DENVER — Starting on Jan. 1, the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles will implement a new law that will establish a state license plate replacement program that will raise registration costs.
Under the new License Plate Expiration or Change of Ownership Act, license plates from Class C motor vehicles — which includes passenger vehicles, motorhomes and motorcycles — will expire upon transfer of the owner’s title or interest in the vehicle.
Owners can retain the same combination of letters or numbers from the expired plates when registering for a new vehicle, but they’ll have to apply for personalized plates that will then be mailed to the vehicle’s owner.
The state says the new law will improve safety for first responders and motorists because it will ensure that drivers have reflective and legible license plates. It will mean first responders can more easily identify plates and drivers will be able to see the highly reflective plates if a vehicle is stalled on the side of the road in the dark.
The additional replacement expense will be $4.73 for most Coloradans, the state said. If drivers want to keep their configuration on their current plate, they will need to pay a one-time replacement fee ranging between $68.06 and $118.06 in addition to the normally collected registration fees.
