By Pamela Bacon
Logan County Clerk and Recorder
MOTOR VEHICLE INFORMATION:
Effective January 1, 2022; SB-21-069 concerning license plates and, in connection therewith, specifying that the license plates of a motor vehicle that is classified as Class C personal property expires upon the sale and or transfer of the motor vehicle. Class C is listed as a bus, motorcycles, motor home, passenger vehicle and rentals)
What this means is when you sell or give a vehicle away that is a class C vehicle which is listed as bus, motorcycles, motor home, passenger vehicle and rentals. You may receive credit off of the plate that you had on the old vehicle BUT you will not be able to transfer those plates to the new purchased vehicle. This law requires you to obtain new plates.
- Exceptions: Personalized plates, Americans with Disability Plates and Horseless Carriage plates can be transferred. If you are attached to your plate number you apply for a personalized plate with that number on the personalized plate. Personalized plate fees will apply.
SB21-069 does not affect:
- Class B (Farm Truck, GVW, Light Truck, Rec Truck, Truck Tractors, TVW, Utility Trailers 2001 or more and Semi-Trailers),
- Class D (Utility trailers less than 2000, all camper trailers, all trailer coaches and all multi-purpose trailers) or
- Class F (Mobile Machinery and self-propelled construction equipment) Class B, D & F vehicles can transfer plates from their old vehicle to their new purchased vehicle.
The general assembly declared that it is in the best interest of the people of the State of Colorado to implement a phased-in license plate reissue program that will extinguish license plates upon sale or transfer to a new owner and require motorists to get a new license plate.
- Recent national studies have determined that 4% of vehicles on the road in the U.S. are not property registered or the registration is expired. In Colorado it is estimated that as many as 4 out of every 10 cars on the road are not properly registered and licensed.
- Vehicles out of registration compliance also commonly lack insurance coverage.
- Law enforcement and public safely officials rely on plate readability and reflectivity to maintain safety on colorado roads during critical operations, such as an Amber Alert. Seventy percent of serious crimes involve a vehicle, and license plates are a low-cost and effective way for law enforcement to identity vehicles. License plates must be readable from a safe distance and readable from a vehicle in motion.
- License plates are often the only highly reflective element on vehicles, providing a critically important safety feature for stalled vehicles at night.
- This is the first time in nearly 30 years that Colorado has implemented a license plate replacement program.
- A phased-in license plate reissue program will provide for increased public safety and effectiveness of license plates while minimizing cost and maximizing convenience for drivers.
- On average, license plates lose 50% of their reflectivity within 5 to 10 years of use and the average age of motor vehicles in Colorado is 7 to 10 years.
Logan County Offices will be closed the following days in December:
- Thursday, December 23 at noon and
- Friday, December 24, 2021 and
- Friday December 31, 2021
for the Holidays to allow our employees time to spend with their families.
The Election and Recording Department can be reached at 522-1544 for voter and election questions or recording information. The Motor Vehicle Department can be reached at 522-1158 for license plates/renewals or titling a vehicle. You can also reach our office by email at baconp@logancountyco.gov . Like us on Facebook at Logan County Elections/MotorVehicle/Recording.