C.R.S. Section 42-3-211
Issuance of personalized plates authorized


(1)

The department may issue personalized license plates for motor vehicles in accordance with this section.

(2)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

“Personalized license plates”, as used in this section, means license plates that have displayed upon them the registration number assigned to the motor vehicle for which such registration number was issued in a combination of letters or numbers requested by the owner of the vehicle, subject to the limitations of this section.

(b)

“Personalized license plates”, as used in this section, includes special license plates that bear the words “street rod” and that may be issued only to a street rod vehicle.

(3)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

Personalized license plates must be the same color and design as regular motor vehicle license plates, must consist of any combination of numbers or letters not exceeding seven positions and not less than two positions except as otherwise provided in section 24-30-2210, C.R.S., and must not conflict with existing passenger, commercial, trailer, motorcycle, or other special license plates series; except that personalized license plates bearing the words “street rod” shall be of a design determined by the executive director of the department, which design shall be different from those used by the state for regular motor vehicle license plates.

(b)

If number plates issued for vehicles include the county of vehicle registration, a vehicle owner shall have the option of obtaining a personalized license plate that does not include such county designation.

(4)

Any person who is the registered owner of a motor vehicle registered with the department or who applies to register a motor vehicle or renew personalized license registration of a motor vehicle, upon payment of the fee prescribed in subsection (6) of this section, may apply to the department for personalized license plates in the manner prescribed in this section. Personalized license plates shall be issued for the annual registration period immediately following the year in which the application is made.

(5)

An applicant for issuance of personalized license plates or renewal of such plates shall apply in such form and by such date as the department may require, indicating thereon the combination of letters or numbers requested as a registration number. There shall be no duplication of registration numbers, and the department may refuse to issue any combination of letters or numbers that carry connotations offensive to good taste and decency, are misleading, or duplicate any other license plates provided for in this article.

(6)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

A fee of thirty-five dollars shall be charged in addition to the registration fee normally due upon the vehicle for the issuance of the same number of personalized license plates for a vehicle as are specified in section 42-3-201 for the issuance of number plates. Upon reissuance of the same personalized license plates in subsequent years, the additional fee shall be twenty-five dollars. Such fee shall be due upon the original issuance or reissuance of personalized license plates other than a renewal of registration under paragraph (b) of this subsection (6).

(b)

The department may provide for renewals of personalized license plates whereby such plates are retained by the applicant in subsequent years upon the payment, in addition to the normal registration fee, of an annual renewal fee of twenty-five dollars for which the department shall provide a distinctive tag or insignia to be affixed to such plates to signify that such vehicle has been properly registered for the year for which such license plate was renewed.

(c)

The fee for transferring previously issued personalized license plates to another vehicle shall be twelve dollars in addition to other applicable fees.

(d)

A person who fails to apply for the renewal or transfer of issued personalized license plates according to subsection (5) of this section shall lose the priority right to use the combination of letters or numbers displayed on the personalized license plates.

(e)

Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) to (d) of this subsection (6), in lieu of such fees, the fee for a license plate that contains only two alphabetic figures and up to four numeric figures shall be the actual cost of issuing such plate.

(7)

All applications for special registration of motor vehicles shall be made directly to the department, and shall be administered by the department. All fees received from special registrations shall be credited to the highway users tax fund created in section 43-4-201, C.R.S., and allocated and expended as specified in section 43-4-205 (5.5)(b), C.R.S.; except that two dollars of each such special registration fee collected pursuant to paragraphs (a) to (d) of subsection (6) of this section shall be remitted to the county general fund.

(8)

The executive director of the department may prepare any special forms and issue any rules necessary to implement this section.

(9)

Intentionally left blank —Ed.

(a)

A person who has been issued personalized license plates pursuant to this section, section 42-3-115 (5)(a), or section 42-3-206.5 may retain the unique combination of letters or numbers of such plate, notwithstanding that the person no longer has a registered motor vehicle, if the person pays an annual fee of twenty-five dollars, which shall be transferred to the highway users tax fund.

(b)

This subsection (9) shall not be construed to authorize a person to reserve license plates for which no motor vehicle has ever been registered according to this article 3, unless the license plate configuration was purchased pursuant to section 24-30-2208. This subsection (9) shall not be construed to require the department to send a renewal notice to the person who retains the unique combination of letters or numbers.

Source: Section 42-3-211 — Issuance of personalized plates authorized, 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

§ 42-3-211’s source at colorado​.gov