Denver police increase patrols to target drivers with expired license plates, vehicle registration

Expired temporary license plates and expired vehicle registrations continue to be an issue across Colorado, according to law enforcement. The Denver Police Department says that starting next week, they will increase patrols to encourage drivers to renew anything expired. 

Anyone who owns a vehicle can find information about registering or renewing the registration for their vehicle at branch and kiosk locations, including Safeway and King Soopers, or go online to the DMV website.

According to the DMV, registration of newly purchased or acquired vehicles must be done in person at DMV offices, and registration renewals must be done online or at a kiosk. Vehicle owners are reminded that while vehicle registrations have a 30-day grace period after expiration, temporary license plates do not have a grace period after expiration.

Denver police say they are exercising a clause in their low-level traffic stops policy to allow for this period of targeted enforcement of expired vehicle registrations and expired temporary license plates.

The low-level traffic stops policy was adopted in May of 2024. This includes: 

1.  Emphasizes that DPD officers focus their time and efforts on addressing serious, crash-causing violations

• For example, speeding, reckless/careless driving, disobedience to traffic signals, etc.

2. Limits DPD officers from conducting traffic stops for lower-level traffic offenses that do not pose a risk to public safety

• For example, equipment violations (inoperable headlight/taillight, cracked windshield that doesn't block driver's view), recently expired vehicle registration, recently expired temporary license plate, etc.
• Exception: Officers may conduct traffic stops for low-level offenses if officers have reason to believe the driver and/or vehicle are involved in a serious crime, such as auto theft, robbery or burglary, hit-and-run crash, drug crimes, violent crime, etc.