Colorado § 42-3-254 - Special plates - Colorado professional fire fighters - definition.

§ 42-3-254. Special plates - Colorado professional fire fighters - definition.

(1) The department shall issue special license plates to qualified applicants in accordance with this section for motorcycles, passenger cars, trucks, or noncommercial or recreational motor vehicles that do not exceed sixteen thousand pounds empty weight.

(2) (a) There is hereby established the Colorado professional fire fighters license plate.

(b) The department shall use a design from an organization meeting the standards of subsection (3) of this section, but the design must conform to department standards and be approved by the department.

(3) (a) At least once every five years, the department shall designate an organization to qualify applicants to be issued the Colorado professional fire fighters license plate. The organization must:

(I) Be headquartered in Colorado;

(II) Have been in existence for at least fifteen years;

(III) Have a minimum of three thousand members residing in Colorado;

(IV) Be a nonprofit organization exempt from taxation; and

(V) Provide aid and support, either directly or through an affiliated entity, to Colorado professional fire fighters.

(b) (I) A person may apply for a Colorado professional fire fighters license plate if the person pays the taxes and fees required under this section and provides to the department or an authorized agent a certificate issued by the organization chosen in accordance with this subsection (3) confirming that the applicant has made a donation to the designated organization and that the applicant is a member in good standing of the designated organization. The organization may establish a minimum donation amount to qualify for the plate. The organization must verify that the person requesting a certificate is or was a professional fire fighter and shall provide a certificate only to an individual who is or was a professional fire fighter.

(II) The organization chosen in accordance with this subsection (3) shall use the donation required in this subsection (3)(b) to directly aid and support first responders, fire fighters, and family members of first responders or fire fighters. The organization shall file an annual statement accounting for the collection and use of the donations.

(c) To qualify applicants to have a Colorado professional fire fighters license plate, the organization chosen in accordance with this subsection (3) must file with the department an annual statement verifying that it is a nonprofit organization.

(d) A signed affidavit, submitted under penalty of perjury, is sufficient evidence that the organization has met the minimum membership as required in subsection (3)(a)(III) of this section.

(4) The amount of the taxes and fees for special license plates under this section is the same as the amount of the taxes and fees for regular motor vehicle license plates; except that the department shall collect an additional one-time fee of twenty-five dollars for issuance or replacement of the license plate. The department shall transmit the additional one-time fee to the state treasurer, who shall credit the fee to the highway users tax fund created in section 43-4-201.

(4.5) [Editor's note: This version of subsection (4.5) is effective until January 1, 2028.] Notwithstanding section 42-3-115 (5)(b)(I), whenever a person who has been issued the Colorado professional fire fighters license plate transfers or assigns the person's title or interest in a motorcycle, passenger car, truck, or noncommercial or recreational motor vehicle upon which the license plate is affixed, the license plate expires and the department shall not transfer the license plate to another motor vehicle. A person whose license plate expires due to the operation of this subsection (4.5) may apply again for the Colorado professional fire fighters license plate if the person pays the taxes and fees required under this section and fulfills the other requirements in this section.

(4.5) [Editor's note: This version of subsection (4.5) is effective January 1, 2028.] Notwithstanding section 42-3-115 (5)(a), whenever a person who has been issued the Colorado professional fire fighters license plate transfers or assigns the person's title or interest in a motorcycle, passenger car, truck, or noncommercial or recreational motor vehicle upon which the license plate is affixed, the license plate expires and the department shall not transfer the license plate to another motor vehicle. A person whose license plate expires due to the operation of this subsection (4.5) may apply again for the Colorado professional fire fighters license plate if the person pays the taxes and fees required under this section and fulfills the other requirements in this section.

(5) The general assembly determines that the Colorado professional fire fighters license plate is a distinctive special license plate, and, therefore, section 42-3-207 (5), (6), and (7) does not apply to this section.

(6) For the purposes of this section, "professional fire fighter" means an officer of or member of the following if the officer or member receives compensation to directly end destructive fires:

(a) A fire department; or

(b) A fire-fighting agency of the state or of a political subdivision of the state.

Source: L. 2019: Entire section added, (SB 19-167), ch. 221, p. 2247, § 1, effective August 2. L. 2021: (3)(a)(II) amended and (3)(d) added, (HB 21-1218), ch. 120, p. 460, § 1, effective September 7. L. 2024: (4.5) added, (HB 24-1319), ch. 227, p. 1402, § 1, effective August 7. L. 2026: (4.5) amended, (HB 26-1053), ch. 347, p. 2109, § 4, effective January 1, 2028.