Deputies in Colorado county cite drivers for license plates expired by several years

Plates and tags that expired six years ago: That's what an Arapahoe County deputy pulled a driver over for earlier this week. On Friday morning, it happened again with a different driver, who also had tags from before the pandemic.

The expiration of vehicle registrations among drivers is a problem CBS Colorado continues to report about in the state. An Arapahoe County deputy is sharing how the problem that can be a costly one.

Deputy Thomas Finley with the Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office was on his way to work on Friday morning when he stopped at a red light behind a vehicle that had the expired plates.

"What caught my eye right away was the color, because it was red, so I thought it was a 2023 sticker, because those were red as well. Then, when I got a closer look, I saw it was a 2019 sticker," Finley said. "At first I thought, well, that must be a mistake, but then I ran it through the computer and confirmed it, so I stopped the vehicle."

It's an issue Arapahoe County deputies take seriously. In 2024, deputies issued mor than 2,400 citations for expired plates and tags. So far in 2025, they've issued nearly 2,200 citations.

"All day, every day, we see them," Finley said.

Another deputy spotted an expired tag earlier this week also from 2019. The deputy met that driver about six months ago when the driver ran out of gas. The deputy gave her a warning about her expired registration.

But, this week, that driver was pulled over once again, got her vehicle towed and was cited for an expired registration.

"Every stop is different," Finley said. "There are plenty of times that we give people just a friendly warning to go get their plates taken care of. We're not trying to add financial hardship to people, but, at the same time, they do need to register their vehicles."

The driver who was pulled over by Deputy Finley was cited cited with a $95 fine.

"After identifying myself and telling him the reason for the stop, he just responded that he knew, but he was very cooperative," Finley said. "I tell people they need to get it taken care of and try to remain professional, not judgmental, but tell them that they need to get it done."

Arapahoe County Sheriff's Office is encouraging drivers to check tags and renew them before a small problem becomes a costly one.

"There is a graduated fine schedule," Finley said. "The longer it's expired, the higher the fine. That comes from the state."