The short answer
| Question | Colorado answer |
|---|---|
| Late renewal fee | $25 for each month or part of a month after the grace month, up to $100 in total. Prorated taxes and fees for the unregistered time come on top, with no cap. |
| Grace period | One month, for the fee only. Renew by the last day of the month after your registration expires and there's no late fee. Driving in that month can still be ticketed. |
| Fine for driving on it | A class B traffic infraction: $15 to $100, plus surcharges, and no license points. A court may dismiss it if you register before your first court date. |
| Typical late renewal | Our reference car, expired March 31 and renewed in June: $451 + $50 late fee = $501. |
The grace month
A Colorado registration expires on the last day of its expiration month. You have until the last day of the following month to renew. That following month is the grace month: no late fee builds up in it.
But the grace month protects your wallet, not you as a driver. Showing plates that aren't for the current registration period is a traffic infraction by itself. So driving on an expired registration during the grace month can still get you a ticket.
The late fee: $25 a month, $100 at most
After the grace month, the late fee is $25 for each month or part of a month the car stays unregistered, up to $100. The count starts after the grace month, not at the expiration date.
| When you renew | Late fee |
|---|---|
| During the grace month | $0 |
| First month after the grace month | $25 |
| Second month after | $50 |
| Third month after | $75 |
| Fourth month or later | $100 (the maximum) |
A smaller fee applies to some vehicles: a flat $10 in total (not $10 a month) for vehicles without their own power at 16,000 lbs or less, and for camper trailers, trailer coaches and multipurpose trailers of any weight.
The $100 cap covers only the late fee
On top of the late fee, you owe the prorated registration taxes and fees for the whole time the car was unregistered, counted in full months. The $100 cap applies only to the late fee. The law sets no cap and no time limit on the prorated amounts. If a county applies its own limit, that isn't in the law, and we don't print one.
The fine for driving on an expired registration
Driving an unregistered car is a class B traffic infraction. The fine is $15 to $100 if you're found liable. Surcharges are added, but their amounts vary and there's no single published figure, so we don't print one. A class B traffic infraction puts no points on your license.
Dismissal on compliance. Since August 6, 2025, a court may dismiss the ticket if the car was unregistered for no more than four months and you register it before your first court date. Municipal courts charge a $30 administrative fee for the dismissal. The officer who writes the ticket must tell you about this option.
Worked example: the reference car, renewed in June
A $30,000 MSRP car, 3,500 lbs, registered in Broomfield, in its second year of service, at the July 2026 to June 2027 rates. The registration expired on March 31 and is renewed during June. April is the grace month. May and June are late months 1 and 2, so the late fee is 2 x $25 = $50.
| Charge | Amount |
|---|---|
| Specific ownership tax | $382.50 |
| License fee | $9.00 |
| Age-of-vehicle fee | $12.00 |
| Road Safety Surcharge | $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. Board fee | $1.00 |
| Additional registration fee | $0.50 |
| AIR account fee | $0.50 |
| Emissions program area fee | $0.70 |
| Renewal subtotal | $451.00 |
| Late fee (2 months after the grace month) | $50.00 |
| Total | $501.00 |
This leaves out the Motorist Insurance Identification Fee, because its current amount isn't published on the official pages (our calculator leaves it out too). If an emissions test is due this cycle, add $35.
Our Colorado calculator gives the same $501: choose renewal, second year of service, and enter 2 in "Months late (after the grace month)".
When there's no late fee
The law excuses the late fee for commercial vehicles that sat unused for at least a full registration period (the taxes and fees are still owed before they go back on the road), for active military serving outside Colorado whose car wasn't driven in the state (with orders as evidence), and for stolen vehicles. By rule, it can also be waived for acts of God and weather delays, office closures, medical hardships and computer system failures.
How to renew
Renew online at myDMV, where your tabs are mailed, or at your county motor vehicle office. In the emissions program area (the Denver metro area and parts of other counties), a car more than seven model years old needs a passing emissions test every two years before it can renew: $35 at an Air Care Colorado station. Electric cars and motorcycles don't need a test.
A possible change after the November 2026 election
A 2026 law (HB 26-1430) would lower the late fee to $15.50 a month, capped at $62, but only if a transportation-funding constitutional measure passes at the November 2026 election. It is not in effect. Today's law is $25 a month, capped at $100.
Other states
For other states, see car registration late fees by state and what an expired registration ticket costs. Similar guides: Washington, Ohio and Illinois.
What this guide doesn't cover
Surcharge amounts on the ticket, county limits on back taxes, the Motorist Insurance Identification Fee, trucks and commercial vehicles beyond the exemption above, and suspended registrations.
Bought or sold a car? See Colorado title transfer fees.
Frequently asked questions
How much will I owe if my Colorado registration is 3 months expired?
The first month after expiry is the grace month, with no fee. The next two are late months at $25 each, so the late fee is $50. A fourth late month or more brings it to the $100 maximum. The prorated taxes and fees for the unregistered time come on top of the renewal.
Is there a grace period for expired registration in Colorado?
Yes, one month, but only for the late fee. You can renew until the last day of the month after expiry with no late fee. Driving in that month can still be ticketed.
What is the fine for expired registration in Colorado?
It's a class B traffic infraction: $15 to $100 plus surcharges, with no license points.
I got a ticket for expired registration. Can it be dismissed?
Possibly. A court may dismiss it if the car was unregistered for no more than four months and you register it before your first court date. Municipal courts charge a $30 dismissal fee.
Does the grace month mean I can drive on expired tags?
No. It only stops the late fee. Driving on an expired registration is a traffic infraction from the day after it expires.
Does the $100 cap mean I can't owe more than $100?
No. The cap covers only the late fee. The prorated registration taxes and fees for the whole unregistered time are owed on top, with no cap.
Calculate your Colorado fees
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
Total excludes items marked "not available".
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.
Rates and sources for every fee are on the Colorado car registration fee calculator page.
- Colorado Revised Statutes 42-3-112 (late fee $25 per month after the grace month, $100 maximum; flat $10 for vehicles without motive power and camper trailers; prorated back taxes and fees; exemptions) (cited by name, not linked)
- Colorado Revised Statutes 42-3-114 (registration expires on the last day of the month; renew by the last day of the following month) (cited by name, not linked)
- Colorado Revised Statutes 42-3-121 (driving an unregistered vehicle: class B traffic infraction) (cited by name, not linked)
- Colorado Revised Statutes 42-4-1701 (class B traffic infraction: $15 to $100, no points) (cited by name, not linked)
- Colorado Revised Statutes 42-4-1720 (dismissal on compliance, from August 6, 2025) (cited by name, not linked)
- Colorado DMV – Vehicle registration
- Colorado DMV – Taxes and fees
- Colorado DMV – Form DR 2468 (late fee $25 per month after the grace month, $100 maximum)
- Colorado DMV – Online or in-office (online services; in-office appointments)
- Colorado DMV – Gas emissions requirements (emissions test schedule)
- Colorado DMV – myDMV online renewal
- Colorado DMV – Motor vehicle registration fees (renewal fees in the worked example)
- City and County of Broomfield – Motor vehicle title and registration fees
General information, not tax or legal advice. Fees and tax rules change; confirm with the agency listed before you pay.
Related guides
- PenaltiesCar registration late fees in all 50 statesLate registration renewal fees by state from official sources: $5 in Missouri, $10 in Michigan and Virginia, $20 in Illinois, none in Maryland or Pennsylvania.Read guide →
- ColoradoColorado Car Title Transfer Fees: $7.20 Title Fee and Sales Tax Set by Your AddressColorado title transfer: $7.20 title fee, 2.90% state sales tax plus local rates by address, 60-day deadline and no late title fee. Broomfield example.Read guide →
- MississippiMississippi Car Title Transfer Fees: $9 Title, 5% Tax and the Ad Valorem TaxMississippi title transfer: $9 title fee, 30 business days to register, a special 5% vehicle tax, family exemptions with siblings, and county ad valorem tax.Read guide →