Types of Colorado License Plates
Colorado hands out more plate variety than almost any state in the country, four background colors, dozens of causes, a personalization option, and now a set of anniversary designs on top of all of it. That's a lot to sort through if you just want to know what you're actually allowed to put on your car, or how much any of it actually adds to your registration bill. Here's the whole lineup broken down by what each category is for and what it costs.
Quick Answer: Plate Category at a Glance
| Category | What It's For | Typical Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Standard (green mountain) | Default issue, no eligibility needed | Included in registration |
| Black, red, or blue | Alternate color, funds disability services | $25 added to registration |
| Columbine | Honors 1999 shooting victims and survivors | Standard specialty fee |
| Specialty / cause plates | Supports an organization or cause | About $50 one-time |
| Personalized (vanity) | Custom character combination | $60 initial, $25 per year after |
| 150th Anniversary | Commemorates 2026 statehood sesquicentennial | No additional fee |
Standard and Alternate Color Designs
Colorado's default plate has real company now, thanks to a handful of revived colors and new anniversary designs.
The Standard Green Mountain Plate
A deep green background with a white silhouette of the Rocky Mountains, a look the state has used in some form since 1960, aside from brief departures in 1973 and 1975-76. The mountain artwork itself got a detail upgrade in 2000, moving from a flat solid green graphic to a sharper, more photographic screened version. It's still the plate most Colorado vehicles are wearing right now.
Black, Red, and Blue Alternate Colors
Revived color options, not brand new inventions. Colorado brought back all black, all red, and all blue backgrounds in January 2023, tracing back to older, once discontinued designs. Choosing one adds $25 to your registration, and that money funds the Colorado Disability Funding Committee. The black design alone had landed on more than 486,000 vehicles by the end of 2025, raising over $12 million.
The Columbine Plate
It carries the state flower and honors the victims and survivors of the 1999 shooting at Columbine High School. It's stayed one of Colorado's most consistently requested designs, with more than 75,000 vehicles currently wearing it.
The 150th Anniversary Plates
Colorado's sesquicentennial of statehood gets three separate plate options: a colorful Centennial Colorado design, a mountain scene Historic Colorado design, and a plain 150th Anniversary plate available to any driver at no extra fee, unlike most specialty categories.
Specialty and Cause Based Plates
Beyond color, Colorado's catalog covers organizations, causes, and military service.
Specialty Cause Plates
A long list, Girl Scouts, Special Olympics, National Parks, dozens of collegiate and military designs among them. Most require the sponsoring organization's approval, run around $50 as a one-time fee, and sometimes ask for a separate donation directly to the group.
Veteran and Military Plates
A wide range, some requiring proof tied to a specific honor. A Bronze Star of Valor plate, for instance, needs documentation proving you actually received that exact award, not just general service records. Certain designs also require reverifying continued service at every renewal, not just at initial application.
Personalized Versus Specialty Plates
A specialty plate is a fixed graphic tied to a cause; a personalized plate lets you choose your own character combination on a standard or specialty background instead. The two aren't mutually exclusive, you can often personalize a specialty design for an added fee on top of both costs.
Vehicle Class and Practical Questions
A few practical details round out the picture once you know which category fits.
Motorcycle and Trailer Plate Options
They get their own smaller, lighter plate format with their own numbering system, and unlike most passenger vehicles, they only need a single rear plate rather than front and back.
Historic and Collector Vehicle Plates
Yes, a historic vehicle registration option for cars meeting specific age and condition standards, which can bring lower renewal fees and its own distinct plate style, personalization included in some cases.
Disability Plates
Colorado issues a disability plate as a more permanent stand-in for a hanging placard, available to drivers who meet the state's medical eligibility standard, with its own shorter character limit if you choose to personalize it.
Trailer and Commercial Vehicle Plates
Yes. Trailers register under their own smaller plate format, and commercial vehicles fall under separate weight based classifications entirely, distinct from anything covering a standard passenger car.
Effect on Base Registration Cost
No. Your underlying registration fee stays the same regardless of which background you pick. A specialty design or color option just adds its own separate charge on top of that unchanged base amount.
Switching Plate Categories Later
Yes, generally, by surrendering your current plate and applying for the new category as its own transaction, complete with whatever documentation and fee that new category requires.
Category Availability for Motorcycles
Most of them, yes, personalized, specialty, and veteran designs all extend to motorcycles, though the smaller plate format can limit character count or how much detail a graphic actually shows.
Where to See the Full Plate Catalog
The DMV's own website maintains the most current list, since availability and specific fees shift over time as new specialty categories get approved and older ones occasionally get retired.
Sources referenced: Colorado DMV (dmv.colorado.gov), Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (AIR program), Colorado Revised Statutes Title 42.