Register and Use an Off-Highway Vehicle in Colorado

Identify the vehicle and the planned route

The Colorado Parks and Wildlife OHV page explains registration and permits for dirt bikes, ATVs, side-by-sides, and other covered vehicles. Start by identifying whether the vehicle is an ordinary road-registered machine or an off-highway vehicle, and whether the planned route is a designated OHV trail, open area, or another type of road. A road plate and an OHV recreation credential serve different purposes. Describe both the vehicle and intended riding area when asking CPW which product is needed, rather than assuming one sticker authorizes travel on every route in the state.

Back to the topics

Keep the ownership title separate from recreation registration

The DMV's OHV title guidance directs ownership titling to county motor vehicle offices and recreation registration to CPW. A county title establishes the ownership record; it does not replace the CPW card, decals, or permit required for the relevant use. The state distinguishes private-party transfers from dealer transactions and describes when titling is required or optional. Read those details before buying or trading. Keep the title and CPW record consistent, but do not assume that updating one agency automatically completes the separate transaction with the other.

Back to the topics

Prepare the title evidence for county review

Colorado's title resource lists qualifying OHV ownership evidence, including an assigned title, manufacturer origin document, or current Colorado CPW OHV registration, with DR 2395. Use the county directory to confirm service arrangements. Check the VIN and owner names before applying, and explain any recorded lien. If the OHV is permanently maintained at a different location from the owner's residence, discuss that fact with the county as directed by the state. A casual description of the machine as farm equipment should not replace an accurate account of its design and use.

Back to the topics

Resolve missing ownership documents through the correct checklist

The state points applicants without qualifying OHV title evidence toward the bonding checklist, with specified exceptions to purchasing the bond and a separate older-vehicle route. Do not infer that an exception to the bond itself removes every search, notice, or supporting-document step. Retrieve current forms from the DMV forms library and ask the county which category actually applies. If a formal ownership search is required, use that process rather than treating an online advertisement or an informal VIN report as equivalent evidence.

Back to the topics

Assemble a resident CPW registration application

For first recreation registration, CPW requires its application, payment, and acceptable proof of ownership. The state-linked private-sale template helps document both parties, signatures, the identifying number, vehicle description, and sale date. Compare those details with the machine before handing over payment. CPW also identifies other acceptable ownership documents for the application. Keep the recreation packet distinct from any county title packet so the correct copy goes to each agency. If a dealer is handling registration, obtain a clear explanation of what was submitted and which temporary evidence the purchaser should retain.

Back to the topics

Use an office, authorized vendor, or the stated mail route

Find locations through CPW's contact directory and the vendor resources linked from the registration page. Confirm that the chosen location offers the required service, especially before a weekend ride. Mailed applications go to the Registration Unit using the current instructions and address on the official page. Keep the payment and submission record so staff can investigate a delay. A purchase made through a vendor does not mean every permanent document will be printed immediately, so ask what proof is issued at the transaction and what will arrive separately by mail.

Back to the topics

Carry the resident card and display both decals

Resident OHV registration uses a current card and two properly affixed decals. The CPW page illustrates placement for side-by-sides, buggies, ATVs, three-wheelers, and dirt bikes. Follow the illustration for the actual vehicle rather than placing both decals wherever they fit most easily. Keep the card available with the vehicle as required. Check the printed identifiers and expiration before installing the decals, because a registration associated with another machine does not become correct merely by attaching its stickers. Explain the location of the card to anyone else authorized to operate the OHV.

Back to the topics

Select a permit for nonresident or plated-trail use

CPW requires an OHV permit for plated, street-legal vehicles used recreationally on designated OHV trails or open areas on public lands. Nonresident OHVs use the applicable permit unless following the optional registration arrangement described by CPW. The state offers sticker and specified paper permit formats with different purchase and display instructions. Confirm which product the transaction provides. A street plate should not be mistaken for the required trail-use permit, and an OHV permit should not be presented as permission to operate an otherwise ineligible vehicle on ordinary public highways.

Back to the topics

Use temporary purchase evidence only as instructed

The state-linked CPW Shop supports the described renewal and permit purchases. Online permit confirmations include temporary authorization information, while registration confirmations have their own carry instructions pending mailed materials. Read the confirmation itself and preserve it in an accessible printed or downloaded form before leaving cell coverage. Check its validity and the product ordered instead of assuming every CPW receipt has the same duration. If the permanent card or permit does not arrive within the state's investigation interval, contact CPW with the customer identification, vehicle or permit details, and transaction date.

Back to the topics

Track annual expiration and replacement costs

The OHV products expire according to the period shown by CPW, with the published annual schedule ending March 31. Registration and permits have the stated fixed charges and are not prorated or transferable merely because the owner bought late in the season or sold the machine. A lost registration uses a duplicate process, while a lost permit generally requires purchasing a new permit. Review the actual product before ordering a replacement. Keep the mailing address current and retain the confirmation, because replacement at an office can still involve permanent materials being mailed after temporary evidence is issued.

Back to the topics

Confirm route access independently of the credential

CPW's riding resource directs riders to designated opportunities and planning tools. Use Colorado Trail Explorer to examine the route and identify the responsible land manager, then check current restrictions and conditions with that manager. A paid registration does not open a closed trail or change a vehicle-width restriction. Plan an alternate route that suits the vehicle and group, and retain enough location information to recognize where a designated route changes classification. Avoid assuming that tracks left by another vehicle establish that a route is authorized for yours.

Back to the topics

Keep road transportation and rider credentials distinct

If the OHV is transported on a trailer, the trailer and tow vehicle must meet their separate road registration requirements. A motorcycle used on highways also raises the rider qualification questions covered by the motorcycle licensing guidance. Do not treat an off-highway registration as a highway conversion approval. The DMV's specialized vehicle page explains the categories and limitations relevant to unconventional machines. Resolve those questions before planning a ride that connects trail segments by public roads, rather than discovering at the trailhead that the vehicle's documents do not cover the proposed connection.

Back to the topics

Update records after a sale or a change in use

Keep a signed transfer record when selling the OHV and ask CPW how to mark the recreation registration appropriately. If the machine also has a county title or lien, follow the corresponding ownership process. A buyer should receive the documents necessary for the buyer's own applications instead of an assurance that the seller's current decals can simply be reused. Review DMV title charges separately from CPW recreation fees. Preserving the acquisition, title, registration, and sale records together makes it possible to explain the machine's identity and ownership without confusing the two agencies' responsibilities.

Back to the topics

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a Colorado county OHV title replace CPW registration?
The title documents ownership, while CPW administers the recreation card, decals, and permits for the applicable use.

Can a street-legal vehicle need an OHV permit?
CPW requires the permit for the described recreational use of plated vehicles on designated OHV trails or open areas on public lands.

How many decals accompany resident OHV registration?
The resident arrangement uses two current decals displayed as instructed, together with the registration card.

Is an OHV permit permission to drive any machine on a highway?
Highway eligibility and registration are separate questions governed by the vehicle's classification and applicable road requirements.

Are lost registrations and lost permits replaced identically?
CPW distinguishes a duplicate registration from the purchase of a new replacement permit, with different listed charges.

Does paying the registration fee authorize a closed route?
Route access and restrictions must be checked independently with the responsible land manager and current route information.

Back to the topics

More Colorado DMV guides

The other Colorado DMV guides, 52 of them: