rennrot
Member
For all Colorado new owners out there, I thought I'd put together a summary of the steps that it took me to get my Delica registered. It took quite a bit of research and lots of phone calls to finally get my '96 L300 Diesel successfully registered, and I haven't seen a single source that accurately lists out all of the steps required. Even when you call the various state agencies, most of the time you end up getting incorrect information and have to figure it out yourself via trial and error, so hopefully this will help some of you.
First off, my situation is/was as follows. If yours is different you may need to adjust:
1. I bought my Delica out of state from a dealer (Nomadic Vans in Sun Valley, ID) and it already had an out of state title (Idaho), so at no point did I need any import paperwork.
2. I needed to pass emissions because I live in the Front Range/Denver area. My L300 is a diesel so the process is different for gas engines.
Here is what it I needed to:
Step 1: Temporary Registration Go to your county clerk's office and get temporary plates. You can't do steps 3-5 until you have temp plates. My out of state title and bill of sale was sufficient (if possible have the bill of sale or invoice show that you didn't pay any tax). You'll pay your Colorado sales tax at this point so bring your checkbook to write a big check.
Step 2: Weight Slip If your out of state title doesn't show the vehicle weight, then you need to get a "weight slip." You can get this at a place like Pioneer Sand or any kind of landscape materials dealer that sells truckloads of stuff that need to be weighed. I've also heard that you can a weight slip at most truck stops. It cost me $13 at Pioneer to get mine (btw my Delica weighs 4060 lbs empty with about half a tank of fuel).
Step 3: Vehicle Inspection DR2365 Form This form is a Colorado DOT "Vehicle Inspection" form that you will need before you can get emissions. You need to call 303-744-2522 and you will speak to either Raymond or Tim to make an appointment. The inspection/technical center is located at 2450 W. 2nd Ave, Denver, CO but you must make an appointment before you go. The inspection is going to verify that you haven't modified anything, so make sure if your EGR is installed and there are no other modifications (remove boost controller, etc). You will need to keep this form for every time you do your annual emissions testing, so don't lose it, make copies, etc. I don't know if you need this step if you have a gas engine, but if you call I'm sure Raymond or Tim can let you know.
Step 4: VIN Inspection DR3698 Form You can get this done at a number of locations. You can schedule an appointment with the State Patrol, but I've found they have few appointments, depending on the location, so you may find the only appointment is 2 months in the future. Any car dealer will also supposedly do this, but I don't know how much luck you will have if you go to your neighborhood Ford dealer and ask them to do a VIN inspection on your Delica. If you are in Denver, I used RevHard Motors (website) and they were fantastic and did it for free (and they have some super cool JDM cars for sale to check out while you are there!). Note that they will need to find the VIN in two places on your vehicle - I used the VIN plate in front of the drivers seat, and then if you lift the carpet up just to the right of the drivers seat you will see the VIN stamped into the sheet metal there. Figure this out ahead of time so you're not struggling to find where the VIN is stamped while you are there.
Step 5: Emissions Testing Diesels can't be tested at normal Air Care Colorado stations so you need to find a certified Colorado diesel testing center. The first thing they will ask for when you walk in is your DR2365 form, so make sure you have that with you. For my 1996 diesel, the only thing they test is exhaust opacity at 20, 40, and 60mph, and the maximum allowable opacity reading is 35%. I actually failed my first test because I removed my boost controller and the van was tuned to run 14psi (so it was dumping too much fuel at WOT). I passed the second time around with flying colors by doing the following: 1) increased boost to 15psi, 2) ran about a 60% biodiesel mix, and 3) tested on as warm a day as possible. You'll pay around $75-$100 for the test and that usually includes one retest if you fail the first time. This was the most nerve wracking part of the process for sure. I got my testing done at "Test My Diesel" in Broomfield. Note that you will need pass emissions every year. Also if you want to get biodiesel, the only place I could find in Denver that currently sells it is Shoco Oil in Commerce City. They sell both "B99" and "B20" biodiesel. You go around the side and they will fill it up for you and then pay at the window in the front. The place in Boulder (Boulder Gas) that normally sells it was out of it when I last checked. I can't say for sure but I assume if you have a gas engine that you can just do this step at any Air Care Colorado station instead (if anybody can verify please let me know!).
Step 6: Registration Once you have successfully completed steps 1 - 5 you can go back to your county clerk and get your permanent plates, registration, and apply for your Colorado title. In my case they needed: the original out of state title, VIN inspection form (DR3698), Emissions Testing certificate, weight slip, bill of sale/invoice showing that you didn't pay any tax when you bought it, and proof of insurance (I had luck with Liberty Mutual btw). It took about 45 minutes to finally get through everything at the clerk's office but finally she handed over the plates and registration. They will also submit the title application to the state of Colorado (you won't get your Colorado title at this time).
Step 7: Receive Title I got my Colorado title about 4 days later in the mail. One other Delica owner in the area said that they flagged his title as "High Risk" when he tried to register it in Clear Creek County and he's still waiting for the title in the mail, but I didn't have any issues getting a clean title.
Hope that helps! Please feel to reach out if you have any questions or I can help clarify anything!
First off, my situation is/was as follows. If yours is different you may need to adjust:
1. I bought my Delica out of state from a dealer (Nomadic Vans in Sun Valley, ID) and it already had an out of state title (Idaho), so at no point did I need any import paperwork.
2. I needed to pass emissions because I live in the Front Range/Denver area. My L300 is a diesel so the process is different for gas engines.
Here is what it I needed to:
Step 1: Temporary Registration Go to your county clerk's office and get temporary plates. You can't do steps 3-5 until you have temp plates. My out of state title and bill of sale was sufficient (if possible have the bill of sale or invoice show that you didn't pay any tax). You'll pay your Colorado sales tax at this point so bring your checkbook to write a big check.
Step 2: Weight Slip If your out of state title doesn't show the vehicle weight, then you need to get a "weight slip." You can get this at a place like Pioneer Sand or any kind of landscape materials dealer that sells truckloads of stuff that need to be weighed. I've also heard that you can a weight slip at most truck stops. It cost me $13 at Pioneer to get mine (btw my Delica weighs 4060 lbs empty with about half a tank of fuel).
Step 3: Vehicle Inspection DR2365 Form This form is a Colorado DOT "Vehicle Inspection" form that you will need before you can get emissions. You need to call 303-744-2522 and you will speak to either Raymond or Tim to make an appointment. The inspection/technical center is located at 2450 W. 2nd Ave, Denver, CO but you must make an appointment before you go. The inspection is going to verify that you haven't modified anything, so make sure if your EGR is installed and there are no other modifications (remove boost controller, etc). You will need to keep this form for every time you do your annual emissions testing, so don't lose it, make copies, etc. I don't know if you need this step if you have a gas engine, but if you call I'm sure Raymond or Tim can let you know.
Step 4: VIN Inspection DR3698 Form You can get this done at a number of locations. You can schedule an appointment with the State Patrol, but I've found they have few appointments, depending on the location, so you may find the only appointment is 2 months in the future. Any car dealer will also supposedly do this, but I don't know how much luck you will have if you go to your neighborhood Ford dealer and ask them to do a VIN inspection on your Delica. If you are in Denver, I used RevHard Motors (website) and they were fantastic and did it for free (and they have some super cool JDM cars for sale to check out while you are there!). Note that they will need to find the VIN in two places on your vehicle - I used the VIN plate in front of the drivers seat, and then if you lift the carpet up just to the right of the drivers seat you will see the VIN stamped into the sheet metal there. Figure this out ahead of time so you're not struggling to find where the VIN is stamped while you are there.
Step 5: Emissions Testing Diesels can't be tested at normal Air Care Colorado stations so you need to find a certified Colorado diesel testing center. The first thing they will ask for when you walk in is your DR2365 form, so make sure you have that with you. For my 1996 diesel, the only thing they test is exhaust opacity at 20, 40, and 60mph, and the maximum allowable opacity reading is 35%. I actually failed my first test because I removed my boost controller and the van was tuned to run 14psi (so it was dumping too much fuel at WOT). I passed the second time around with flying colors by doing the following: 1) increased boost to 15psi, 2) ran about a 60% biodiesel mix, and 3) tested on as warm a day as possible. You'll pay around $75-$100 for the test and that usually includes one retest if you fail the first time. This was the most nerve wracking part of the process for sure. I got my testing done at "Test My Diesel" in Broomfield. Note that you will need pass emissions every year. Also if you want to get biodiesel, the only place I could find in Denver that currently sells it is Shoco Oil in Commerce City. They sell both "B99" and "B20" biodiesel. You go around the side and they will fill it up for you and then pay at the window in the front. The place in Boulder (Boulder Gas) that normally sells it was out of it when I last checked. I can't say for sure but I assume if you have a gas engine that you can just do this step at any Air Care Colorado station instead (if anybody can verify please let me know!).
Step 6: Registration Once you have successfully completed steps 1 - 5 you can go back to your county clerk and get your permanent plates, registration, and apply for your Colorado title. In my case they needed: the original out of state title, VIN inspection form (DR3698), Emissions Testing certificate, weight slip, bill of sale/invoice showing that you didn't pay any tax when you bought it, and proof of insurance (I had luck with Liberty Mutual btw). It took about 45 minutes to finally get through everything at the clerk's office but finally she handed over the plates and registration. They will also submit the title application to the state of Colorado (you won't get your Colorado title at this time).
Step 7: Receive Title I got my Colorado title about 4 days later in the mail. One other Delica owner in the area said that they flagged his title as "High Risk" when he tried to register it in Clear Creek County and he's still waiting for the title in the mail, but I didn't have any issues getting a clean title.
Hope that helps! Please feel to reach out if you have any questions or I can help clarify anything!
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