How much will my plates cost?

What are the ways to renew my registration?
   A: Internet Renewal - NOTE: For online renewal, you may not be claiming military non-residency, you may not have an address change, your plates must be in the renewal or the grace month, proof of Colorado insurance must be posted to the motor vehicle system. You may not renew online for free plates or military plates. To renew online, go to www.colorado.gov/renewplates and follow the prompts to complete the renewal and make payment (applicable fees for credit card or e-check will be added). The tabs will be sent in the mail to the address on the renewal card.

   B: Drop-off Box - In an envelope, insert your current renewal card, proof of Colorado insurance (if required), a diesel emissions test (if required) and a check or money order made out to “County Clerk”. Bring the envelope to any County Motor Vehicle Office and place it in the renewal drop box at the greeter station.

   C: In Office - You may bring your current renewal card, an old Colorado registration, or your plate number, along with proof of Colorado insurance (if required), a diesel emissions test (if required) and wait in line for your number to be called at a County Motor Vehicle Office.
 
   D: Phone Renewal - You may call our office at 719-520-6240 to renew by phone with payment by credit card or check (applicable fees for credit card or e-check will be added). The name on the credit card or checking account must be the same as the name on the registration for the vehicle being renewed. Proof of Colorado insurance must be posted to the motor vehicle system. If your insurance isn’t posted to the system, you can fax a copy of your current Colorado insurance card to 719-520-7796 before calling the office.

   E: Mail - The owner may mail in the current renewal card, with proof of Colorado insurance (if required), a diesel emissions test (if required) and a check for the renewal amount. The tabs will be mailed to the address on the renewal card or, if changed, the new address written on the renewal card that was sent into the office.

I didn’t receive a renewal postcard in the mail. How can I renew?
If you moved and did not fill out a change of address form or notify our office, the renewal card would have been mailed to the address on your last registration. You can call our office (520-6240) to check that we have your correct address, and then renew online. Please refer to the first question on this page for options on how to renew.

I am moving to Colorado from out of state. What should I do?
To register your vehicle in Colorado, the owner(s) or the agent if using a Power of Attorney (DR2175 ), must bring in a current out-of-state registration (not expired over 6 months) or the out-of-state title, a completed VIN verification (DR2698 ), a weight slip if applicable (for trucks between 4,501 and 10,000 lbs), proof of Colorado insurance and Secure and Verifiable Identification. To estimate ownership tax click here (Ownership Tax Table). Additional information is available on the New Resident Requirements page.

I am a military non-resident. How do I apply for the nonresidence affidavit?
A Nonresidence and Military Service Exemption from Specific Ownership Tax Affidavit (DR2667) may be completed if the owner or co-owner of the vehicle is an active duty military member assigned to a unit in Colorado, or was assigned to a unit in Colorado from which they were then assigned to an unaccompanied or remote assignment. The active duty member or the lawful agent with power of attorney can complete the affidavit. The lawful agent must have a copy of the active duty member’s orders and a copy of their current Leave and Earnings Statement.

A completed nonresidence affidavit is required for each vehicle when it is registered for the first time and also upon renewal every year. A current military identification card must be presented with the nonresidence affidavit along with a copy of the orders stationing the owner at a base in Colorado and a copy of the current Leave and Earnings Statement. The license plate fee, a $7.20 title fee and any applicable sales tax will be due.

I am buying (or selling) a vehicle to another private party. What should I do?
In order to transfer the ownership of a vehicle, you must sign over the Colorado title to the new buyer(s). Keep in mind that all sellers and buyers must hand print and sign their name on the title, fill in the purchase amount and record the mileage at the time of transfer. The plates that are on the vehicle belong to the seller (not the vehicle), so it is important that the seller keeps them.

The buyer(s) may drive the vehicle from the place of purchase to their home, or to the Motor Vehicle Office, without plates the day of purchase, but must have the signed and executed title with them. After that day, the buyer(s) must have a current registration for the vehicle in their name in order to drive the vehicle legally. The buyer(s) may complete this title transfer and registration at the Motor Vehicle office. The buyer(s) must bring with them the title properly completed, along with proof of Colorado insurance, a weight slip if applicable (for trucks between 4,501 and 10,000 lbs), proof of emissions (if a diesel) and Secure and Verifiable Identification.

In the event there is a lien on the vehicle for the seller, the title will not be available, so the buyer(s) needs a bill of sale, a letter from the current lienholder stating they will release the title once they receive the payoff from the seller, and a copy of their current Colorado insurance card in order to request temporary tags.

I received a white postcard (Title Complete Notice) in the mail. What should I do?
If a new vehicle has been purchased and financed, the dealership or financial organization submits the title work to the Motor Vehicle Office. Once the title has been processed, a Title Complete Notice (white postcard) is mailed to notify the vehicle owner(s) that the plates can now be purchased and/or transferred.

If you do not receive a white postcard, you may come into the Motor Vehicle Office with your purchase order/sale invoice, proof of Colorado insurance on the new vehicle and your Secure and Verifiable Identification to talk with a technician about registering your vehicle. You also could call 719-520-6240 to speak with a technician.

To plate the vehicle the owner(s) needs current proof of Colorado insurance. One owner must come into the Motor Vehicle Office to show Secure and Verifiable Identification. If the owner(s) cannot come into the office they may complete a DMV Power of Attorney (DR2175 ) appointing someone else to process the transaction on their behalf. If transferring plates, the registration for the previous vehicle is required.

Additional information is available on the page Title Complete Notice.

My temporary tag has/is about to expire. What should I do?
If you are purchasing the vehicle from a dealership, the title paperwork is sent by them to the Motor Vehicle Office. Contact the title clerk at the dealership and ask for the date when the Motor Vehicle Office signed for the paperwork. Then, come into our office with that date, the dealership name, proof of Colorado insurance and Secure and Verifiable Identification to register your vehicle.

If the dealership has not sent the paperwork, you can request an extension of the temporary tag by coming into our office with your proof of Colorado insurance, Secure and Verifiable Identification and purchase order.

When you are not purchasing the vehicle through a dealership, you can ask for an extension of the temporary tag. Bring your proof of Colorado insurance, Secure and Verifiable Identification and title to the Motor Vehicle Office. If you don’t have the title due to a payoff of the previous lien, you will need a letter from the lender stating that the loan was paid off and how long it will be until the title is mailed.

If you are financing the vehicle, you would need to bring a request for a temporary plate from the lender in place of the title.

I have misplaced my registration card or I have lost my tab. What can be done?
To replace a registration card, bring your proof of Colorado insurance and Driver’s License to any of our Motor Vehicle Offices. A replacement registration is $2.20.

If you need a tab replacement, bring your vehicle registration, proof of current Colorado insurance and Driver’s License to any of our offices. The new tab will include a replacement registration. A replacement tab is $2.37.

I lost my title. What should I do?
If the original title has been lost or is considered void by alteration, you may apply for a duplicate Colorado title. A duplicate title may be applied for only on Colorado titles. The owner, agent by Power of Attorney (DR2175 ), or legal lienholder may apply for a duplicate title by completing a Duplicate Title Request and Receipt form (DR2539A ). 

When the owner is applying for a duplicate title and the lien was paid off within ten years of the date of purchase, a copy of the lien release is required.

If your address is in El Paso County, please mail your completed Duplicate Title Request and Receipt form and check to:

El Paso County Clerk & Recorder
Attention: Motor Vehicle Department
PO Box 2007
Colorado Springs, CO 80901

I want to apply for Disabled Veteran plates. How do I get them?
The first set of DV plates are free and are issued by the State. For further information, please visit the Department of Revenue website.

What is the procedure to obtain personalized plates?
In order to transfer to personalized plates the Personalized License Plate Application DR2810 should be completed and returned to the State. When the State procedures have been completed, the personalized plates will be sent to the County Motor Vehicle Office.

At least one owner needs to come into the office with the current registration, proof of Colorado insurance, the back plate (with tags affixed) of the vehicle to which the personalized plates are being transferred, and Secure and Verifiable Identification. A credit will be applied on the remaining license and/or ownership tax towards a full year’s registration fee for the new personalized plates. A new year tab and registration will be issued. Fees will vary depending on the vehicle that is being plated and applicable credit.

The Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles website provides complete information on personalized plates.

I need to drop and/or add a name to the title. What should I do?
The new owner must bring in the title, with the handprinted name and signature of the owner(s) listed on the front of the title, in the seller's area. The name of the new owner(s) will be handprinted in the buyer’s area of the title. A completed VIN inspection (DR2698 ) is required if the title is from out of state. If there is a lien on the vehicle we will need a copy of the loan document, unless the lien is released on the face of the title. There is a $7.20 fee.

I have paid off my loan and received the title from the lender. What should I do?
An owner has a Colorado title for which they have paid off the lien. The owner needs to bring the title into our office, with the lien released on the face of the title by an agent for the lienholder. In order to receive a clear title, the owner will need the title and Secure and Verifiable Identification. There is a $7.20 fee to apply for a new title.

I have a title in a deceased owner’s name. What should I do? 
If a Colorado title is in multiple owner names and one owner is deceased, there are two different ways of determining how to sign the title to remove the deceased owner’s name. 

1. If the notation JTWROS is on the title, a copy of the death certificate for the deceased owner is required. The surviving owner will handprint and sign their name in the seller’s area of the title. The new buyer (or surviving owner, if no sale) will then handprint their name(s) in the buyer’s area and sign the title. If the vehicle is being sold, the purchase price, odometer reading and odometer indicator need to be completed if the vehicle is less than 10 calendar years old.
2. If the notation JTWROS is not on the Colorado title or the title is only in the name of the deceased owner, the surviving owner must disclose if the deceased owner’s estate was more or less than $50,000. If more, Letters of Testamentary or Letters of Administration must be issued by the court, appointing a personal representative to sign off the title for the deceased owner. If less than $50,000, a notarized small estates affidavit (DR2712 ) completed in full by the affiant of the estate and a death certificate must accompany the title document. 
3. To release the deceased owner’s interest, the affiant will handprint the deceased owner’s name on the title in the seller’s area, then sign their name, placing “affiant” or “personal representative” next to their signature. The new buyer (or surviving owner, if no sale) will then handprint their name(s) in the buyer’s area and sign the title. If the vehicle is being sold, the odometer reading and odometer indicator will need to be completed if the vehicle is less than 10 calendar years old.

There is a $7.20 fee to apply for a new title. Registration fees and sales tax will be due if a sale has occurred.

How do I title and register a homemade trailer?
The individual that built the trailer will need to come into the office and complete form DR2409 . Required information includes the owner's name(s), address, empty weight, length and width of the trailer. At least one owner will complete and sign the Statement of Assembly of a homemade trailer (DR2409 ) explaining if this was a kit trailer or if it was assembled with parts purchased by the owner. The value of the trailer is established by the owner. The fee for the trailer VIN is $3.50. Title fee is $7.20. Registration fee varies based on the individual trailer. In addition, secure and verifiable identification is required. 

How do I bond for title?
The bond for title process is complex.  It must be done if the vehicle is purchased without a legal title, the title was voided, the seller cannot be reached, or the Vehicle Identification Number differs in the last six digits and correction cannot be made.

Contact the Motor Vehicle Office to have a bonding packet emailed or sent to you. Email motorvehicledept@elpasoco.com or call 520-6240. The owner may need to come into the office, dependent on the circumstances of the bond for title.

Where can I register my boat, ATV or snowmobile?
The trailer that hauls these recreational vehicles can be registered at the Motor Vehicle Office. The process is the same as registering a motor vehicle.

To register a recreational vehicle, you must contact Colorado Parks & Wildlife at (719) 227-5250. For additional information, please visit the Colorado Parks & Wildlife website.

What are the hours of operation?  When is the best time to come into the office?
We have four offices to serve the public: 

• Main - Citizens Service Center - 1675 W. Garden of the Gods Road - Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Downtown Branch - Centennial Hall - 200 S. Cascade Ave. - Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• Southeast Branch – 5650 Industrial Place, SE corner of Powers Blvd. and Airport Road - Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
• North Branch - Union Town Center - 8830 N. Union, NW corner of Union and Research Parkway - Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. and Saturday 8:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

The offices are usually busy on the first and last days of the week and the month. Generally, the quietest time is during mid week before 10:00 a.m. unless it is the last day of the month.