No.
Though Colorado caps late fees for driving with expired registration at $100, Colorado drivers must also pay all back-taxes from the time their registration expired when they renew their registration.
The Department of Motor Vehicles charges drivers $25 per month in late fees, up to $100. Drivers must also pay all back-taxes and fees at a prorated rate for the period their registration was expired. Exact rates vary by county.
Driving with expired tags is a Class B traffic violation, and drivers can receive tickets from state or local law enforcement typically ranging from $15-$100. For more serious violations like modifying tags to hide the expiration date, drivers can face up to $300 in fines and possible jail time.
In 2025, more than 1.6 million vehicles were registered for the first time in Colorado, and the state had roughly 5 million renewals.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
The Colorado Sun partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs — bite-sized fact checks of trending claims. Read our methodology to learn how we check claims.
Sources
- Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles Email correspondence
- Colorado Department of Revenue Expiring temporary tags