For the third time this year, the Denver Police Department will crack down on expired license plates and vehicle registrations, with the next round taking place in November after "vocalized frustrations" from residents, according to police.
In response to those complaints, the DPD enforced registration expiration dates for one month in July and August. During that period, the number of cars registered in Denver County jumped by more than 30 percent compared to previous months, and police issued over 400 citations.
Police in Denver, Aurora, Colorado Springs and the Colorado State Patrol also held a one-week enforcement period in September on the state's major highways.
The targeted enforcement period will start on November 1 and end on November 30. According to a DPD announcement on October 15, police see it as a chance to "take action on the community’s vocalized frustrations over drivers with expired license plate tags and expired temporary plates."
Denver police stopped enforcing low-level traffic violations, including expired plates, in May. Chief Ron Thomas told Westword in August that "there was a better use of our time," and that low-level stops mostly affected low-income Black and Hispanic residents.
Outside of the enforcement period, drivers can still get tickets for expired plates, either by getting a ticket while their car is parked or while being pulled over for other violations, according to Thomas. Driving without a license plate or a plate that is months or years past the expiration date is also grounds for a police stop.
But Denver residents have been complaining about expired and missing license plates since the summer, and some of those complaints were heard directly by Thomas and Mayor Mike Johnston at safety town halls around the city and at monthly community meetings with DPD district commanders. Outside of the enforcement period, drivers can still get tickets for expired plates, either by getting a ticket while their car is parked or while being pulled over for other violations, according to Thomas. Driving without a license plate or a plate that is months or years past the expiration date is also grounds for a police stop.
In response to those complaints, the DPD enforced registration expiration dates for one month in July and August. During that period, the number of cars registered in Denver County jumped by more than 30 percent compared to previous months, and police issued over 400 citations.
The DPD warns that during the upcoming round of license plate enforcement in November, a $95 fine is coming for anyone caught with expired tags. And renewing plates or registration can be even more costly.
Colorado allows a thirty-day grace period for vehicle registrations after they expire, but temporary license plates do not have a grace period after expiration, according to the DPD.
Motorists without license plates can get pulled over at any time, as it's not a low-level traffic violation. The DPD considers pulling over vehicles with missing plates "a priority," according to the press release.
