Colorado · CO · Vehicles
Colorado: Do you need a front license plate?
Front and rear plates
Colorado requires passenger cars to display license plates on both the front and the rear.
Owners must attach plates to self-propelled vehicles, one on the front and one on the rear. Motorcycles, autocycles, street rods, trailers, and special mobile machinery are exempt and show a single rear plate. Registration tabs go on the rear plate.
What the law says
(1)(a)(I) Except as provided in subsection (1)(a)(II) of this section, the owner shall attach the number plates assigned to a self-propelled vehicle to the vehicle with one in the front and the other in the rear.
Sources
- C.R.S. § 42-3-202 (FindLaw) Mirror of official text · codes.findlaw.com
Confirm with the state
- Agency
- Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles
- Website
- dmv.colorado.gov
How bordering states compare
- Arizona Rear plate onlyArizona requires only a rear license plate on passenger cars.
- Kansas Rear plate onlyKansas requires only a rear license plate on a passenger car, and generally bars a plate on the front.
- Nebraska Front and rear platesNebraska requires front and rear plates on passenger cars through 2028. Starting January 1, 2029, only a rear plate is required.
- New Mexico Rear plate onlyNew Mexico requires only a rear license plate on a passenger car.
- Oklahoma Rear plate onlyOklahoma requires a license plate only on the rear of a passenger car.
- Utah Rear plate onlySince January 1, 2025, Utah requires only a rear license plate and issues a single plate to most vehicles.
- Wyoming Front and rear platesWyoming requires plates on the front and rear, though several vehicle types are exempt from the front plate.