Colorado License Plate Lookup

 

Nowadays buying a car doesn’t only mean choosing the one you want and paying money. To avoid further problems you have to learn everything about the vehicle. Most often it is needed when you are buying a used car.

The most important step you need to take is to do a plate lookup. Many services give you this chance free. We offer you to do it through the Colorado license plate lookup. With our help, you’ll get all the data and vital details about your number tag.

How to do a lookup

You can search for vanity-plate information in various ways. However, in any situation, you must initially have a VIN or a number plate. It is located either at the rear part of the vehicle or both at the rear and front.

To do a vanity-plate search, take any of these steps:

1. Get in touch with your state DMV. Yet, this option is not available for all the US countries. If they have it, you can contact them online through the DMV website and request the required info.
2. If you fail with the first option, you still have a second chance. There are many websites that offer lookup services. One of them is our tag lookup, which will provide details on the car record and the registration numberplate.

The license plate number

It is assigned for the verification of the vehicle’s registration. According to each US country, the colors, slogans, and symbols (those numbers contain) may vary respectively. Their uniqueness serves as a connection between the owner and the automobile.

The tags tell us many things about recalls, names, and theft/public/accident records. We may find out if the car has been sold previously or not. Also, they can be transformed. But it is dependent on the state’s law (some do it, others issue new ones).

Registration

In case your car has been titled in another country you need to complete VIN verification.

It should be done:

• During the following 60 days after you purchase it
• Within ninety days (if you have become a state resident)
• In case the owner of the car previously operated within the state.
• If business operators (non-resident) have operated any motor trailer, trailer coach, or semi-trailer in their deals.
• During the upcoming 45 days (after the return of the owner to the US)

You must provide:

1. Emissions proof (if relevant):

• Diesel
• Gasoline

2. Insurance proof:

If you don’t provide insurance coverage in the Registration file, your further actions may be denied or delayed. Before registering your automobile, present any of the below-mentioned papers to your county office.

Those forms of proof include:

• Insurance policy copy
• Security card
• A letter from your assurance company
• Computer printout provided by the insurer
• Insurance proof duplicate
• Electronic assurance proof (otherwise not available to the department): this can be electronic image/verification on the applicant’s phone or other electronic devices (provided by the insurer)
• In case of availability of web-based services, the department can apply the applicant’s insurer-provided web-based services.
• Electronic mail (received from the applicant’s insurer)

Insurance policy acceptable types

• Commercial: it specifies the term of coverage; distinguishes the commercial entity, and covers autos’ and drivers’ fleets.
• Self-insurance: this is a certificate issued by the Commissioner to 25 or more auto owners.
• Operator/Blanket: specifies the coverage term; covers the insured driver.
• Operator Broad Form/Owner: this is not specific; secures all automobiles owned by people or businesses.
• Vehicle Specific: does identification by year, make, and VIN; defines the coverage term.
• Affidavit of Non-Use: those residents, who want to do a record but not use their machines for some time, may fill in the Affidavit of Non-Use and submit it to their county office.

Fees

The amount of payment is mainly based on the empty weight and the model of the machine you have chosen. The additional fees depend on the residence county and the selected license tag.

Currently, the average fee per passenger machine is $45 and for light trucks $90. You should add it to the taxes and get the total payment number. In case you are interested in specialty vanity plates, add $50 to the initial amount.

There is also a so-called late fee of $25 up to $100 per month. It is required on expired registrations. The total amount of additional taxes varies from $22.50 to $55.

Specific taxes

• Their original value is a part of the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (85%).
• They actually depend on the year of manufacture and the original taxable value.
• In the place of personal property tax is the ownership. To assess this there is no need for the operation of the machine.
• The annual specific ownership tax depends on the service year.

Accepted payment:

• Credit Card
• Checks
• Cash

Renewal

To drive legally on the roadways, you must renew your registration with DMV annually. There are various ways of completing this process. The initial notice reminding that your renewal is due is usually sent out by the DMV.

Here is what the notice consists of:

• The due fees
• The local county clerk’s mailing address
• The insurance requirements
• The emissions needs

There are two basic ways through which the owner may do a renewal:

     1. Online

This is probably the most common method. To accomplish it, follow these instructions:

• Visit the Colorado DMV renewal portal.
• Receive your vanity plate.
• Pay the owed fees.
• Give your email address (to have a copy of the documents).

     2. In-person or by mail

For some state residents, these two methods are the most convenient. In case of applying the mailing option, you should have the address to the local DMV. Here are the paperwork requirements:

• The proof of passing the emissions test (if needed)
• The record update notice (received via mail)
• An insurance policy copy
• Charge payments

The charges

Each county counts has different rules on counting truck update charges. Here are the main factors that make sense:

• The weight
• The age
• The taxable value
• The type of a number plate
• The date of purchase

The emissions test

The Colorado DMV will inform you whether you need an emission output test or not. Yet, some models are not claimed to pass it:

• Collector trucks (over 32 years old)
• Hybrid or electric ones
• Those that are under seven years old

Types of vanity plates

The state issues 180 various models. Yet, the country’s iconic look is the white and green mountain design. Most of the plates (80%) are issued with that look.

Here are some examples:

• Group Special
• Regular
• County Motor Vehicle
• Military
• Alumni
• Print on Demand
• Other

How much is a license plate in Colorado?

Here are the charges for the two types of license plates:

1. Designer Personalized (green with purple mountains)

• $85 for application
• $50 for annual renewal
• $50 for replacement

2. Regular Personalized (green and white):

• $60 for application
• $50 for annual renewal
• $50 for replacement

You must do all the payments before the manufacture of your tag. Also, send a completed form DR 2810 (PDF) to the office. After they accept your choice you will get a request notice of each charge respectively.

Why are they so expensive?

The main reason is that it is a tax. The taxes are most often progressive: this means the fee is higher when the auto is newer and more expensive.

Different colors and their meanings

Many of you have probably seen machines with red (rental) vanity plates. This type is for company/commercial and rental owned automobiles. The latter is owned not by an individual.

The red color indicates that the tag is a part of a fleet. The prefix “FLT” must be stamped on the side. They are also said to belong to government vehicles.

The number plates that are for standard cars (possessed for non-commercial reasons) have a green color. Blue-colored ones (that have only numbers and no letters on them) are diplomatic. The newest types are orange-colored and belong to electric trucks.

Limitations

Personalized tags should be approved by the Colorado Department of Revenue. The department allows them to be on motorcycles, vans, autos, and pickups. The following points are not allowed to be used in the case of this type:

• Any letter/numeral combinations that are either deceptive or unpleasant to the general public
• Duplication
• Too many unaccepted symbols or characters

Words that aren’t allowed

Some inappropriate and bad words must not be used on vanity plates. Even the word “pig” is banned to be written on a personalized one.

Colorado has given a 19-page paper listing all those offensive words. A few examples are: “fruit”, “fork*it”, “gotbeer”.

Yet, some of them are really not appropriate. “FAQ” is also not allowed to be used on personalized tags. Here is the list of all of the banned words.

Number of Characters

Here, drivers are allowed to have:

• Maximum of 7 and minimum of 2 characters (for autos and trucks)
• Maximum of 6 and minimum of 2 (for motorcycles)

However, any combination of letters A to Z (only upper case) is accepted. Also, spaces, dashes, periods, and 0 to 9 numbers can be used.

Transfer

License tags are only the original owner’s property. You can’t transfer them to a new buyer at the time of the sale. The only exception is when you need to transfer them from your sold or traded-in truck to a newly purchased one.

You also have the opportunity to get new license tags from the office. To use already existing ones you must bring in the tags and registration from your old truck.

Check how can you search for a license plate in several states: Indiana, Michigan, Hawaii and North Carolina.