Front range police crack down on expired vehicle registrations

(The Center Square) - Law enforcement agencies across Colorado’s Front Range this week are cracking down on expired vehicle registrations.

Colorado State Patrol, Denver Police Department, Aurora Police Department and Colorado Springs Police Department are targeting drivers with expired vehicle registrations and temporary license plates along Interstate 70 and Interstate 25, DPD said in a statement.

Colorado law requires drivers to register new or transferred vehicles within 60 days of purchasing. According to the Division of Motor Vehicles, violating drivers can incur late fees of $25 a month not to exceed $100 total. The state allows for a 30-day “grace period” for the renewal of expired registrations.

“This weeklong operation is similar to the one DPD conducted in July of this year, which resulted in at least 430 citations and a significant increase of vehicle owners registering their vehicles,” the department said. “The Denver Police Department applauds these efforts but recognizes the problem remains.”

Drivers with expired registrations in Denver can also incur a $95 citation under Denver Municipal Code, DPD said.

The department added it is “exercising a clause in its low-level traffic stops policy to allow for” the operation. That policy typically limits DPD officers from stopping drivers for lower-level traffic violations that aren’t a public safety risk.

Colorado Springs Police Department also said it has received complaints about expired registrations.

“CSPD has heard from our community about the frustration that expired and unregistered vehicles have created throughout our city,” the department said in an announcement. “So together with other front-range communities, we are working to address the issue.”