What is a Colorado License Plate?
The Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles, a division of the Colorado Department of Revenue, issues and regulates all license plates in the state. Actual registration operations are conducted through local county clerk and recorder offices, rather than directly through the state DMV. Residents complete initial registration, renewals, and plate replacements at their county office or through the myDMV online portal.
The standard Colorado license plate features green mountain silhouettes and green letters on a white background. The license plate reissue program, launched in January 2022, requires new plates with each change of ownership for Class C vehicles to prevent the use of older, less reflective plates.
Types of License Plates in Colorado
- Standard Passenger: green and white mountain plate, automatically issued upon registration. Replacement costs $8.31 for materials (plate, year, month).
- Over 150 group special plates cover causes, sports teams, universities, and organizations. Most have a one-time state fee of $50 plus a separate contribution to the sponsoring nonprofit, amounts varying by plate.
- Personalized plates cost a one-time $60 at issuance and $25 annually at renewal. Orders are placed through myDMV or the county office.
- Colorado issues free first sets for Disabled Veterans, Purple Heart, Medal of Honor, Pearl Harbor Survivor, Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, Air Force Cross, and Distinguished Flying Cross per C.R.S. § 42-3-213. Additional sets cost $50 each.
- Vehicles manufactured 30 or more years ago qualify for collector plates, a niche category limited to restricted public road use.
The full catalog is available on the Colorado DMV specialty plates page.
What Vehicles Require License Plates in Colorado?
Colorado law requires registration within 60 days of purchase or transfer and within 90 days of establishing residency. C.R.S. § 42-3-103 sets the purchase deadline; C.R.S. § 42-2-103 sets the residency deadline. Late fees are $25 per month, capped at 100(10 for trailers.
- Passenger vehicles have two plates and pay a base fee dependent on weight: $6 at 2,000 pounds or less, increasing to $12.50 plus $0.60 per 100 pounds over 4,500 pounds (C.R.S. § 42-3-306). An age-based fee from $7 to $12, along with road safety, bridge safety, and clerk hire fees, further elevates the total registration cost significantly above the base.
- One rear plate for motorcycles, base registration fee $3.
- Trailers and utility trailers receive one rear plate. Empty weight of 2,000 pounds or less costs $3; over 2,000 pounds costs $7.50. Semitrailers also pay $7.50.
- Trucks weighing up to 16,000 pounds follow a weight-dependent schedule starting at $7.60, rising to $233 at 16,000 pounds.
- Battery electric vehicles pay a road usage fee of $26 for the period from July 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027, increasing annually through 2032. Plug-in hybrids pay $13 for the same period. A separate plug-in electric vehicle registration fee of $63.05 also applies.
License Plate Rules in Colorado
- Two plates are required on all self-propelled vehicles, one in front and one in back. C.R.S. § 42-3-202(1)(a) governs this rule. Motorcycles, autocars, street rods, trailers, semitrailers, and special mobile machinery require only one rear plate.
- Each plate must be horizontal, at least 12 inches off the ground, centered on the vehicle, mounted on or within 18 inches of the rear bumper, and free of foreign materials. Covers, tints, coatings, or any device that obstructs automatic plate reading systems violate C.R.S. § 42-3-202(2)(b) specifically. The statute names prohibited examples as obscured, tinted, scratched, or dirty covers.
Is Driving Around with No License Plate in Colorado Illegal?
Operating a vehicle on Colorado highways without displaying assigned plates is illegal. C.R.S. § 42-3-121(1)(a) makes it an offense to operate or allow the operation of any registered vehicle not displaying its current plates.
Possessing or displaying a fictitious, stolen, canceled, or altered plate falls under a separate provision, C.R.S. § 42-3-121(1)(b), and carries stiffer penalties than simple non-display violations.
What is the Penalty for Driving Without a License Plate in Colorado?
Colorado fines for plate and registration violations are found in C.R.S. §§ 42-3-121 and 42-3-202, and the leap from minor fines to jail time is sharper than most drivers expect.
- Failure to display assigned plates is a class B infraction under C.R.S. § 42-3-202(3)(a), carrying a fine of $15 to $100 with no jail time and no points on the license.
- Attaching a cover, tint, or device that obstructs plate readability triggers a class A infraction under C.R.S. § 42-3-202(3)(b), with a fixed fine of $100.
- Displaying a fictitious, stolen, or canceled plate or making a false statement in a registration application is a class 2 misdemeanor under C.R.S. § 42-3-121(2)(b). The penalty range is 10 to 90 days in jail and a fine of $150 to $300.
- Operating an unregistered vehicle on the highway, distinct from the display violation described in the fee schedule above, is a separate class B infraction under C.R.S. § 42-3-121(2)(a). Fines for late registration and the $25 per month late fee structure are found in C.R.S. §§ 42-3-112 and 42-3-114.