2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 42 - VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC (§§ 42-1-101 — 42-21-106) › TAXATION (§§ 42-3-101 — 42-3-314) › Article 3 - REGISTRATION, TAXATION, AND LICENSE PLATES (§§ 42-3-101 — 42-3-314) › Part 2 - LICENSE PLATES (§§ 42-3-201 — 42-3-271) › Section 42-3-223 - Special plates - support the troops - retirement

(1)
On or after July 1, 2007, the department shall issue one or more sets of support the troops special license plates to applicants under this section for passenger cars, trucks, motorcycles, and noncommercial or recreational motor vehicles that do not exceed sixteen thousand pounds empty weight.
(2)
There is hereby established the United States support the troops special license plate. The plate shall conform with standards established by the department, and the plate shall feature the statement "Support The Troops".
(3)
(a)
A person may apply for and shall be issued a support the troops special license plate for a motor vehicle if the person pays the taxes and fees required under this subsection (3) and provides a certificate issued by the nonprofit organization selected by the adjutant general pursuant to subsection (4) of this section showing that the person has donated twenty-five dollars to such organization.
(b)
The amount of the taxes and fees for support the troops special license plates under this section is the same as the amount of the taxes and fees specified for regular motor vehicle license plates plus a one-time fee of twenty-five dollars for each motor vehicle for issuance of such license plates. The department shall transmit the additional one-time fee to the highway users tax fund for allocation and expenditure as specified in section
43-4-205
(5.5)(b), C.R.S.
(c)
Upon payment of the additional fee required by section
42-3-211(6)(a)
for personalized license plates, the department may issue personalized support the troops special license plates if the applicant complies with section
42-3-211
. If an applicant has existing personalized license plates for a motor vehicle, the applicant may transfer the combination of letters or numbers to a new set of special license plates for the vehicle upon paying the fee imposed by section
42-3-211(6)(a)
and upon turning such existing plates in to the department as required by the department. A person who has obtained personalized support the troops special license plates under this paragraph (c) is required to pay the annual fee imposed by section
42-3-211(6)(b)
for renewal of such personalized plates. The fees under this paragraph (c) are in addition to all other taxes and fees imposed for the special license plates.
(4)
The adjutant general, appointed pursuant to section
28-3-105
, C.R.S., shall select a nonprofit organization that aids veterans, active service members, and the families thereof to administer the donations collected pursuant to subsection (3) of this section. The adjutant general shall select the organization in consultation with the Colorado board of veterans affairs, created in section
28-5-702
, C.R.S. The organization shall use the moneys to aid veterans, active service members, and the families thereof but may keep up to seven percent of the moneys for administrative costs. The organization may use the moneys to aid veterans, active service members, and the families thereof by making grants to or selecting other nonprofit organizations to provide the aid so long as no more than seven percent of the moneys are used for administrative costs. Once an organization is selected, it shall continue to administer the funds unless good cause is shown for removal.
(5)
Special license plates issued under this section shall be renewed in the same manner as other license plates under section
42-3-113
or, for personalized plates, under section
42-3-211
.
(6)
The special license plates authorized by this section shall not be renewed unless such plates have been issued for at least three thousand vehicles by July 1, 2009.
L. 2006: Entire section added, p. 1484, § 1, effective August 7. L. 2012: (2) amended, (SB 12-007), ch. 88, p. 289, § 3, effective April 6.
This section was originally numbered as §
42-3-221
in Senate Bill 06-080 but was renumbered on revision for ease of location.