Colorado temp tag laws give you 60 days from the purchase date to complete permanent vehicle registration, and the temporary tag issued by your dealer or county motor vehicle office covers that window.1Justia. Colorado Code 42-3-103 – Registration Required Miss the deadline and late fees start the next day. Alter the tag and you’re looking at a criminal charge, not a fine.
How Long Your Temp Tag Lasts
Every Colorado temp tag prints with an expiration date tied to the 60-day registration window. The tag also shows the vehicle identification number and a temporary registration number, all generated through an electronic system approved by the Colorado Department of Revenue.2Legal Information Institute. 1 CCR 204-10-34 – Dealer Issued Temporary Registration Permits Dealers print it at the point of sale and mount it where your permanent plate will go, not in the rear window. Colorado requires plates to be clearly visible from the rear and no lower than 12 inches from the ground.
For a private-party purchase, the buyer takes proof of purchase documentation to a county motor vehicle office and the county issues the tag directly. Either way, the 60-day clock starts on the purchase date.
Getting a Second Tag Before Yours Expires
If day 60 is approaching and you still don’t have everything you need to register, act before the tag expires. The Colorado DMV instructs buyers to contact the dealership or county motor vehicle office in advance to request a second temporary tag.3Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Expiring Temporary Tags
A dealer can issue a second tag only if specific conditions are met: the dealer issued the original tag at the time of sale, title delivery is still incomplete after 60 days, and the dealer has taken every reasonable step to get the title processed.4Justia. Colorado Code 42-3-203 – Standardized Plates If the dealer’s paperwork is the holdup, this is the mechanism that keeps you legal. County offices can also issue temporary tags when documentation problems cause delays, though availability and eligibility vary by county. Some counties describe this as a 30-day extension.
Don’t wait until the last day. County offices may require appointments, and processing isn’t instant.
Late Fees After Expiration
Once your temp tag expires without a permanent registration or a second tag in place, Colorado charges $25 for each month or partial month the vehicle stays unregistered, capped at $100.5FindLaw. Colorado Code 42-3-112 – Late Fees Four months late and fourteen months late cost the same $100 in late fees, but that amount stacks on top of the registration taxes and title fees you already owe.
The same $25-per-month structure applies even if your delay was caused by a temp tag from another state. Colorado residents have 60 days from purchase to register regardless of how long a selling state’s tag remains valid.6Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. FAQs – Registration
Driving on an Expired Tag
Operating a vehicle that isn’t registered and doesn’t display valid plates is a Class B traffic infraction in Colorado.7Justia. Colorado Code 42-3-121 – Violation of Registration Provisions – Penalty The fine ranges from $15 to $100. Class B infractions carry no points against your driving record; the Colorado Department of Revenue has no authority to assess points for this category of violation.8FindLaw. Colorado Code 42-4-1701 – Traffic Offenses and Infractions The traffic fine is usually the smallest piece: late registration fees, potential towing, and the time cost of a stop pile on quickly.
Altered, Fictitious, or Stolen Tags
Colorado treats tag tampering as a criminal matter. Displaying a tag you know to be fictitious, stolen, canceled, or altered is a Class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense.7Justia. Colorado Code 42-3-121 – Violation of Registration Provisions – Penalty This covers changing an expiration date with a marker, fabricating a tag entirely, using someone else’s plates, or displaying a tag that’s been revoked. Colorado courts have also held that altering a temporary plate can be prosecuted separately under the state’s forgery statute.
Making a false statement or concealing information on a registration application falls under the same Class 2 misdemeanor classification.7Justia. Colorado Code 42-3-121 – Violation of Registration Provisions – Penalty Because every dealer-issued temp tag is logged in the state’s electronic system, an officer can verify authenticity during a stop in seconds.
Buying a Vehicle Out of State
If you buy in another state and drive the vehicle back, the selling state may issue its own temporary permit for the trip. Colorado does not guarantee it will honor another state’s temp tag past Colorado’s 60-day registration deadline.6Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. FAQs – Registration Even a 90-day out-of-state tag doesn’t extend your Colorado clock. Late fees start on day 61 measured from the purchase date, not the day you crossed the state line.
Once you’re home, take your title or bill of sale, proof of insurance, and any paperwork from the selling state to your county motor vehicle office. If you’re waiting on title documents from the out-of-state seller, the county can issue a Colorado temporary tag to cover the delay.
Emissions Testing Can Eat Your 60 Days
Vehicles registered in the Denver metro or North Front Range may need an emissions inspection before permanent registration is possible. Gasoline-powered vehicles over seven years old require testing in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas, Jefferson, Larimer, and Weld counties.9AirCare Colorado. FAQ The requirement also applies if your vehicle is registered outside the program area but you drive into it at least 90 days per year for work or school.
Testing stations can back up at month-end, when many registrations come due. Schedule the test early in your 60-day window, not on day 55.