 Bond Statement Guide reciting the facts of the acquisition of the vehicle.  The applicant for title must sign this document.
F.	A certified weight slip indicating the empty weight of the vehicle.    
G.	An appraisal of the vehicle completed by a licensed Colorado Dealer.  The appraisal must be for the current condition of the vehicle at the time of titling.  An appraisal over forty‑five days old from date of appraisal to date of title application is not acceptable.
H.	The applicant must post a surety bond for twice the appraised value of the vehicle.  Dealerships establishing title in their name must post a surety bond for twice the wholesale value of a vehicle.
3.7	If all documents listed above and any additional documents required by the department or its authorized agent are determined to be true and support legal ownership, a Colorado Certificate of Title may be issued.