Colorado Regular License Plate
License plates assist law enforcement officers in quickly identifying and tracing a vehicle. They make it simple to review driver information after stopping someone or determining who was involved in an accident. They're also critical for locating lost or stolen vehicles!
As a result, the Colorado Revised Statutes require two license plates to be displayed at all times, one in front and one behind any vehicle (or trailer) on the road. If you do not comply, you will receive a Class A traffic infraction and a $100 fine. The Colorado DMV issues license plates and renewal date tags—light green stickers on the bottom right corner that indicate the plate is up to date.
Overview
While driving on public roads in the United States, all states require you to have license plates on your vehicle. Most Colorado cars require two license plates, one on the front and one on the back. Motorcycles and trailers are exempt from this regulation and must only display one license plate at the vehicle's rear.
Every person who buys a car must obtain license plates. When it comes to licensing a new car, you have two options. You can either buy new plates or transfer the license plates from your previous vehicle (if you were the legal owner of the car and the license plates are still valid).
A temporary permit will be issued if you buy a car from an authorized dealer. The permit serves as your license plate for 60 days. During this time, you must obtain license plates for your vehicle. If you buy a car from a private party, you can get a temporary permit from the nearest DMV office.
Most license plates in Colorado are valid for a year and must be renewed yearly. You must renew the license plates within the month specified on the vehicle registration or within the 30-day grace period. If your license plates are damaged, lost, stolen, or mutilated, you must also contact the DMV and obtain a new set.
Regular License Plates
Most vehicles on the road, including passenger cars, light trucks, motorcycles, commercial vehicles, trailers, and others, use standard license plates.
Passenger License Plate
Passenger license plates are available for passenger cars, SUVs, hearses, RVs, buses, and passenger vans. It is customizable, with dark green lettering on a white mountain range against a dark green sky.
Motorcycle License Plate
These license plates are available for two to three-wheeled motor vehicles with directly connected steering and any motor vehicle designed to travel on no more than three wheels. Its design resembles the Passenger License Plate, with dark green lettering on a white mountain range against a dark green sky.
Light Truck License Plate
These license plates are generally available for trucks with bodies and are commonly used to carry and transport property over highways, such as sport utility vehicles with a truck bed and cargo vans. Light trucks have an empty weight of fewer than sixteen thousand pounds.
Recreational Truck License Plate
Noncommercial or recreational vehicles are permitted except for motor homes used solely for pleasure, enjoyment, recreational purposes, or transportation of the owner, lessee, or occupant. It can be used alone or in tandem with a trailer or utility trailer, which is used the same way as the truck. It is not used for profit or hires to transport cargo or passengers. It has the same design as Passenger License Plates, but vertical letters RTK or TRL are on the left side.
Persons With Disabilities License Plate
This identification plate allows qualified applicants to park their vehicle or a vehicle in which they are a passenger in designated accessible parking spaces. These are for passenger cars, trucks weighing less than 16,000 pounds empty, motor homes, and motorcycles.
Some people are eligible for these license plates. A person with a physical impairment that limits mobility cannot walk 200 feet without extreme pain, fatigue, or other negative effects or assistance from a mechanical device. Under penalty of perjury, a licensed Colorado physician, Advance Practice Nurse, Podiatrist, or Commissioned Medical Officer must certify that the disability causes a significant limitation in mobility.
It has the same design as the Passenger License Plate but with a wheelchair symbol in the center of the plate.
Designer License Plate
These are available for passenger cars or trucks weighing less than sixteen thousand pounds empty. It is available for a one-time fee of $50.00 for plate issuance or replacement and a $25 renewal fee.
Trailer License Plate
This license plate is available to anyone who owns a Trailer, Utility Trailer, Trailer Coach, or Multi-purpose Trailer.
Embossed/Digital License Plate
Colorado Correctional Industries and cost make these license plates:
- Embossed
- $1.89 for single
- $3.78 for set
- Digital
- $2.82 for single
- $5.64 for set
Getting A Colorado Vehicle License Plate
By applying in person at the DMV, you can obtain a Colorado license plate for a vehicle that has never been plated in the state before. New car owners have 60 days from the date of purchase to register and plate their vehicles, while new residents have 90 days.
If you need to renew your Colorado license plates, you can do so online, by phone, or by mail. All license plate issues and renewal fees have changed as of January 1st, 2022—regular designs start at just $4.73 with no fees to renew.
Here's a quick overview of each method:
Online
To renew your license plates, go to the myDMV portal. Not all license plate types are eligible for online renewal, particularly if you need to update your proof of insurance or pass an emissions test.
By Phone
Call 311 with your registration and payment information in hand.
By Mail
Check your renewal notice for any emissions or insurance requirements and instructions on how to meet them. You can then mail a check (not cash) to Denver Motor Vehicle, 2855 Tremont Place, Denver, CO 80205, addressed to the Denver Manager of Finance.
For more information click on the link below:
