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 42-3-242 - Special plates - fallen heroes

(1)
Beginning the earlier of January 1, 2013, or when the department is able to issue the plates, the department shall issue special license plates to qualified applicants under this section for motorcycles, passenger cars, trucks, or noncommercial or recreational motor vehicles that do not exceed sixteen thousand pounds empty weight.
(2)
(a)
There is hereby established the fallen heroes special license plate. The department may stop issuing the fallen heroes special license plate if a total of three thousand license plates are not issued by July 1, 2017. A person who was issued a fallen heroes special license plate on or before July 1, 2017, may continue to use the fallen heroes special license plate after July 1, 2017, regardless of whether the department stops issuing the special license plate.
(b)
The Colorado chapter of the concerns of police survivors, inc., may design the special license plate if the plate conforms with standards established by the department.
(3)
(a)
A person may apply for a fallen heroes license plate if the person pays the taxes and fees required under this section and provides to the department or an authorized agent a certificate, issued by the Colorado chapter of the concerns of police survivors, inc., or its successor organization, confirming that the applicant has donated fifty dollars to the Colorado chapter of the concerns of police survivors, inc.
(b)
The Colorado chapter of the concerns of police survivors, inc., or its successor organization, shall file with the department an annual statement verifying that it is a nonprofit organization.
(4)
The amount of the taxes and fees for special license plates under this section are the same as the amount of the taxes and fees for regular motor vehicle license plates; except that the department shall collect a one-time fee of twenty-five dollars for issuance or replacement of the license plate. The department shall transmit the additional one-time fee to the state treasurer, who shall credit the fee to the highway users tax fund created in section
43-4-201
, C.R.S.
(5)
An applicant may apply for personalized fallen heroes special license plates. Upon payment of the additional fee required by section
42-3-211(6)(a)
for personalized license plates, the department may issue the 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 fallen heroes special license plates for the vehicle upon paying the fee required by section
42-3-211(6)(a)
and upon turning in the existing plates to the department. A person who has obtained personalized fallen heroes special license plates under this subsection (5) shall pay the annual fee imposed by section
42-3-211(6)(b)
for renewal of the personalized plates. The fees under this subsection (5) are in addition to all other applicable taxes and fees.
L. 2012: Entire section added, (HB 12-1023), ch. 134, p. 460, § 1, effective August 8.