Personalized License Plates In Colorado
The Division of Motor Vehicles of the Colorado Department of Revenue is responsible for distributing and issuing personalized and customized vanity license plates.
At this time, Colorado does not allow you to check online to see if your specific license plate lettering is available. In Colorado, personalized license plates can be ordered by completing this form and submitting it to the Colorado Department of Revenue. Only registered owners can order license plates, and the plate you order must be registered to a Colorado vehicle at the time of issuance.
Plate Types In Colorado
Regular License Plates
Regular plates are the standard ones, also known as green and white.
Designer License Plates
Designer plates are made with a special graphic (scenic purple mountains) on the plate's background.
Group Special License Plates
A group of people with a common interest or affinity may be issued a Group Special plate. In addition to fees, some Group Special license plates require authorization from their corresponding sponsoring organization before the plate can be issued. All applications for Group Special personalized plates must be accompanied by the original certificate (if applicable). Any application that does not include the required certificate will be rejected.
Alumni License Plates
Alumni plates may be issued to an alumni association for a private or public college or university in Colorado. In addition to regular taxes and fees, some Alumni license plates require approval from their corresponding college or university before the plate can be issued. All applications for Alumni personalized plates must be accompanied by the original certificate issued by the college/university (if applicable). Any application that does not include the required certificate will be rejected.
Street Rod License Plates
Street Rod plates can only be issued to vehicles manufactured in 1948 or earlier that have had their body designs modified for safe road use. This application must be accompanied by a photocopy of the registration or title.
Call Letter License Plates
Call Letter plates are issued to vehicles whose owners are licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to operate an amateur radio, standard radio, FM, television, or modification license. A copy of the FCC license must accompany this application.
Collector License Plates
Collector plates can only be issued to either;
- Vehicles manufactured in 1975 or earlier
- Vehicles with the model year of 1976 or later that were registered with a 5-year collector series license plate before September 1, 2009, are still registered with the collector series plate.
- A model year that is at least thirty-two years old; provided, however, that the vehicle is registered in the program area, as defined in section 42-4-304:
- The vehicle must have passed an emissions test meeting the standards of Part 3 of Article 4 of this title within the previous twelve months before being registered as a collector's item by the owner; and
- The owner must sign an affidavit stating that the vehicle will not be driven on public roads for more than 4,500 miles per year. C.R.S 42-12-101 (2)
The Personalized License Plates
Vehicle Types
Personalized license plates are permitted on Autos, Pickups, Vans, and Motorcycles by the Colorado Department of Revenue - Division of Motor Vehicles.
Fees
In Colorado, a personalized license plate fee is $60.00 (58.00 upon approval and $2.00 when registered), with an annual $25.00 fee collected each year upon renewal for Regular Personalized Plates. For Designer Personalized plates, there is a one-time fee of $85.00 ($83.00 upon approval and $2.00 when registered), followed by an annual $50.00 fee collected each year upon renewal. It is important to note that you must submit your application for approval before paying the required fee.
Plate Characters
In Colorado, you can have up to 7 characters and a minimum of 2 characters on your Personalized Plate for cars and trucks, and up to 6 characters and a minimum of 2 characters on your Personalized Plate for motorcycles. You may use any combination of Letters A–Z (upper case only), Spaces, Dashes, Periods, and Numbers 0–9.
Restrictions
The Colorado Department of Revenue - Division of Motor Vehicles must approve personalized vanity license plates. The following are also prohibited, according to the website:
- Any letter or number combination that is offensive to the general public.
- Any such combination would be deceptive.
- License plate duplication
- There are too many characters or a symbol that is not permitted.
Application Process
Follow these steps to order your personalized Colorado license plate:
- Go to the Colorado Personalized Plate Website for more information on the program.
- Fill out a Personalized Colorado License Plate Application.
- Send your application (no fees are required until you are approved) to:
Department of Revenue
Motor Vehicle Registration
Denver, CO 80261-0016
For more information click on the links below:
