Sale of Stock

C.R.S. tit. 35, art. 54
in effect

C.R.S. § 35-54-101 Bills of sale given for livestock sold

35-54-101. Bills of sale given for livestock sold. No person, whether as principal or agent, shall sell or otherwise dispose of any livestock, nor shall any person, whether as principal or agent, buy, purchase, or otherwise receive any such livestock, unless the person so selling or disposing of any such livestock gives, and the person buying, purchasing, or otherwise receiving any such livestock takes, a bill of sale, in writing, of the livestock so sold or disposed of, or so bought, purchased, or otherwise received.

C.R.S. § 35-54-102 Penalty

35-54-102. Penalty. Any person who violates or fails to comply with any of the provisions of section 35-54-101 commits a class 2 misdemeanor.

C.R.S. § 35-54-103 Requirements of bill of sale

35-54-103. Requirements of bill of sale. (1) A duly executed bill of sale is an instrument in writing by which the legal owner or authorized agent transfers to the buyer the title of livestock therein described and guarantees to defend said title against all lawful claims. It shall definitely describe the animal sold as follows: (a) Horses or mules, age, color, and sex, with special markings, including all iron brands carried; (b) Registered cattle, registration number tattooed in ear, name, sex, breed, brand, and marks, if any; (c) Range cattle, sex, age, breed, brands or earmarks, wattle or dewlap, horned or dehorned; (d) When the sale or transfer involves neat cattle carrying one or more Colorado recorded brands, the cattle shall be tallied for brands, and the brands described in the bill of sale, giving location on the animal of all Colorado recorded brands; (e) Sheep, number, breed class, ewes, rams, wethers, lambs, paint brands, firebrands, and earmarks. (2) Both the seller and the buyer shall sign the bill of sale, giving the post-office address of each, in the presence of a witness, who also signs with his name and address, and who is a legal resident of the county where the transfer of the described livestock takes place. The bill of sale shall be dated the day of the transaction.

C.R.S. § 35-54-104 Purchaser must show bill of sale

35-54-104. Purchaser must show bill of sale. It is the duty of any person who purchases or receives, or has in his possession, any such livestock, either for himself or for another, to exhibit, on reasonable request to any person inquiring therefor, the bill of sale of such livestock, if in his power to do so, and if not in his power to do so, to state and give the reason therefor. Any person violating or failing to comply with the provisions of this section shall be deemed guilty and liable to punishment as provided in section 35-54-102.

C.R.S. § 35-54-105 Selling without bill of sale - theft

35-54-105. Selling without bill of sale - theft. (1) Any person who sells or offers for sale or trades any livestock upon which such person has not his recorded mark or brand, or for which the person so offering has neither bill of sale nor power of attorney from the owner of such livestock authorizing such sale, is guilty of theft, unless such person upon trial shall establish and prove that he was at the time the actual owner of the livestock so sold or traded, or offered for sale or trade, or that he acted by the direction of one proven to be the actual owner of such livestock. (2) In prosecutions for a violation of this section, it shall not be necessary, in order to warrant a conviction for the people, to prove motive, intent, or purpose on the part of the accused, or that the accused knew that the livestock sold or traded, or offered for sale or trade, was so sold, traded, or offered in violation of this section, but the fact of such selling, trading, or offering for sale or trade contrary to the provisions of this section, when proved, shall be sufficient to authorize a conviction, unless the accused shall by testimony explain the case made by the people in a manner consistent with good faith and an innocent purpose.

C.R.S. § 35-54-106 Partido contracts recorded

35-54-106. Partido contracts recorded. No partido or share contract, whereby livestock is delivered to be kept on shares for a period of time at the end of which they, or an equal or similar number, or any number thereof, are to be returned, whatever the specific terms of said contract may be, shall be valid, except as between the parties to said contract, unless such contract is filed or recorded in the office of the county clerk and recorder of deeds of the county wherein such livestock is to be kept.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-35.docxFetched: 10/6/2026