C.R.S. Section 44-20-102
Definitions


As used in this part 1, and in part 4 of this article 20, unless the context or section 44-20-402 otherwise requires:

(1)

“Advertise” or “advertisement” means any commercial message in any newspaper, magazine, leaflet, flyer, or catalog, on radio, television, or a public address system, in direct mail literature or other printed material, on any interior or exterior sign or display, in any window display, on a computer display, or in any point-of-transaction literature or price tag that is delivered or made available to a customer or prospective customer in any manner; except that the term does not include materials required to be displayed by federal or state law.

(2)

“Board” means the motor vehicle dealer board.

(3)

“Business incidental thereto” means a business owned by the motor vehicle dealer or used motor vehicle dealer related to the sale of motor vehicles, including motor vehicle part sales, motor vehicle repair, motor vehicle recycling, motor vehicle security interest assignment, and motor vehicle towing.

(4)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

“Buyer agent” means any person required to be licensed pursuant to this part 1 who is retained or hired by a consumer for a fee or other thing of value to assist, represent, or act on behalf of the consumer in connection with the purchase or lease of a motor vehicle.

(b)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(I)

“Buyer agent” does not include a person whose business includes the purchase of motor vehicles primarily for resale or lease; except that nothing in this subsection (4) prohibits a buyer agent from assisting a consumer regarding the disposal of a trade-in motor vehicle that is incident to the purchase or lease of a vehicle if the buyer agent does not advertise the sale of, or sell, the vehicle to the general public, directs interested dealers and wholesalers to communicate their offers directly to the consumer or to the consumer via the buyer agent, does not handle or transfer titles or funds between the consumer and the purchaser, receives no compensation from a dealer or wholesaler purchasing a consumer’s vehicle, and identifies himself or herself as a buyer agent to dealers and wholesalers interested in the consumer’s vehicle.

(II)

A “buyer agent” licensed under this part 1 shall not be employed by or receive a fee from a person whose business includes the purchase of motor vehicles primarily for resale or lease, a motor vehicle manufacturer, a motor vehicle dealer, or a used motor vehicle dealer.

(5)

“Coerce” means to compel or attempt to compel by threatening, retaliating, or exerting economic force or by not performing or complying with any terms or provisions of the franchise or agreement; except that recommendation, exposition, persuasion, urging, or argument do not constitute coercion.

(6)

“Consumer” means a purchaser or lessee of a motor vehicle used for business, personal, family, or household purposes. “Consumer” does not include a purchaser of motor vehicles primarily for resale.

(7)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

“Custom trailer” means any motor vehicle that is not driven or propelled by its own power and is designed to be attached to, become a part of, or be drawn by a motor vehicle and that is uniquely designed and manufactured for a specific purpose or customer.

(b)

“Custom trailer” does not include manufactured housing, farm tractors, and other machines and tools used in the production, harvest, and care of farm products.

(8)

“Director” means the director of the auto industry division created in section 44-20-105.

(9)

“Distributor” means a person, resident or nonresident, who, in whole or in part, sells or distributes new motor vehicles to motor vehicle dealers or who maintains distributor representatives.

(10)

“Fire truck” means a vehicle intended for use in the extermination of fires, with features that may include a fire pump, a water tank, an aerial ladder, an elevated platform, or any combination thereof.

(11)

“Franchise” means the authority to sell or service and repair motor vehicles of a designated line-make granted through a sales, service, and parts agreement with a manufacturer, distributor, or manufacturer representative.

(12)

“Good faith” means the duty of each party to any franchise and all officers, employees, or agents thereof to act in a fair and equitable manner toward each other so as to guarantee the one party freedom from coercion, intimidation, or threats of coercion or intimidation from the other party. Recommendation, endorsement, exposition, persuasion, urging, or argument shall not be deemed to constitute a lack of good faith.

(13)

“Line-make” means a group or series of motor vehicles that have the same brand identification or brand name, based upon the manufacturer’s trademark, trade name, or logo.

(14)

“Manufacturer” means any person, firm, association, corporation, or trust, resident or nonresident, who manufactures or assembles new and unused motor vehicles; except that “manufacturer” does not include:

(a)

A 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)

A person, other than a manufacturer operating a motor vehicle dealer in accordance with section 44-20-126, who is a licensed dealer selling motor vehicles that the person has manufactured.

(15)

“Manufacturer representative” means a representative employed by a person who manufactures or assembles motor vehicles for the purpose of making or promoting the sale of its motor vehicles or for supervising or contacting its dealers or prospective dealers.

(16)

“Motor vehicle” means every vehicle intended primarily for use on the public highways that is self-propelled and every vehicle intended primarily for operation on the public highways that is not self-propelled but is designed to be attached to, become a part of, or be drawn by a self-propelled vehicle, not including farm tractors and other machines and tools used in the production, harvesting, and care of farm products. “Motor vehicle” includes a low-power scooter or autocycle as either is defined in section 42-1-102.

(17)

“Motor vehicle auctioneer” means any person, not otherwise required to be licensed pursuant to this part 1, who is engaged in the business of offering to sell, or selling, used motor vehicles owned by persons other than the auctioneer at public auction only. Any auctioning of motor vehicles by an auctioneer must be incidental to the primary business of auctioning goods.

(18)

“Motor vehicle dealer” means a person who, for commission or with intent to make a profit or gain of money or other thing of value, sells, leases, exchanges, rents with option to purchase, offers, or attempts to negotiate a sale, lease, or exchange of an interest in new or new and used motor vehicles or who is engaged wholly or in part in the business of selling or leasing new or new and used motor vehicles, whether or not the motor vehicles are owned by the person. The sale or lease of three or more new or new and used motor vehicles or the offering for sale or lease of more than three new or new and used motor vehicles at the same address or telephone number in any one calendar year is prima facie evidence that a person is engaged in the business of selling or leasing new or new and used motor vehicles. “Motor vehicle dealer” includes an owner of real property who allows more than three new or new and used motor vehicles to be offered for sale or lease on the property during one calendar year unless the property is leased to a licensed motor vehicle dealer. “Motor vehicle dealer” does not include:

(a)

Receivers, trustees, administrators, executors, guardians, or other persons appointed by or acting under the judgment or order of any court;

(b)

Public officers while performing their official duties;

(c)

Employees of a motor vehicle dealer when engaged in the specific performance of their duties as employees;

(d)

A wholesaler or anyone selling motor vehicles solely to wholesalers;

(e)

Any person engaged in the selling of a fire truck; or

(f)

A motor vehicle auctioneer.

(19)

“Motor vehicle salesperson” means a natural person who, for a salary, commission, or compensation of any kind, is employed either directly or indirectly, regularly or occasionally, by a motor vehicle dealer or used motor vehicle dealer to sell, lease, purchase, or exchange or to negotiate for the sale, lease, purchase, or exchange of motor vehicles.

(20)

“New motor vehicle” means a motor vehicle that has been transferred on a manufacturer’s statement of origin and that has sufficiently low mileage to be considered new, as determined by the board.

(21)

“Person” means any natural person, estate, trust, limited liability company, partnership, association, corporation, or other legal entity, including a registered limited liability partnership.

(22)

“Principal place of business” means a site or location devoted exclusively to the business for which the motor vehicle dealer or used motor vehicle dealer is licensed, and businesses incidental thereto, sufficiently designated to admit of definite description, with adequate contiguous space to permit the display of one or more new or used motor vehicles, with a permanent enclosed building or structure large enough to accommodate the office of the dealer and to provide a safe place to keep the books and other records of the business of the dealer, at which site or location the principal portion of the dealer’s business shall be conducted and the books and records thereof kept and maintained; except that a dealer may keep its books and records at an off-site location in Colorado after notifying the board in writing of the location at least thirty days in advance.

(23)

“Recreational vehicle” means a camping trailer, fifth wheel trailer, motor home, recreational park trailer, travel trailer, or truck camper, all as defined in section 24-32-902, or multipurpose trailer, as defined in section 42-1-102.

(24)

“Sales, service, and parts agreement” means an agreement between a manufacturer, distributor, or manufacturer representative and a motor vehicle or powersports dealer authorizing the dealer to sell and service a line-make of motor or powersports vehicles or imposing any duty on the dealer in consideration for the right to have or competitively operate a franchise, including any amendments or additional related agreements thereto. Each amendment, modification, or addendum that materially affects the rights, responsibilities, or obligations of the contracting parties creates a new sales, service, and parts agreement.

(25)

“Site control provision” means an agreement that applies to real property owned or leased by a franchisee and that gives a motor vehicle or powersports vehicle manufacturer, distributor, or manufacturer representative the right to:

(a)

Control the use and development of the real property;

(b)

Require the franchisee to establish or maintain an exclusive dealership facility at the real property; or

(c)

Restrict the franchisee from transferring, selling, leasing, developing, or changing the use of the real property.

(26)

“Used motor vehicle dealer” means a person who, for commission or with intent to make a profit or gain of money or other thing of value, sells, exchanges, leases, or offers an interest in used motor vehicles, or attempts to negotiate a sale, exchange, or lease of used motor vehicles, or who is engaged wholly or in part in the business of selling used motor vehicles, whether or not the motor vehicles are owned by the person. The sale of three or more used motor vehicles or the offering for sale of more than three used motor vehicles at the same address or telephone number in any one calendar year is prima facie evidence that a person is engaged in the business of selling used motor vehicles. “Used motor vehicle dealer” includes an owner of real property who allows more than three used motor vehicles to be offered for sale on the property during one calendar year unless the property is leased to a licensed used motor vehicle dealer. “Used motor vehicle dealer” does not include:

(a)

Receivers, trustees, administrators, executors, guardians, or other persons appointed by or acting under the judgment or order of any court;

(b)

Public officers while performing their official duties;

(c)

Employees of a used motor vehicle dealer when engaged in the specific performance of their duties as employees;

(d)

A wholesaler or anyone selling motor vehicles solely to wholesalers;

(e)

Mortgagees or secured parties as to sales in any one year of not more than twelve motor vehicles constituting collateral on a mortgage or security agreement, if the mortgagees or secured parties do not realize for their own account any money in excess of the outstanding balance secured by the mortgage or security agreement, plus costs of collection;

(f)

A person who only sells or exchanges no more than four motor vehicles that are collector’s items under part 3 or 4 of article 12 of title 42;

(g)

A motor vehicle auctioneer; or

(h)

An operator, as defined in section 42-4-2102 (5), who sells a motor vehicle pursuant to section 42-4-2104.

(27)

“Wholesale motor vehicle auction dealer” means a person or firm that provides auction services in wholesale transactions in which the purchasers are motor vehicle dealers licensed by this state or any other jurisdiction or in consumer transactions of government vehicles at a time and place that does not conflict with a wholesale motor vehicle auction conducted by that licensee.

(28)

“Wholesaler” means a person who, for commission or with intent to make a profit or gain of money or other thing of value, sells, exchanges, or offers or attempts to negotiate a sale, lease, or exchange of an interest in new or new and used motor vehicles solely to motor vehicle dealers or used motor vehicle dealers.

Source: Section 44-20-102 — Definitions, https://leg.­colorado.­gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2023-title-44.­pdf (accessed Oct. 20, 2023).

44‑20‑101
Legislative declaration
44‑20‑102
Definitions
44‑20‑103
Motor vehicle dealer board - creation
44‑20‑104
Board - oath - meetings - powers and duties - rules
44‑20‑105
Auto industry division - creation - powers and duties of executive director and director
44‑20‑106
Records as evidence
44‑20‑107
Attorney general to advise and represent
44‑20‑108
Classes of licenses
44‑20‑109
Temporary motor vehicle dealer license
44‑20‑110
Display, form, custody, and use of licenses
44‑20‑111
Fees - disposition - expenses - expiration of licenses
44‑20‑112
Bond of licensee
44‑20‑113
Motor vehicle salesperson’s bond
44‑20‑114
Buyer agent bonds
44‑20‑115
Notice of claims honored against bond
44‑20‑116
Testing licensees
44‑20‑117
Filing of written warranties
44‑20‑118
Application - prelicensing education - fingerprint-based criminal history record check - rules
44‑20‑119
Notice of change of address or status
44‑20‑120
Principal place of business - requirements
44‑20‑121
Licenses - grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation
44‑20‑122
Procedure for denial, suspension, or revocation of license - judicial review
44‑20‑123
Sales activity following license denial, suspension, or revocation - unlawful act - penalty
44‑20‑124
Unlawful acts
44‑20‑125
New, reopened, or relocated dealer - notice required - grounds for refusal of dealer license - definitions - rules
44‑20‑126
Independent control of dealer - definitions
44‑20‑127
Successor under existing franchise agreement - duties of manufacturer
44‑20‑128
Penalty
44‑20‑129
Fines - disposition - unlicensed sales
44‑20‑130
Drafts not honored for payment - penalties
44‑20‑131
Right of action for loss
44‑20‑132
Contract disputes - venue - choice of law
44‑20‑133
Disposition of fees - auto dealers license fund - created
44‑20‑134
Advertisement - inclusion of dealer name
44‑20‑135
Audit reimbursement limitations - dealer claims
44‑20‑136
Reimbursement for right of first refusal
44‑20‑137
Payout exemption to execution
44‑20‑138
Site control extinguishes
44‑20‑139
Modification voidable
44‑20‑140
Termination appeal
44‑20‑141
Stop-sale directives - used motor vehicles - definitions
44‑20‑141.5
Fulfillment and compensation for warranty and recall obligations - definitions
44‑20‑141.6
Fulfillment of warranty and recall obligations - recreational vehicles - definitions
44‑20‑142
Repeal of part
44‑20‑201
Definitions
44‑20‑202
Exclusive finance agreements void - when
44‑20‑203
Threat prima facie evidence of violation
44‑20‑204
Threat by agent as evidence of violation
44‑20‑205
Offering consideration to eliminate competition
44‑20‑206
Accepting consideration to eliminate competition
44‑20‑207
Recipient of consideration shall not buy mortgages
44‑20‑208
Quo warranto action
44‑20‑209
Violation by foreign corporation - penalty
44‑20‑210
Penalty
44‑20‑211
Contract void
44‑20‑212
Provisions cumulative
44‑20‑213
Damages
44‑20‑214
Repeal of part
44‑20‑301
Definitions
44‑20‑302
Sunday closing
44‑20‑303
Penalties
44‑20‑304
Repeal of part
44‑20‑401
Legislative declaration
44‑20‑402
Definitions
44‑20‑403
Motor vehicle dealer board
44‑20‑404
Board - powers and duties - rules
44‑20‑405
Powers and duties of executive director and director
44‑20‑406
Records as evidence
44‑20‑407
Attorney general to advise and represent
44‑20‑408
Classes of licenses
44‑20‑409
Temporary powersports vehicle dealer license
44‑20‑410
Display, form, custody, and use of licenses
44‑20‑411
Fees - disposition - expenses - expiration of licenses
44‑20‑412
Bond of licensee
44‑20‑413
Powersports vehicle salesperson’s bond
44‑20‑414
Notice of claims honored against bond
44‑20‑415
Testing licensees
44‑20‑416
Filing of written warranties
44‑20‑417
Application - fingerprint-based criminal history record check - rules
44‑20‑418
Notice of change of address or status
44‑20‑419
Principal place of business - requirements - exceptions
44‑20‑420
Licenses - grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation
44‑20‑421
Procedure for denial, suspension, or revocation of license - judicial review
44‑20‑422
Sales activity following license denial, suspension, or revocation - unlawful act - penalty
44‑20‑423
Unlawful acts
44‑20‑424
New, reopened, or relocated dealer - notice required - grounds for refusal of dealer license - definitions - rules
44‑20‑425
Independent control of dealer - definitions
44‑20‑426
Successor under existing franchise agreement - duties of powersports vehicle manufacturer
44‑20‑427
Audit reimbursement limitations - dealer claims
44‑20‑428
Reimbursement for disapproving sale
44‑20‑429
Penalty
44‑20‑430
Fines - disposition - unlicensed sales
44‑20‑431
Drafts or checks not honored for payment - penalties
44‑20‑432
Right of action for loss
44‑20‑433
Contract disputes - venue - choice of law
44‑20‑434
Advertisement - inclusion of dealer name
44‑20‑435
Payout exemption to execution
44‑20‑436
Site control extinguishes
44‑20‑437
Modification voidable
44‑20‑438
Termination appeal
44‑20‑439
Stop-sale directives - used powersports vehicles - definitions
44‑20‑439.5
Fulfillment and compensation for warranty and recall obligations - definitions
44‑20‑440
Repeal of part
Green check means up to date. Up to date

Current through Fall 2024

§ 44-20-102’s source at colorado​.gov