WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — Law enforcement agencies across Colorado are cracking down on expired vehicle license plate tags.
Wheat Ridge Police Department (WRPD) said it pulled over a vehicle this week with expired tags from December 2020.
WRPD said it's using this instance of license plates being more than two and half years expired as a reminder that vehicle registration must be updated.
According to WRPD, the citation fee for tags expired for 60 days or or more is relatively nominal, but when the registered owner finally renews the plates they will owe a significant amount in backpay.
"In this particular case the driver was not the registered owner of the offending vehicle; it belonged to a family member," posted WRPD. "But this is a good opportunity to remind you that if you choose to drive a car with expired plates — whether it's yours or not — you are the one who will be ticketed."
Colorado had a new law go into effect March 1 that stiffens the penalties for expired license plate tags or tags from out of state.
Drivers who fail to register their vehicles in time will now be fined $25 per month, up to $100. The vehicle owner will also be charged back taxes from the date the vehicle was supposed to be registered.
New Colorado residents now have to show proof of when they moved here. If they don’t register within 90 days, they’ll be responsible for back taxes and fees.
Drivers must register their new car within 60 days of purchase.
The City of Denver has issued 16,000 citations to cars parked on public streets since the beginning of 2023, as of March 13.
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