Colorado Department of Revenue
Audio By Carbonatix
More than 325,000 people have so-called special Colorado license plates honoring various groups in the state, with the numbers of the ten most popular ranging from a few thousand to nearly 100,000. Because of rules set up by the Colorado Department of Revenue, fourteen less popular special plates seemed likely to be eliminated either this year or next year because not enough people had requested them. But all of them will survive thanks to a last-minute reprieve.
The reason the state balked is likely due to a fear that the move would anger some of the powerful organizations represented by plates on the chopping block, including three major sports franchises in Denver and the Girl Scouts.
As recently noted by 9News, the State of Colorado set a standard of 3,000 registrations per year to determine whether specific plates would continue to be issued. If a plate fell short in one year, officials typically sent the group behind them a letter informing them that they had one year to boost the total above the minimum standard. Should registrations fall short for a second year, the plate would be retired.
But that changed last Friday, June 30, one day before the July 1 deadline, when state officials determined that the word “may” in front of the word “retire” in statutory language gave them the option of bidding the plates farewell or not. And they chose “not.”
Below, see the ten most popular Colorado special license plates, whose registrations through late February (the most complete data available) range from just over 6,000 to 96,000-plus. Then, on page two of this post, see the special Colorado plates that were teetering on the brink. Note that college license plates survive if they attract just 500 registrations – but one school was nowhere close to that number.
Ten most popular Colorado specialty license plates 2017:
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 1: Columbine
Number of registered plates: 96,144
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 2: Pioneer
Number of registered plates: 36,372
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 3: Breast Cancer (Modified)
Number of registered plates: 23,405
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 4: Firefighter
Number of registered plates: 19,538
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 5: Broncos Charities
Number of registered plates: 17,985
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 6: Ski Country USA
Number of registered plates: 17,477
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 7: Adopt a Shelter Pet
Number of registered plates: 15,664
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 8: Air Force Commemorative
Number of registered plates: 11,728
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 9: Support the Troops
Number of registered plates: 9,488
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 10: Donate Life
Number of registered plates: 6,531
Continue to see the fourteen Colorado specialty license plates that were on the cusp of disappearing before they received a last-minute reprieve.
Colorado specialty license plate that was initially slated to be retired on July 1, 2017, if it didn’t reach 500:
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 1: Fort Lewis
Number of registered plates: 54
Colorado specialty license plates that were initially slated to be retired on July 1, 2017, if they didn’t reach 3,000:
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 1: Support the Horse
Number of registered plates: 2,862
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 2: Colorado Avalanche
Number of registered plates: 2,277
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 3: Kids First
Number of registered plates: 2,175
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 4: State Parks
Number of registered plates: 2,104
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 5: Child Loss Awareness
Number of registered plates: 1,492
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 6: Carbon Fund
Number of registered plates: 1,209
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 7: Support Education
Number of registered plates: 653
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 8: Denver Nuggets
Number of registered plates: 453
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 9: Craig Hospital
Number of registered plates: 412
Colorado specialty license plates that were to be given a year’s grace period on July 1, 2017, if they didn’t reach 3,000:
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 1: Fallen Heroes
Number of registered plates: 2,931
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 2: Protect Our Rivers
Number of registered plates: 1,948
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 3: Colorado Rockies
Number of registered plates: 1,896
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 4: Flight for Life
Number of registered plates: 625
Colorado Department of Revenue
Number 5: Girl Scouts
Number of registered plates: 285
