License Plates

Transfer of License Plates

License plates in Colorado are the property of the original owner of the vehicle and do not transfer to the new buyer at the time of the sale. Plates may be transferred from your traded-in or sold vehicle to your newly purchased vehicle. You may also purchase new plates from our office. If you decide to use existing plates please bring in the plates and registration from your old vehicle.

Types of License Plates

Basic plate types are available in the county office and others are only available through the state office through a process that's known as Print On Demand. For a tour of Colorado plate types and requirements, visit the State of Colorado License Plates.  Some plates require a donation, so look closely on the plate type you are looking to purchase.  

Print On Demand (POD)

Colorado has many different types of license plates and more inventory types. It costs millions of dollars to maintain this inventory, some of which is never even used. Print on Demand eliminates the waste, greatly reduces county inventories, and saves money.

Only when a POD plate is ordered, will it be printed. It's a common sense solution to unnecessary inventory expenditures sitting on shelves. For more information on this process, contact the Rio Blanco County Motor Vehicle department at 970-878-9460.

Personalized Plates

Personalized plates are available for additional charges.  When a customer requests a personalized plate, they will need to have three versions ready to give our CSR.  If the State rejects it for either the numbers/letter sequence is already taken or they say that it is not accepted, the customer can try more options or not get personalized plates.