C.R.S. Section 42-3-103
Registration required

  • exemptions
  • rules

(1)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

Within sixty days after purchase, every owner of a motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or vehicle that is primarily designed to be operated or drawn upon any highway of this state or any owner of a trailer coach or of special mobile machinery whether or not it is operated on the highways, shall register such vehicle with the department. A person who violates this subsection (1) commits a class B traffic infraction.

(b)

This subsection (1) does not apply to the following:

(I)

A bicycle, electrical assisted bicycle, electric scooter, or other human-powered vehicle;

(II)

Vehicles specifically exempted by section 42-3-104; and

(III)

Any vehicle whose owner is permitted to operate it under provisions of this article concerning lienholders, manufacturers, dealers, nonresidents, and fleet owners.

(c)

Repealed.

(2)

An owner of a foreign vehicle operated within this state for the transportation of persons or property for compensation or for the transportation of merchandise shall register such vehicle and pay the same fees and tax required by this article with reference to like vehicles. This provision shall not be construed to require registration or reregistration in this state of any motor vehicle, truck, bus, trailer, semitrailer, or trailer coach that is used in interstate commerce, but registration or reregistration shall be required in accordance with or to the extent that reciprocity exists between the state of Colorado and a foreign country or another state, territory, or possession of the United States.

(3)

Every nonresident person who operates a business within this state and owns and operates in such business any motor vehicle, trailer, semitrailer, or trailer coach within this state shall be required to register each such vehicle and pay the same fees and tax therefor as are required with reference to like vehicles owned by residents of this state. This provision shall not be construed to require registration or reregistration in this state of any motor vehicle, trailer, or trailer coach that is used in interstate commerce, but registration or reregistration shall be required in accordance with or to the extent that reciprocity exists between the state of Colorado and a foreign country or another state, territory, or possession of the United States.
(4)(a)(I) Within ninety days after becoming a resident of Colorado, an owner of a vehicle required to be registered by subsection (1) of this section shall register the vehicle with the department, irrespective of the vehicle being registered within another state or country.

(II)

To register a vehicle that is or was previously registered within another state or country, the owner must:

(A)

Provide the department with documentation of the previous registration that contains the dates of the previous registration or a bill of sale for any vehicle not previously registered;

(B)

Provide the department with evidence, described in subsection (4)(a)(III) of this section, of the date that the owner became a resident of Colorado; and

(C)

Pay, in addition to the taxes and fees to register the vehicle, the vehicle’s registration taxes and fees that are imposed in this article 3 and part 8 of article 4 of title 43, and that are prorated from the date the owner became a resident of Colorado to the date the owner applied to register the vehicle, unless the vehicle is Class A personal property or unless the owner registered the vehicle within ninety days after becoming a resident as determined by the documents and evidence provided under subsections (4)(a)(II)(A) and (4)(a)(II)(B) of this section. Prorated taxes and fees are assessed for a full month for the month the owner became a resident of Colorado and for the month the owner applied for registration and a full month for each month between when the owner became a resident and when the owner applied for registration.

(III)

Evidence of Colorado residency may be a Colorado driver’s license or identification, property tax receipt, utility bill indicating the utility service start date, lease agreement or mortgage statement, voter registration card, college enrollment papers or student identification card, tax records, pay stubs or other Colorado employer-issued documents, government or court-issued documents, or other evidence or documents specified in rule. The department shall promulgate rules specifying the documentation and evidence required to comply with subsections (4)(a)(II)(A) and (4)(a)(II)(B) of this section.

(IV)

A person who violates this subsection (4)(a) is subject to the penalties provided in sections 42-6-139 and 43-4-804 (1)(d).

(b)

Within forty-five days after the owner has returned to the United States, the provisions of this title relative to the registration of motor vehicles and the display of number plates shall not apply to motor vehicles registered with and displaying plates issued by the armed forces of the United States in foreign countries for vehicles owned by military personnel.

(c)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(I)

Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subsection (4) and section 42-1-102 (62) and (81), a nonresident shall be exempt from registering a motor vehicle owned by such person if the motor vehicle is a private passenger vehicle weighing less than sixty-five hundred pounds and the person is:

(A)

A nonresident, gainfully employed within the boundaries of this state, who uses a motor vehicle in commuting daily from such person’s home in another state to and from such person’s place of employment within this state; or

(B)

A nonresident student who is enrolled in a full-time course of study at an institution of higher education located within this state, if the motor vehicle owned by such person displays a valid nonresident student identification tag issued by the institution where the student is enrolled.

(II)

Any person who is exempt from the provisions of this title concerning the registration of a motor vehicle pursuant to this paragraph (c) shall comply with the applicable provisions of the motor vehicle registration laws of such person’s state of residence.

(III)

This paragraph (c) shall apply only if the state in which the owner resides extends the same privileges to Colorado residents gainfully employed or enrolled in an institution of higher education within the boundaries of that state.

(5)

The provisions of this title 42 concerning the registration of vehicles and the display of number plates or of other identification do not apply to manufactured homes.

Source: Section 42-3-103 — Registration required - exemptions - rules, https://leg.­colorado.­gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2023-title-42.­pdf (accessed Oct. 20, 2023).

42‑3‑101
Legislative declaration 42‑3‑102
Periodic registration - rules 42‑3‑103
Registration required - exemptions - rules 42‑3‑104
Exemptions - specific ownership tax - registration - domicile and residency - rules - definitions 42‑3‑105
Application for registration - tax - definitions 42‑3‑106
Tax imposed - classification - taxable value 42‑3‑107
Taxable value of classes of property - rate of tax - when and where payable - department duties - apportionment of tax collections - definitions - rules - repeal 42‑3‑108
Determination of year model - tax lists 42‑3‑109
Tax for registration period 42‑3‑110
Payment of motor vehicle registration fees and specific ownership taxes in installments 42‑3‑111
Tax year - disposition 42‑3‑112
Failure to pay tax - penalty - rules 42‑3‑113
Records of application and registration - disability of a driver - rules - definitions 42‑3‑114
Expiration 42‑3‑115
Registration upon transfer - rules - definitions 42‑3‑116
Manufacturers or dealers - fees - rules - definition - penalty 42‑3‑117
Nonresidents 42‑3‑118
Registration suspended upon theft - recovery - rules 42‑3‑118.5
Inoperable vehicle - rules 42‑3‑119
No application for registration granted - when 42‑3‑120
Department may cancel or deny registration 42‑3‑121
Violation of registration provisions - penalty 42‑3‑122
Perjury on a motor vehicle registration application 42‑3‑123
Dishonored payment - recovery of taxes, fees, and plates 42‑3‑124
Violation - penalty 42‑3‑125
Fleet operators - registration period certificates - multi-year registrations 42‑3‑126
Notice - primary body color 42‑3‑127
Sale of special mobile machinery 42‑3‑201
Number plates furnished - style - periodic reissuance - tabs - rules - definition - repeal 42‑3‑202
Number plates furnished to be attached - penalty 42‑3‑203
Standardized plates - notice of funding through gifts, grants, and donations - rules - repeal 42‑3‑204
Reserved parking for persons with disabilities - applicability - definitions - rules 42‑3‑205
Substitute plates - waiting period for reissuance of identical combination of numbers and letters 42‑3‑206
Remanufacture of certain license plates 42‑3‑206.5
Issuance of plates in a retired style authorized - additional fee - rules 42‑3‑207
Special plates - rules - new plates - retirement 42‑3‑208
Special plates - qualifications for issuance of special license plates 42‑3‑209
Legislative license plates 42‑3‑210
Radio and television license plates 42‑3‑211
Issuance of personalized plates authorized 42‑3‑212
Issuance of optional plates authorized - retirement 42‑3‑213
License plates - military veterans - rules - retirement 42‑3‑214
Special plates - alumni associations - retirement 42‑3‑217
Special plates - Colorado commission of Indian affairs 42‑3‑217.5
Special plates - breast cancer awareness - retirement 42‑3‑218
Special plates - active and retired members of the Colorado National Guard - retirement 42‑3‑220
Temporary special event license plates 42‑3‑221
Special plates - Denver Broncos 42‑3‑222
Special plates - support public education 42‑3‑223
Special plates - support the troops - retirement 42‑3‑224
Special plates - Colorado “Kids First” 42‑3‑225
Special plates - Italian-American heritage 42‑3‑226
Special plates - share the road 42‑3‑227
Special plates - Colorado horse development authority 42‑3‑228
Special plates - Colorado carbon fund 42‑3‑229
Special plates - boy scouts 42‑3‑230
Special plates - “Alive at Twenty-five” 42‑3‑231
Special plates - Colorado ski country 42‑3‑232
Special plates - donate life 42‑3‑233
Special plates - Colorado state parks 42‑3‑234
Special plates - adopt a shelter pet 42‑3‑235
Livery license plates - luxury limousines 42‑3‑235.5
Tow truck license plates - conditions for use - transitional provisions 42‑3‑236
Taxicab license plates - taxicabs 42‑3‑237
Special plates - girl scouts 42‑3‑238
Special plates - juvenile diabetes 42‑3‑239
Special plates - Colorado Avalanche or Denver Nuggets 42‑3‑240
Special plates - Craig hospital 42‑3‑241
Special plates - Colorado Rockies 42‑3‑242
Special plates - fallen heroes 42‑3‑243
Special plates - child loss awareness 42‑3‑244
Special plates - flight for life Colorado 42‑3‑245
Special plates - wildlife sporting 42‑3‑246
Special plates - “Protect Our Rivers” 42‑3‑247
Special plates - emergency medical services (EMS) 42‑3‑248
Special plates - Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) 42‑3‑249
Special plates - Rocky Mountain National Park 42‑3‑250
Special plates - Pueblo chile license plate 42‑3‑251
Special plates - aviation license plate 42‑3‑252
Special plates - childhood cancer awareness plate - short title 42‑3‑253
Special plates - Mesa Verde National Park 42‑3‑254
Special plates - Colorado professional fire fighters - definition 42‑3‑255
Special plates - support foster families 42‑3‑256
Special plates - hospice and palliative care 42‑3‑257
Special plates - support pollinators 42‑3‑258
Special plates - Colorado nurses - definition 42‑3‑259
Electric vehicle license plates 42‑3‑260
Special plates - Special Olympics Colorado - short title - definition 42‑3‑261
Special plates - Delta Sigma Theta Sorority - short title 42‑3‑262
Special plates - Colorado rotary - fees - definition 42‑3‑263
Special plates - CASA license plate - definition 42‑3‑264
Special plates - Pikes Peak international hill climb 42‑3‑265
Special plates - epilepsy awareness 42‑3‑266
Special plates - one hundred fiftieth anniversary 42‑3‑267
Special plates - “Born to Be Wild” - gray wolf conflict mitigation and prevention 42‑3‑268
Special plates - “In God We Trust” 42‑3‑269
Special plates - stegosaurus state fossil 42‑3‑301
License plate cash fund - license plate fees 42‑3‑302
Special plate fees 42‑3‑303
Persistent drunk driver cash fund - programs to deter persistent drunk drivers 42‑3‑304
Registration fees - passenger-mile taxes - clean screen fund - pilot program - report - rules - definitions 42‑3‑306
Registration fees - passenger and passenger-mile taxes - fee schedule - repeal 42‑3‑307
Enforcement powers of department 42‑3‑308
Taxpayer statements - payment of tax - estimates - penalties - deposits - delinquency proceedings 42‑3‑309
Permit to be secured - records kept - penalties 42‑3‑310
Additional registration fees - apportionment of fees - repeal 42‑3‑311
Low-power scooter registration - fee 42‑3‑312
Special license plate surcharge 42‑3‑313
Fee for long-term or permanent registration - trailers and semitrailers 42‑3‑314
Military deployment
Green check means up to date. Up to date

Current through Fall 2024

§ 42-3-103’s source at colorado​.gov