Vehicle registration plates of Colorado

The U.S. state of Colorado first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1913. , plates are issued by the Colorado Department of Revenue through its Division of Motor Vehicles. Front and rear plates are required for most classes of vehicles, while only rear plates are required for motorcycles and trailers.

The basic design of Colorado's license plate, a range of mountains against a white or green background, has been in use since 1960 (except for 1973 and 1975–76). In 2000, a screened, more detailed version of the mountain range replaced the previous dark green version.

Passenger baseplates 1913 to 1974 In 1956, the United States, Canada, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at in height by in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1955 (dated 1956) issue was the first Colorado license plate that fully complied with these standards: the 1954 (dated 1955) issue was 6 inches in height by 12 inches in width, but had non-standard mounting holes.

ImageDates issuedDesignSloganSerial formatSerials issuedNotes1913Black serial on white porcelain plate; vertical "COLO" and "1913" at left and right respectivelynone123451 to approximately 145001914White serial on dark blue porcelain plate; vertical "COLO" and "1914" at left and right respectivelynone123451 to approximately 200001915Black serial on yellow porcelain plate; vertical "COLO" and "1915" at left and right respectivelynone123451 to approximately 290001916Embossed white serial on brown plate with border line; vertical "COLO" and "1916" at left and right respectivelynone123451 to approximately 47000First embossed plate. Serials issued in blocks by county; this practice continued through 1931.1917Embossed black serial on pink plate with border line; vertical "COLO" and "1917" at left and right respectivelynone123451 to approximately 680001918Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; vertical "COLO" and "1918" at left and right respectivelynone123-4561 to approximately 102–0001919–20Welded silver serial on dark brown plate; "COLO." centered at topnone123-4561 to approximately 233–000Validated for 1919 with dark brown tabs, and for 1920 with dark blue tabs.1920Embossed silver serial on dark brown plate with border line; vertical "COLO" and "1920" at left and right respectivelynoneIssued only to new registrants.1921Embossed silver serial on dark blue plate with border line; "COLO-1921" centered at topnone123-4561 to approximately 177–0001922Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; stylized vertical "COLO" and "22" at rightnone123-4561 to approximately 190–0001923Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "COLO. 1923" centered at bottomnone123-4561 to approximately 192–0001924Embossed black serial on beige plate with border line; "COLO. 1924" centered at bottomnone123-4561 to approximately 224–0001925Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; "COLO. 1925" centered at bottomnone123-4561 to approximately 266–0001926Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "COLO. 1926" centered at bottomnone123-4561 to approximately 274–0001927Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "COLO. 1927" centered at bottomnone123-4561 to approximately 308–0001928Embossed maroon serial on beige plate with border line; "COLO. 1928" centered at bottomnone123-4561 to approximately 314–0001929Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; "COLO. 1929" centered at bottomnone123-4561 to approximately 326–0001930Embossed orange serial on black plate with border line; "COLORADO-1930" at topnone12-34-561 to approximately 34–40–00First use of the full state name.1931Embossed black serial on orange plate; "COLORADO-1931" at bottomnone123-4561 to approximately 386–0001932Embossed orange serial on black plate; "COLORADO 1932" at bottomnone-12-345-1-234County-codedFirst use of county codes.1933Embossed black serial on orange plate; "COLORADO 1933" at bottomnone1-1234510-1234County-coded1934Embossed yellow serial on black plate; "COLORADO 1934" at bottomnone1-1234510-1234County-coded1935Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "COLO. 1935" centered at topnone1-1234510-1234County-coded1936Embossed white serial on blue plate with border line; "COLO. 1936" centered at topnone1-1234510-1234County-coded1937Embossed black serial on silver plate with border line; "COLO. 1937" centered at topnone1-1234510-1234County-coded1938Embossed white serial on turquoise plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 38" at topnone1-1234510-1234County-coded1939Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 39" at topnone1-1234510-12345County-coded1940Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 40" at topnone1-1234510-12345County-coded1941Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 41" at topnone1-12345610-12345County-coded1942Embossed white serial on maroon plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 42" at topnone1-12345610-12345County-codedEmbossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 43" at topnone1-12345610-12345County-codedRevalidated for 1944 with yellow tabs, due to metal conservation for World War II.1945Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 45" at topnone1-1234510-12345County-coded1946Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 46" at bottomnone1-1234510-12345County-coded1947Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 47" at bottomnone1-12345610-12345County-coded1948Embossed black serial on unpainted aluminum plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 48" at topnone1-12345610-12345County-coded1949Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 49" at bottomnone1-12345610-12345County-coded1950Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 50" at bottom"COLORFUL" centered at top1-12345610-12345County-coded1951–52Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 51" at bottom"COLORFUL" centered at top1-12345610-12345County-codedRevalidated for 1952 with yellow tabs, due to metal conservation for the Korean War.1953Embossed green serial on yellow plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 53" at bottom"COLORFUL" centered at top1-12345610-12345County-coded1954Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 54" at bottom"COLORFUL" centered at top1-1234A1-12341A-123410-1234A10-12310A-123County-coded1955Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "COLORADO" at bottom, slightly offset to right; "55" at top right"Colorful" at top, slightly offset to right 1234 1234County-coded1956Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 56" at bottomnoneA:1234A:1 toZ:9999Issued in Denver County. 1234County-codedIssued in Arapahoe, Jefferson and Adams Counties.2:1234513:1234Issued in all other counties.1957Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 57" at bottomnone123-4561001 to approximately 203–000Issued in Denver County. 1234County-codedIssued in Arapahoe, Jefferson, Adams, Logan and Morgan Counties.2-1234514-1234Issued in all other counties.1958Embossed green serial on pale green plate with border line; embossed skier graphic at right; "COLORADO 58" at bottom, offset to right"Colorful" centered at top 123 1 to approximately  999Issued in Denver County.2 123 123 123 123 123 123County-codedIssued in all other counties.1959Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 59" at bottom"Colorful" centered at topAB-1234County-codedLetters I, O and Q not used in serials; this practice continued until the early 1990s.1960–61Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; mountain range graphic at top; "19 COLORADO 60" at bottomnoneAB-1234County-codedRevalidated for 1961 with stickers.1962Embossed white serial on green plate with border line; mountain range graphic at top; "19 COLORADO 62" at bottomnoneAB-1234County-coded1963Embossed green serial on white plate with border line; mountain range graphic at bottom; "19 COLORADO 63" at topnoneAB-1234County-coded1964As 1962 base, but with "19 COLORADO 64" at bottomnoneAB-1234County-coded1965As 1963 base, but with "19 COLORADO 65" at topnoneAB-1234County-coded1966As 1962 base, but with "19 COLORADO 66" at bottomnoneAB-1234County-coded1967As 1963 base, but with "19 COLORADO 67" at topnoneAB-1234County-coded1968As 1962 base, but with "19 COLORADO 68" at bottomnoneAB-1234County-coded1969As 1963 base, but with "19 COLORADO 69" at topnoneAB-1234County-coded1970As 1962 base, but with "19 COLORADO 70" at bottomnoneAB-1234County-coded1971As 1963 base, but reflective, and with "19 COLORADO 71" at topnoneAB-1234County-coded1972Debossed white serial on reflective green plate with border line; mountain range graphic at top; "19 COLORADO 72" at bottomnoneAB-1234County-coded1973Embossed green serial on reflective white plate with border line; "19 COLORADO 73" at bottom"Colorful" centered at topAB-1234County-coded1974Debossed white serial on reflective green plate with border line; mountain range graphic above serial; "19 COLORADO 74" at bottom"Colorful" centered at topAB-1234County-coded

1975 to present ImageDates issuedDesignSloganSerial formatSerials issuedNotes1975–76Embossed red on reflective white and blue graphicCentennialAB-1234County-codedCommemorated Colorado's 100 years of statehood. Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new license plate of 1975 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, the first and, to date, only time Colorado has been so honored.1976Embossed red on reflective whiteCentennialIssued at end of Centennial graphic supply.1977–81Embossed white on reflective green; mountains at topnoneAB-1234County-codedLetters I and O added to serials following the introduction of the ABC1234 format. With the addition of the letter O, the die for the digit '0' was changed for better differentiation.1982 – June1992ABC-123July 1992 – December 1999ABC1234January 2000 –mid2015Embossed dark green on reflective graphic plate with white and grey mountains against dark green backgroundnone123-ABC001-AAA to 999-ZZZ (see right)Letter Q not used in serials until 999-ZZZ was issued. Afterwards, Q was added to each position, starting with AAQ-001 to ZZQ-999 and AQA-001 to ZQZ-999, and ending with QAA-001 to QZZ-999. mid2015 –mid2018ABC-123Unused 1982–92 serialsSerials progressed from QAA-001 to QZZ-999, then AQA-001 to ZQZ-999, then AAQ-001 to ZZQ-999. Following this, the letter O was used in every position, with the same order of progression.Reissued 1982–92 serialsRAA-001 to RDP-999 were issued alongside the Q serials. Subsequent reissues beginning with A, B, C and D followed the O serials.mid2018 – presentABC-D12 FYL-P62 Manufactured, but not issued, alphabetically. The most progressive numbers are often found on low-volume special plates, as they are typically issued after being manufactured rather than kept in stock. Letter O not used in fourth position since 2024.

County coding

Colorado introduced numeric county codes on its passenger and motorcycle license plates in 1932, with the order of the codes based on the populations of each of the state's 63 counties at the time. These codes were used through 1958 (except in Denver, which last used code 1 in 1955).

Two-letter codes replaced the numeric codes in 1959, with blocks assigned to each county in the same order. For each code, serials ran to 9999 on passenger plates, and to 999 on motorcycle plates. The move to multi-year plates in the mid-1970s resulted in several counties exhausting their blocks and being assigned new ones.