A Bill for an Act
Page 1, Line 101Concerning the creation of a fallen firefighter special
Page 1, Line 102license plate.
Bill Summary
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at http://leg.colorado.gov.)
The bill creates the fallen firefighter special license plate. An applicant becomes eligible to use the plate by providing a certificate to the department of revenue (department) confirming that the applicant has made a donation to a nonprofit organization (organization) designated by the department based on the organization's provision of services to the families of firefighters who have died in the line of duty.
In addition to the normal fees for a license plate, a person must pay 2 additional one-time fees in the amount of $25, one of which is credited to the highway users tax fund and the other to the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account.
Page 2, Line 1Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:
Page 2, Line 2SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 42-3-272 as
Page 2, Line 3follows:
Page 2, Line 442-3-272. Special plates - fallen firefighter.
Page 2, Line 5(1) Beginning on the earlier of January 1, 2027, or when
Page 2, Line 6the department is able to issue the plates, the department shall
Page 2, Line 7issue special license plates to qualified applicants in accordance
Page 2, Line 8with this section for motorcycles, passenger cars, trucks, or
Page 2, Line 9noncommercial or recreational motor vehicles that do not
Page 2, Line 10exceed sixteen thousand pounds empty weight.
Page 2, Line 11(2) (a) The fallen firefighter special license plate is
Page 2, Line 12established.
Page 2, Line 13(b) The department shall approve and use a design for the
Page 2, Line 14license plate, which design must conform to standards set by the
Page 2, Line 15department.
Page 2, Line 16(3) (a) At least once every five years, the department
Page 2, Line 17shall designate one or more organizations to qualify applicants
Page 2, Line 18to be issued the fallen firefighter special license plate. An
Page 2, Line 19organization is eligible to be designated if the organization is a
Page 2, Line 20nonprofit organization exempt from taxation and:
Page 2, Line 21(I) Is located in Colorado;
Page 2, Line 22(II) Has been in existence for at least fifteen years; and
Page 2, Line 23(III) Provides counseling, support, legal aid, education
Page 3, Line 1assistance, or job training to the families of firefighters who
Page 3, Line 2have died in the line of duty or offers scholarships to the
Page 3, Line 3children of fallen firefighters.
Page 3, Line 4(b) A person may apply for a fallen firefighter special
Page 3, Line 5license plate if the person pays the taxes and fees required
Page 3, Line 6under this section and provides to the department a certificate
Page 3, Line 7issued by the organization designated in accordance with
Page 3, Line 8subsection (3)(a) of this section confirming that the applicant
Page 3, Line 9has made a donation to the organization. The organization may
Page 3, Line 10establish a minimum donation amount to qualify for the license
Page 3, Line 11plate.
Page 3, Line 12(c) The organization designated in accordance with
Page 3, Line 13subsection (3)(a) of this section shall file with the department
Page 3, Line 14an annual statement verifying that the organization is a
Page 3, Line 15nonprofit organization.
Page 3, Line 16(4) The amount of the taxes and fees required for special
Page 3, Line 17license plates under this section is the same as the amount of the
Page 3, Line 18taxes and fees for regular motor vehicle license plates; except
Page 3, Line 19that the department shall collect the fee specified in section
Page 3, Line 2042-3-312 and an additional one-time fee of twenty-five dollars
Page 3, Line 21for issuance or replacement of the special license plates. The
Page 3, Line 22department shall transmit the additional one-time fee to the
Page 3, Line 23state treasurer, who shall credit the fee to the highway users
Page 3, Line 24tax fund created in section 43-4-201.
Page 3, Line 25(5) An applicant may apply for personalized fallen
Page 3, Line 26firefighter special license plates. Upon payment of the
Page 3, Line 27additional fee required by section 42-3-211 (6)(a) for
Page 4, Line 1personalized license plates, the department may issue the plates
Page 4, Line 2if the applicant complies with section 42-3-211. If an applicant
Page 4, Line 3has existing personalized license plates for a motor vehicle, the
Page 4, Line 4applicant may transfer the combination of letters or numbers
Page 4, Line 5to a new set of fallen firefighter special license plates for the
Page 4, Line 6vehicle upon paying the fee required by section 42-3-211 (6)(a)
Page 4, Line 7and upon turning in the existing plates to the department. A
Page 4, Line 8person that has obtained personalized license plates under this
Page 4, Line 9subsection (5) shall pay the annual fee imposed by section
Page 4, Line 1042-3-211 (6)(b) for renewal of the personalized plates. The fees
Page 4, Line 11assessed under this subsection (5) are in addition to all other
Page 4, Line 12applicable taxes and fees.
Page 4, Line 13SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 42-3-312 as
Page 4, Line 14follows:
Page 4, Line 1542-3-312. Special license plate surcharge.
Page 4, Line 16In addition to any other fee imposed by this article 3, an applicant
Page 4, Line 17for a special license plate created by rule in accordance with section
Page 4, Line 1842-3-207, as the section existed when the plate was created, personalized
Page 4, Line 19plates issued under section 42-3-211, or special license plates issued
Page 4, Line 20under sections 42-3-212 to 42-3-214, sections 42-3-217 to 42-3-218,
Page 4, Line 21sections 42-3-221 to
42-3-234Page 4, Line 22sections 42-3-237 to 42-3-258, sections 42-3-260 to 42-3-265, and
Page 4, Line 23sections 42-3-267 to
42-3-271Page 4, Line 24twenty-five dollars; except that the fee is not imposed on special license
Page 4, Line 25plates exempted from additional fees for the issuance of a military special
Page 4, Line 26license plate by section 42-3-213 (1)(b)(II). The department shall transfer
Page 4, Line 27the money from the fee to the state treasurer, who shall credit it to the
Page 5, Line 1Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account created in section 42-1-211
Page 5, Line 2(2).
Page 5, Line 3SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act
Page 5, Line 4takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the
Page 5, Line 5ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August
Page 5, Line 612, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a
Page 5, Line 7referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the
Page 5, Line 8state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act
Page 5, Line 9within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect
Page 5, Line 10unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in
Page 5, Line 11November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the
Page 5, Line 12official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.