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Colorado car registration fee calculator

How much does it cost to register a car in Colorado? Most of the bill is the specific ownership tax, which is based on the car's original MSRP: 2.1% of 85% of MSRP in year 1 ($535.50 on a $30,000 car), falling each year. On top come a weight-based license fee ($9 for a 3,500 lb car), the $12 age fee, FASTER road and bridge surcharges ($37.30) and small clerk fees. Buying adds a $7.20 title, $8.06 plates and sales tax: 2.9% state plus local taxes by address (8.15% in Broomfield).

Your vehicle

lbs
Sets the license fee and the FASTER surcharges.
$
$
$
The specific ownership tax is based on the original MSRP (without shipping and preparation), for the life of the vehicle.
The Road Safety Surcharge is $3.70 lower for periods starting before July 1, 2027, and the electric road usage fee rises each July.
%
State 2.9% plus county, city and district taxes for your registration address (Department of Revenue publication DR 1002). Leave blank if you don't know it.
months
The month after your registration expires is a grace month with no late fee. Count only the months (or parts of a month) after it: $25 each, up to $100.
Estimated total
$3,064.26

Example for a $30,000 car. Enter your own price to update it.

  • Specific ownership tax (1 yr)2.1% of 85% of MSRP, year 1$535.50
  • License feeBy empty weight$9.00
  • Age-of-vehicle feeUnder 7 years old$12.00
  • Road Safety SurchargeReduced rate through June 2027$19.30
  • Bridge Safety Surcharge$18.00
  • Clerk hire fee$4.00
  • County road and bridge fee$1.50
  • Emergency medical services fee$2.00
  • P.O.S.T. fee$1.00
  • Additional registration fee$0.50
  • AIR account fee$0.50
  • Emissions program area fee$0.70
  • Title fee$7.20
  • License platesPair, digital plates and tab$8.06
  • Sales tax8.15% of price$2,445.00

What you'll pay later

Renewal at today's rates: $454.70/yr

5-year total: not shown, because the ownership tax and age fee drop as the car ages.

Estimate only, at today's rates for the same car.

Estimate only. Rates checked October 21, 2026 · Colorado. Confirm with the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles (county clerks as agents).

Colorado vehicle fees at a glance (2026)

Specific ownership tax85% of MSRP (light trucks 75%) x 2.1% in year 1, 1.5%, 1.2%, 0.9%, 0.45%, then $3
License fee, passenger car$6 + $0.20 per 100 lbs over 2,000 ($9 at 3,500 lbs)
Age-of-vehicle fee$12 under 7 years, $10 to 10 years, $7 after
FASTER surcharges (2,001 - 5,000 lbs)$19.30 road safety (to June 2027, then $23) + $18 bridge safety
Other registration fees$4 clerk + $1.50 road and bridge + $2 EMS + $1 P.O.S.T. + $0.50 + $0.50 AIR (+ $0.70 emissions area)
Electric vehicle fees$60.05 plug-in fee (last published) + $26 road usage fee (plug-in hybrid $13)
Title / plates$7.20 / $8.06 a pair
Sales tax2.9% state + local by address (Broomfield 8.15%)

Download this fee summary (PDF)

What this estimate does and does not include

  • Specific ownership tax: a yearly tax in place of property tax, on 85% of the original MSRP for cars and motorcycles (75% for personal-use light trucks), at 2.1% in the first year, 1.5%, 1.2%, 0.9%, then 0.45% in years 5 to 9 and $3 from year 10. The value is fixed when the vehicle is new, so a used car's purchase price doesn't change it.
  • FASTER Road Safety Surcharge: reduced by $3.70 for registration periods in FY 2025-26 and FY 2026-27 ($19.30 for most cars), back to $23 from July 1, 2027. Pick the period your registration starts in.
  • Electric vehicles: the plug-in vehicle fee is adjusted for inflation every July, but the FY 2026-27 amount isn't published. We use the last published amount, $60.05, so an electric total here is a floor: the real bill can be slightly higher. The road usage equalization fee is $26 (plug-in hybrids $13) for periods from July 2026 and $36 ($16) from July 2027.
  • Trucks: the license fee for pickups is set by a declared gross weight table that wasn't available from an official page, so it shows as not available. Heavier trucks (over 10,000 lbs) aren't covered.
  • Motorcycles: $3 license fee, $4 motorcycle safety surcharge and motorcycle FASTER rates, no age fee. The price of a single motorcycle plate isn't published (only the $8.06 pair), so it shows as not available.
  • Sales tax: 2.9% state plus county, city and district taxes for your registration address; the trade-in value is excluded. Broomfield is the example because its county page lists every part of its 8.15% rate.
  • Not included: the Motorist Insurance Identification Fee (set each year, current amount not published), the optional $29 Keep Colorado Wild Pass, the $35 emissions test (new cars are exempt for 7 years), the $25 VIN verification for out-of-state vehicles and county card fees. There is no separate late title fee; late registration is $25 a month, up to $100.
Official sources · Last checked October 21, 2026 · Next monthly check: November 2026

Colorado registration questions

How much is car registration in Colorado?

It depends on the car's original MSRP and age. A new $30,000 car pays about $611 in year 1 ($535.50 specific ownership tax plus about $76 in fees) and $454.70 in year 2.

How much are the fees on a new $30,000 car in Broomfield?

$3,064.26: $2,445 sales tax (8.15%), $535.50 specific ownership tax and $83.76 in title, plate and registration fees.

What does an electric car pay to register in Colorado?

The normal fees plus a plug-in vehicle fee ($60.05 was the last published amount; it rises with inflation) and a road usage fee of $26 for periods from July 2026 ($13 for plug-in hybrids).

What is the specific ownership tax in Colorado?

A yearly tax on 85% of the original MSRP (75% for light trucks): 2.1% in year 1, 1.5% in year 2, 1.2%, 0.9%, then 0.45% through year 9 and $3 after that.

What is the late fee for Colorado registration?

None in the grace month (the month after your registration expires). After that, $25 for each month or part of a month, up to $100, plus the prorated taxes and fees for the time the car was unregistered. Driving during the grace month can still be ticketed.

Colorado guides

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