Colorado law enforcement agencies launch campaign to crack down on expired license plates
With millions of vehicles on the road in Colorado, it doesn't take long to spot one or two -- or more -- that have expired license plates.
"I see ones that are from like 2 years ago like a year ago, 6 months, 9 months. All over the place," Aurora resident Tyler Elliot said.
Local law enforcement agencies say they're certainly seeing a jump in the numbers as well. It's a trend Aurora police Lt. Carrigan Bennett says started during the pandemic.
"The DMV shut down for only a little while, but during that time, people got the general impression that, 'Hey, I don't even need to register my car.' It cascaded into this big thing where it's taken a while to get people to register their cars," Bennett said.
It's years later, and people are sick of seeing it.
"Two years, like what's going on? [Because] two years, you should have your stuff together," Elliot said
"A lot of our community members are very concerned about that, and they have expressed concerns to us," Bennett said. "You need to enforce that, and so we are doing a high visibility campaign."
The Aurora Police Department, Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office, Adams County Sheriff's Office and Douglas County Sheriff's Office are now working together and making it a point to go after those who are violating vehicle registration laws.
If your tags are more than 60 days expired, you could be stopped, ticketed and fined up to $100.
Did you fail to register your new vehicle? The state says you'll pay back taxes and fees dating back to the day the vehicle was purchased.
"It's more than, 'Oh, it slipped my mind.' You had an opportunity, and you didn't take it ," Bennett said. "That's what we are really focusing on here."
You can renew or register your vehicle online. Also, some counties offer personal kiosks or just by visiting the office.
A spokesperson for the state says that to their knowledge all count-operated motor vehicle offices are open.
The money from registration fees helps pay for emergency services and improving roads.
