Colorado Code § 42-3-104

Exemptions - specific ownership tax - registration - domicile and residency - rules - definitions
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(1) Only those items of classified personal property that are
owned by the United States government or an agency or instrumentality thereof, by the state of
Colorado or a political subdivision thereof, or by a service member either individually or jointly
with a dependent shall be exempt from payment of the annual specific ownership tax imposed in
this article.
(2) An item of classified personal property that is leased by the state of Colorado or a
political subdivision thereof may be exempted by the department from payment of the annual
specific ownership tax imposed in this article if the agreement under which such item is leased is
first submitted to the department and approved by it. Such item shall remain exempt only if used
and operated in strict conformance with the terms of such approved agreement.
(3) Registration is not required for the following:
(a) Vehicles owned by the United States government or by an agency thereof;
(b) Fire-fighting vehicles;
(c) Police ambulances and patrol wagons;
(d) Farm tractors and implements of husbandry designed primarily for use and used in
agricultural operations;
(e) Special mobile machinery used solely on property owned or leased by the owner of
such machinery and equipment and not operated on the public highways of the state, if the owner
lists all of the machinery or equipment for assessment and taxation under part 1 of article 5 of
title 39, C.R.S.;
(f) Special mobile machinery not operated on the highways of this state owned by a
public utility and taxed under article 4 of title 39, C.R.S.;
(g) Special mobile machinery that is covered by a registration exempt certificate issued
by the department in accordance with section 42-3-107 (16)(g).
(4) At the request of the appropriate authority, motor vehicles owned and operated by the
state of Colorado or any agency or institution thereof or by a town, city, county, or city and
county may be assigned, in lieu of the distinct registration number specified in this article, a
special registration number indicating that such vehicle is owned and operated by the state of
Colorado or any agency or institution thereof or by a town, city, county, or city and county, but
only one such special registration number shall be assigned to each vehicle. An application for
the special registration provided in this section that is made by the state of Colorado or any
agency or institution thereof shall be made to the department only. An application for the special
registration provided in this section that is made by any town, city, county, or city and county
shall be made only to the authorized agent in the county wherein the applicant local government
entity is located, and any such special registration shall be obtained directly from such
authorized agent. Special registrations obtained under this subsection (4) shall be renewed
annually pursuant to the requirements prescribed by the department.
(5) (a) One Class B or Class C motor vehicle weighing less than sixteen thousand
pounds empty weight owned by a person who is a veteran and has established rights to benefits
under the provisions of Public Law 663, 79th Congress, as amended, and Public Law 187, 82nd
Congress, as amended, or is a veteran of the armed forces of the United States who incurred a
disability and is receiving compensation from the veterans administration or any branch of the
armed forces of the United States for a fifty percent or more, service-connected, permanent
disability, or for loss of use of one or both feet or one or both hands, or for permanent
impairment or loss of vision in both eyes that constitutes virtual blindness is exempt from the
imposition of the annual specific ownership tax imposed by this article 3. Only one such Class B
or Class C motor vehicle per veteran is exempt.
(b) A person who has a license plate for a veteran who has a disability or a woman
veteran who has a disability, as either plate is issued under section 42-3-213, qualifies for the
exemption created in this subsection (5).
(6) One Class B or Class C motor vehicle weighing less than sixteen thousand pounds
empty weight owned by a natural person who, while serving in the armed forces of the United
States, was incarcerated by an enemy of the United States during armed conflict with the United
States or who survived the attack on Pearl Harbor shall be exempt from the imposition of the
annual specific ownership tax imposed by this article. Only one such Class B or Class C motor
vehicle per former prisoner of war shall be exempted. A person who survived the attack on Pearl
Harbor shall be exempt from the imposition of specific ownership tax under this subsection (6)
only if the person qualifies for a survivor's of the attack on Pearl Harbor license plate issued
pursuant to section 42-3-213 (6).
(7) Those items of classified personal property that are owned or leased by an individual
or organization that is exempt from payment of Colorado ad valorem taxes shall be exempt from
imposition of the annual specific ownership tax imposed by this article.
(8) Either one Class B or one Class C motor vehicle weighing less than sixteen thousand
pounds empty weight owned by a natural person who received a purple heart or medal of valor
and who is authorized to use the purple heart or military valor special license plate pursuant to
section 42-3-213 shall be exempt from the imposition of the annual specific ownership tax
imposed by this article. Only one such Class B or Class C motor vehicle per purple heart or
medal of valor recipient shall be exempted.
(9) (a) Notwithstanding that a service member has registered to vote in Colorado or paid
or not paid taxes in the service member's state of residence, personal property owned by the
service member, either individually or jointly with a dependent, while the service member is a
resident of another state but domiciled in Colorado in compliance with military orders, shall be
exempt from the imposition of the annual specific ownership tax imposed by this article.
(b) The personal property of a service member who is a resident of another state but
domiciled in Colorado in compliance with military orders shall be not be deemed to be located
in, be present in, or have a situs in the local jurisdiction of Colorado.
(c) A service member shall neither lose nor acquire residency or domicile in Colorado
for the purpose of taxation, with regard to personal property of the service member in any tax
jurisdiction of Colorado, if the domicile is in compliance with military orders.
(d) The residency of a service member shall not be established solely for the purpose of
taxation. A service member shall be deemed to be a resident of Colorado when the service
member is not domiciled in Colorado if the domicile is in compliance with military orders and
the service member is a resident as defined by section 42-1-102 (81).
(e) For the purpose of voting in a federal, state, or local election, a service member who
is in Colorado in compliance with military orders shall not:
(I) Be deemed to have lost residence or domicile in another state regardless of whether
the person intends to return to the other state;
(II) Be deemed to have acquired residence or domicile in another state; or
(III) Be deemed to become a resident of another state.
(f) The executive director of the department may issue forms and promulgate rules
necessary to implement this subsection (9).
(10) For the purposes of this section:
(a) "Dependent" means a service member's spouse, child, or an individual for whom the
service member has provided more than one-half of the individual's support for at least one
hundred eighty days immediately preceding an application for specific ownership tax exemption.
(b) "Service member" means a member of the United States armed forces.
(11) A Class A commercial vehicle that was registered in Colorado under the
international registration plan, subsequently registered in another state, and then reregistered in
Colorado is not subject to the specific ownership tax or registration fees during the period of
time that the motor vehicle was registered in another state; except that the owner of a motor
vehicle with an apportioned registration may be liable for the portion of the miles traveled in
Colorado.

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