Colorado law enforcement agencies ticket drivers with expired license plates
Law enforcement agencies across Colorado are looking for and ticketing anyone with expired license plates, including expired temporary tags and registration.
The agencies include the Denver Police Department, Aurora Police Department, Colorado Springs Police Department, Colorado State Patrol, El Paso County Sheriff's Office, Fountain Police Department, Monument Police Department, and the Pueblo Police Department.
CBS Colorado First Alert Traffic Tracker Reporter Brian Sherrod joined the Colorado State Patrol on their enforcement Monday morning in Commerce City. In the span of one hour, they pulled over three drivers with expired license plates and temporary stickers.
The first driver was pulled over only two minutes after their enforcement began at the intersection of US 85 and 76th Avenue. This driver had a temporary tag dated Nov. 20, 2024. Not only was the temp plate expired, but the driver had no proof of insurance, no valid driver's license, and a child in the back seat of the car was not buckled up. The passenger in the back seat was holding on to the child. The driver now has a summons with a mandatory court appearance.
Less than 20 minutes later, another driver was pulled over for an expired sticker. This was at the intersection of Pecos and Hwy 36. It was dated for 2024 when it should be the current 2025 or upcoming 2026 sticker. The difference is with the sticker's color: green is 2024, orange is 2025, and yellow is 2026. This driver also received a ticket.
Troopers say they hate having to pull over drivers for this, but if you crash and have a temporary license plate or sticker, it can cause even more issues.
"It could be a huge deal, especially when dealing with insurance with the license plates," Trooper Rey Avila, Colorado State Patrol said. "It depends on the expiration plates because some of them might not be covered. If you ever need a tow, some do not tow your vehicle when the license plate is expired."
Troopers say right now is the best time for you to call the DMV and set up an appointment if you have not already. The longer you wait, the higher your ticket.
