Expired License Plate and Expired Vehicle Registration Enforcement

Expired License Plate and Expired Vehicle Registration Enforcement

Published on September 23, 2024

Vehicle Owners Encouraged to Register Vehicles or Renew Registrations Now to Avoid Being Pulled Over and Cited

Denver - Monday, September 23, 2024 - During the week of September 23, 2024, the Denver Police Department Traffic Operations Division in partnership with the Colorado State Patrol, Aurora and Colorado Springs Police Departments, is enforcing expired vehicle registration and expired temporary license plate violations along the Interstate 25 and Interstate 70 corridors.

This weeklong operation is similar to the one DPD conducted in July of this year, which resulted in at least 430 citations and a significant increase of vehicle owners registering their vehicles. The Denver Police Department applauds these efforts but recognizes the problem remains. Therefore, drivers are strongly encouraged to register their vehicles to avoid the $95 fine from a Denver Municipal Code citation.

Previously released information on registration of vehicles:

Denver residents can find information about registering or renewing the registration for their vehicle, branch and kiosk locations, online services and more on the Denver Motor Vehicle website: https://www.denvergov.org/Government/Agencies-Departments-Offices/Agencies-Departments-Offices-Directory/Motor-Vehicle. According to Denver Motor Vehicle, registration of newly purchased or acquired vehicles must be done in-person at DMV offices, and registration renewals must be done online or at a kiosk. Vehicle owners are reminded that while vehicle registrations have a 30-day grace period after expiration, temporary license plates do not have a grace period after expiration.

The Denver Police Department is exercising a clause in its low-level traffic stops policy to allow for the DPD Traffic Operations Division to participate in this weeklong targeted enforcement of expired vehicle registrations and expired temporary license plates.

The low-level traffic stops policy, adopted in May of 2024:

1. Emphasizes officers focus their time and efforts on addressing serious, crash-causing violations

• For example, speeding, reckless/careless driving, disobedience to traffic signals, etc.

2. Limits officers from conducting traffic stops for lower-level traffic offenses that do not pose a risk to public safety

• For example, equipment violations (inoperable headlight/taillight, cracked windshield that doesn't block driver's view), expired vehicle registration, expired temporary license plate, etc.

• Exception: Officers may conduct traffic stops for low-level offenses if officers have reason to believe the driver and/or vehicle are involved in a serious crime, such as auto theft, robbery or burglary, hit-and-run crash, drug crimes, violent crime, etc.

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