Does Colorado require a front license plate?

Yes. Cars must display one plate on the front and one on the rear. Motorcycles and street rods are exceptions.

What does a Colorado plate number look like?

Current standard plates have three letters, then a letter and two numbers, like ABC-D12. Older plates read ABC-123 or 123-ABC.

What happens to Colorado plates when I sell my car?

Regular plates expire when the title transfers, so take them off. The buyer gets new plates. Personalized plates can be moved to another vehicle.

How long is a Colorado dealer temporary permit good for?

Up to 60 days from the date of sale. If the last day falls on a weekend or holiday, it runs to the next weekday.

Can I get a VIN from a Colorado license plate?

Yes. Enter the license plate number with Colorado selected and the lookup returns the VIN of the vehicle it is registered to, with the year, make, model and trim.

Can I find the owner of a Colorado license plate?

Not through a public lookup. Owner details in Colorado vehicle records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and released only for purposes the law allows, such as by court order or to an insurer handling a claim.

Colorado License Plate Lookup

Enter a Colorado plate number to get the vehicle’s VIN, year, make, model and trim.

Colorado’s standard plate is the green-and-white mountain design, and current plates read three letters, then a letter and two numbers. Plates and registrations are handled at county motor vehicle offices for the state DMV. Since 2022, standard plates expire when a car changes hands, so a used car you buy gets new plates.

Colorado plate to VIN

A Colorado platenumber points to one current registration, and the registration records the vehicle’s 17-character VIN. Enter the plate above to get the VIN with the year, make, model, trim, body and engine. It is the quickest way to get the VIN of a car you are not standing next to: one in a listing, one you are quoting a repair for, or your own when the title is in a drawer somewhere.

Colorado license plate formats

Standard passenger plates use these formats. Personalized, specialty, commercial and motorcycle plates follow their own rules, and every format works in the lookup.

Format	What it is
ABC-D12	Three letters, a dash, then a letter and two numbers, issued on the green-and-white mountain plate since 2018.
ABC-123	Three letters and three numbers, issued from 2015 to 2018.

Colorado requires plates on the front and the rear.

Who issues plates in Colorado

Plates and registrations in Colorado come from the Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles, and people go in person to county motor vehicle offices. Plate Decoder is an independent service and is not affiliated with the DMV or any other government agency.

Temporary tags in Colorado

Colorado dealers issue temporary registration permits that are valid for up to 60 days from the date of sale. If the 60th day falls on a weekend or holiday, the permit runs to the next weekday.

Personalized and specialty plates

Colorado calls them personalized plates, and many of the state’s plate designs can be personalized. Each request is reviewed by the DMV, and combinations it finds offensive are rejected.

Standard plates don’t follow you

Under a 2021 law that took effect in 2022, regular plates expire when the car’s title transfers. Sellers remove them, and buyers get new plates. Personalized plates are the exception and can move to another vehicle.

What a Coloradoplate lookup can and can’t show

You get the vehicle: VIN, year, make, model, trim, body and engine. You do not get the person. See what a plate lookup shows for the full list.

What we don’t show, and why

No owner names, addresses, phone numbers or photos. Owner details in DMV records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, and looking someone up out of curiosity is not a purpose it allows. Any site that promises the owner of a plate for a few dollars is either breaking that law or not going to deliver.

Who can get owner records, and what to do instead

FAQ

Colorado plate lookup questions

Does Colorado require a front license plate?: Yes. Cars must display one plate on the front and one on the rear. Motorcycles and street rods are exceptions.
What does a Colorado plate number look like?: Current standard plates have three letters, then a letter and two numbers, like ABC-D12. Older plates read ABC-123 or 123-ABC.
What happens to Colorado plates when I sell my car?: Regular plates expire when the title transfers, so take them off. The buyer gets new plates. Personalized plates can be moved to another vehicle.
How long is a Colorado dealer temporary permit good for?: Up to 60 days from the date of sale. If the last day falls on a weekend or holiday, it runs to the next weekday.
Can I get a VIN from a Colorado license plate?: Yes. Enter the license plate number with Colorado selected and the lookup returns the VIN of the vehicle it is registered to, with the year, make, model and trim.
Can I find the owner of a Colorado license plate?: Not through a public lookup. Owner details in Colorado vehicle records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and released only for purposes the law allows, such as by court order or to an insurer handling a claim.