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Colorado statute

C.R.S. § 18-4-409.5 — Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle - definition.

Current through 2025 Regular Session

Part of Part 4: THEFT, Colorado Revised Statutes.

Criminal charges under this statute

Full text of C.R.S. § 18-4-409.5

Statutory text current through the 2025 Regular Session. This is an officially sanctioned publication using the official text of the Colorado Revised Statutes; it is not the official statutes of the State of Colorado.

C.R.S. § 18-4-409.5Primary source, current through the 2025 Regular Session
(1) A person commits unauthorized use of a motor vehicle if the person obtains or exercises control over the motor vehicle of another person without authorization of the owner and: (a) The person does not commit a criminal offense other than a misdemeanor traffic offense except eluding a police officer as described in section 42-4-1413 in the course of obtaining control over or in the exercise of control of a motor vehicle; and (b) The motor vehicle is returned to the owner or recovered by law enforcement within twenty-four hours after being reported as missing or stolen by the owner, with no damage to the motor vehicle. (2) Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle is a class 1 misdemeanor; except that a second or subsequent offense for a violation of this section is a class 5 felony. (3) As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires, "motor vehicle" has the same meaning as defined in section 18-4-409.

Official sources

Legal terms used in this section

Questions this section answers

Is unauthorized use of a motor vehicle a felony or a misdemeanor in Colorado?

It depends on the circumstances: unauthorized use of a motor vehicle ranges from a class 1 misdemeanor to a class 5 felony in Colorado under C.R.S. § 18-4-409.5.

Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle — first offense: class 1 misdemeanor (C.R.S. § 18-4-409.5(2)) · Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle — second or subsequent offense: class 5 felony (C.R.S. § 18-4-409.5(2))

Which Colorado statute covers unauthorized use of a motor vehicle?

Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle is governed by C.R.S. § 18-4-409.5 (Unauthorized use of a motor vehicle - definition).

This reference is informational and is not legal advice.