Colorado Notice of Valuation: How to Read It and What to Do Next

The Notice of Valuation (NOV) is the single most important piece of mail a Colorado homeowner gets — it sets the value your taxes are built on for the next two years. Most people glance at it and file it away. Here's how to actually read it and what to do before the clock runs out.

When it arrives and why it matters

In a reassessment year (odd years), your county assessor mails the NOV around the start of May. It states the county's new actual value for your home. This is not a bill — it's the *valuation*, and it's the number you appeal. Lower it, and the tax falls with it.

The numbers on the notice

• Actual (market) value — the assessor's estimate of what your home is worth. This is the figure you challenge.
• Prior value — last cycle's value, so you can see the change.
• Assessed (taxable) value — actual value × the residential assessment rate (~6.75%). You don't appeal this directly; it's derived.
• Property classification & characteristics — sometimes listed; check square footage, beds/baths, and year built for errors.
• Protest instructions & deadline — how and by when to file (typically around June 8).

What to do in the two weeks after it arrives

1. Confirm the recorded characteristics match your home; note anything wrong.
2. Compare the actual value to comparable sales from the statutory window.
3. Note your county's exact protest deadline (see the deadline calendar).
4. Decide to DIY the protest or have it handled for you.

Don't let the deadline pass

The NOV starts a short, hard clock. Enter your address and we'll read your county's record for you, check the value against real comps, and prepare the protest before the deadline — you pay nothing unless your taxes drop. The state's overview of the NOV and appeal rights lives at the Colorado Division of Property Taxation.