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Repealed.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