FAQs - Registration

A newly purchased/transferred vehicle is subject to late fees 61 days after the date of purchase/transfer, if not registered. CRS 42-3-103 states within 60 days after purchase a vehicle shall be registered.

Late fees are assessed at $25 per month ($10 per trailer), or portion of a month, following the expiration of the registration period or (if applicable) grace month; late fees shall not exceed $100 per instance. CRS 42-3-112. Common Examples:

• A customer’s annual registration period expires December 31, 2023; January 2024 is the grace month. Late fees will begin to be assessed February 1, 2024 if the vehicle is not registered.
• A customer purchases a vehicle and their original temp tag expires January 13, 2024 (60 days from date of sale/transfer); if they do not register their vehicle, or get another temp tag, on or before January 13, 2024, they will be assessed late fees beginning January 14, 2024.

Additional information can be found on the Taxes and Fees (Late Fees tab), Inoperable and Stored Vehicles and the Expiring Temporary Tag webpages.

There are exemptions to late fees that include: Acts of God, weather-related delays, office closures and furloughs, medical hardships, information technology failures, military deployment, farm vehicles, and stolen vehicles (CRS 42-3-112). Additional information, to include definitions for these exemptions, can be found on the Taxes and Fees (Late Fees tab) webpage.

Registration fees are based on age of vehicle, weight, original taxable value, purchase date and type of plate requested. Estimates for registration cannot be provided by the state.  Your county may have information regarding registration fees on their website; if not, you would need to contact your county directly as registration is a county motor vehicle office function and fees may vary between counties.

Additional information on the types of taxes and fees can also be found on the Taxes and Fees (Late Fees tab)

A detailed receipt will be sent with your registration and plates (new vehicles/transfers) or with your renewal registration and tabs. If you have misplaced your detailed registration receipt, you can visit myDMV in the Vehicle Services tab to get a “Transaction Receipt” emailed to you. If the vehicle is not currently registered or has expired more than 13 months or been sold, or you are looking for sales tax paid, you may need to request a record search through myDMV if no “Transaction Receipt” is found.

Per statute, an owner may receive a percentage of their current taxes and fees paid on the current registration (of a vehicle they have sold/transferred ownership on) applied to a new vehicle registration (not cash refunds), and may only be used once.   Colorado Revised Statute creates 40-3-107(25)(a)(I) “a credit” (singular) for the payment of taxes and registration fees paid. “The credit” (singular) may apply towards payment of taxes and fees on “a subsequent application” (singular) during the registration period.

While other jurisdictions may have temporary tags that extend longer than the 60 day Colorado temporary tags, registration is still required within 60 days after purchase (CRS 42-3-103), for Colorado residents, otherwise late fees will begin to be assessed on the 61st day at a rate of $25/month or partial month (CRS 42-3-112). If you do not have the required documentation to title/register your vehicle prior to the 60 days from purchase, please contact your county for a Colorado temporary tag/registration.

• You can change your vehicle address through myDMV on the Vehicle Services tab, then click Add/Change a Vehicle Address. You also want to do the same on the Driver License tab as well.

• You can also visit the County Motor Vehicle Office in the county where the vehicle is to be registered. Identification documents will be required.

• No, you can not transfer your license plates to a new vehicle unless they are currently personalized or the vehicle is registered with horseless carriage plates. For more information on our license plate reissue program, please visit DMV.Colorado.gov/NEW-PL8T.

Unfortunately, county motor vehicle offices do not offer refunds if you sell your vehicle during its annual registration period. You can transfer any remaining prorated amount of your registration to a new vehicle (or another person) at your county office. Please be aware that transferring remaining credit is not an option online through myDMV, it must be done at the county.

You will not be able to complete your registration online if:

• Your registration is expired more than 13 months
• An emissions test is required
  • Visit Air Care Colorado to find a location (please note it can take up to 3 days for emissions information to be uploaded into the system, you can then try to register online again)
• Insurance information is not available in the Colorado Motorist Insurance Identification Database (MIIDB)  on our vehicle
• Express toll holds

If you cannot renew your registration online, you will need to renew through your local county motor vehicle office; please check their website for your transaction options.

If your county participates in the kiosk program, you can renew most plates at any kiosk location and have your tags and registration printed in approximately 2 minutes. Credit cards and checks are accepted (a few locations accept cash); fees do apply.

If your temporary permit is set to expire, you should visit your county motor vehicle office to get another temporary permit and order your plates. Some counties may allow you to get another temporary permit if you have ordered your plates online, but that is up to the county. Please also visit the Expiring Temporary Tag webpage for more information.

Vehicles that will not be operated for a period of time still must be registered and must meet emissions requirements to be registered.  A DR 2303 Non-Use of Vehicle form can be used as replacement for proof of the owner’s insurance when the vehicle is in a non-use status. An inoperable vehicle can use the DR2910 Inoperable Vehicle Declaration form.

Please also visit the Inoperable Vehicle webpage. 

Insurance must be Colorado insurance or meet Colorado requirements as required by DORA. See above if the vehicle is currently non-drivable.

Yes, you can register the vehicle in Colorado without it being titled here. The vehicle’s registration must be valid and not over 6 months expired or a copy of the title would be required; a DR2172 Power of Attorney for Motor Vehicle Only must also be submitted.

Please be advised there is a third-party service fee that is around 2.9% of the registration amount if using a credit card; the actual amount is based on the contract between the service provider and your county. If using an electronic check, there is a $1 fee; please note not all counties allow electronic checks through myDMV. The service fee amount will be included in the Transaction Summary during the payment process. If you do not wish to pay the third-party service fee, please cancel the transactions and pay using an alternative method like cash or check to your county. Refunds cannot be issued once your transaction is completed.

The State of Colorado titles and registers ALL trailers. Title applications for trailers have the same requirements as applications for other vehicles. Trailer MSOs that are not on secure paper are not acceptable with the following two exceptions:

1. Trailer MSOs from any person who only manufactures trailers that weigh less than two thousand pounds and does not manufacture any other type of motor vehicle. and/or

2. Trailer MSOs from any person, other than a manufacturer operating a dealership (or as a dealer) pursuant to section 12-6-120.5 C.R.S. who is a licensed dealer selling motor vehicles that such person has manufactured.

Currently the counties of Adams, Alamosa, Arapahoe, Archuleta, Baca, Boulder, Broomfield, Chaffee, Cheyenne, Clear Creek, Conejos, Costilla, Custer, Delta, Denver, Dolores, Douglas, Eagle, El Paso, Fremont, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Gunnison, Huerfano, Jackson, Jefferson, Kiowa, Kit Carson, Lake, Larimer, Las Animas, Lincoln, Logan, Mesa, Moffat, Montezuma, Montrose, Morgan, Otero, Ouray, Park, Phillips, Pitkin, Prowers, Pueblo, Rio Blanco, Rio Grande, Routt, Saguache, San Miguel, Summit, Teller, Washington, Weld and Yuma accept Master Card, Visa, Discover and American Express as a payment option when titling and registering a vehicle. Additional counties may be added at later dates. Please contact your County Motor Vehicle office for updated information.

If you haven't received your registration in 30 days, please contact your county motor vehicle office. You can  “replace tabs” or get a duplicate copy of of your registration from myDMV, an MV Express Kiosk (if your county participates) or a county motor vehicle office.

You can get a duplicate or a copy of your registration from myDMV, an MV Express Kiosk (if your participates) or a county motor vehicle office. You can also link your vehicle’s registration in your myColorado app on your phone, with your verification code.

Yes, effective August 31, 2023, you can use cryptocurrency through Paypal in myDMV. There is a service fee of $1 plus 1.83% of the total for cryptocurrency payments that are assessed by the third party service provider. Additionally, if you purchase cryptocurrency on Paypal, fees may apply.

If you own or operate a business in Colorado or, are gainfully employed in Colorado, or reside in Colorado for 90 consecutive days you are a resident of Colorado. Within 90 days after becoming a resident of Colorado, an owner of a motor vehicle required to be registered you will be imposed vehicle registration late fees.

• New Titles
• Duplicate Titles
• New Registrations
• New Temporary Registration Permits
• New Placards

Click here for Secure and Verifiable Identification Form (DR 2841)