HB 17-1213

HB 17-1213, also known as "Transfers Of Automobile Titles Upon Death," updates Colorado's process for transferring vehicle titles after someone dies. The bill changes the responsibility from the Department of Revenue to the Division of Motor Vehicles and clarifies that personal representatives or successors are not held responsible for obtaining new titles if they didn't know about a beneficiary designation form left by the deceased. This means that when a person passes away, their chosen beneficiaries can more easily inherit their vehicle without worrying about legal liabilities. The bill has been signed into law, so these changes are now in effect.

Official Summary

Under current law, the department of revenue (department) makes available a beneficiary designation form that allows the owner or joint owners of a vehicle to arrange for the transfer of the vehicle's title to a named beneficiary upon the death of the owner, or of the last surviving joint owner, of the vehicle. The bill adds language stating that: The division of motor vehicles within the department, rather than the department itself, shall administer the process; The personal representative of the estate of a deceased vehicle owner is not liable for obtaining a new certificate of title or for transferring title to the vehicle if the personal representative does not have actual knowledge of the existence of a valid, unrevoked beneficiary designation form; and A successor of a decedent or person acting on behalf of the successor is not liable for obtaining a new certificate of title or transferring title to the vehicle by an affidavit if the person does not have actual knowledge of the existence of a valid, unrevoked beneficiary designation form.(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)

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