Veteran Disability License Plates & Taxes & Fees

Second Regular Session Seventy-fifth General Assembly STATE OF COLORADO INTRODUCED HOUSE BILL 26-1057 LLS NO. 26-0300.02 Jery Payne x2157 HOUSE SPONSORSHIP Bradfield and Marshall, SENATE SPONSORSHIP Snyder, House Committees Senate Committees Finance A BILL FOR AN ACT CONCERNING THE REGISTRATION BY A VETERAN WITH A DISABILITY OF CERTAIN VEHICLES WITHOUT PAYING THE REQUIRED AMOUNTS.

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.) Under current law, a veteran who is disabled and who meets certain standards does not need to pay the taxes and fees to register one motor vehicle. The veteran is issued a disabled veteran license plate with the "D.V." inscription or a United States disabled woman veteran license plate. The bill authorizes the veteran to be issued another plate in lieu of being issued either of the license plates for veterans who are disabled if Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.

Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law. Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law.

the veteran qualifies for the plate. If the plate requires additional fees to be issued or renewed, the additional fees must also be paid unless the plate is a military license plate. This program does not apply to commercial vehicles, implements of husbandry, or farm trucks or truck tractors that are taxed at a reduced rate.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 42-3-213, amend (1)(b)(II)(B), (1)(b)(II)(J), (5)(a)(I), and (5)(c); and add (1)(i) as follows:

License plates - military veterans - rules - retirement.

(1) (b) (II) Notwithstanding subsection (1)(b)(I) of this section:

(B) No fee THE DEPARTMENT shall be charged NOT CHARGE A FEE for one set of disabled veteran license plates issued under subsection (5) of this section for a passenger car, truck, motorcycle, or noncommercial or recreational vehicle OR A PLATE ISSUED IN LIEU OF A DISABLED VETERAN LICENSE PLATE UNDER SUBSECTION (1)(i) OF THIS SECTION. FOR THE ISSUANCE OR RENEWAL OF A PLATE NOT ISSUED UNDER THIS SECTION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CHARGE THE FEES IMPOSED FOR THE ISSUANCE OR RENEWAL OF A LICENSE PLATE THAT EXCEED THE FEES THAT WOULD BE CHARGED FOR THE ISSUANCE OR RENEWAL OF A STANDARDIZED LICENSE PLATE UNDER SECTION 42-3-203.

(J) The department shall not charge a fee for one set of disabled woman veteran license plates issued under subsection (32) of this section for a passenger car, truck, motorcycle, or noncommercial or recreational vehicle OR A PLATE ISSUED IN LIEU OF A DISABLED WOMAN VETERAN LICENSE PLATE UNDER SUBSECTION (1)(i) OF THIS SECTION. FOR THE ISSUANCE OR RENEWAL OF A PLATE NOT ISSUED UNDER THIS SECTION, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CHARGE THE FEES IMPOSED FOR THE ISSUANCE OR RENEWAL OF A LICENSE PLATE THAT EXCEED THE FEES THAT WOULD BE CHARGED FOR THE ISSUANCE OR RENEWAL OF A STANDARDIZED LICENSE PLATE UNDER SECTION 42-3-203.

(i) AN INDIVIDUAL WHO QUALIFIES TO NOT PAY FEES IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 42-3-304 (3)(a) MAY ELECT TO BE ISSUED ANOTHER LICENSE PLATE IN LIEU OF BEING ISSUED A DISABLED VETERAN LICENSE PLATE UNDER SUBSECTION (5) OF THIS SECTION OR A UNITED STATES DISABLED WOMAN VETERAN LICENSE PLATE UNDER SUBSECTION

(32) OF THIS SECTION IF:

(I) THE INDIVIDUAL MEETS THE QUALIFICATIONS DESCRIBED IN THE SECTION ESTABLISHING THE LICENSE PLATE BEING ISSUED; AND

(II) THE INDIVIDUAL PAYS THE ADDITIONAL FEES FOR THE LICENSE PLATE AS DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (1)(b)(II)(B) OR (1)(b)(II)(J) OF THIS SECTION.

(5) Disabled veterans.

(a) (I) The disabled veteran license plate shall MUST indicate that the owner of the motor vehicle to which the license plate is attached is a disabled veteran of the United States armed forces AND IS DISABLED.

(c) License plates qualifying for the exemption granted in sub-subparagraph (B) of subparagraph (II) of paragraph (b) of subsection

(1) SUBSECTION (1)(b)(II)(B) of this section shall be issued only by the department and shall MAY bear the inscription "D.V." and a separate number series shall be used for such license plates. Additional license plates bearing such inscription may be issued by the department to THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CHARGE eligible persons upon the payment of any fees or taxes required by this article ARTICLE 3 FOR THE ISSUANCE OF A SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT DISABLED VETERAN LICENSE PLATE.

SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 42-3-304, amend (3) introductory portion and (3)(a) as follows: 42-3-304. Registration fees - passenger-mile taxes - clean screen fund - fees - report - rules - definitions - repeal. (3) No fee is payable THE OWNER NEED NOT PAY THE TAXES AND FEES for the annual registration of a vehicle when:

(a) The owner of the vehicle is a veteran who in an application for registration shows that the owner has established such owner's rights to benefits under the provisions of Pub.L. 79-663, as amended, and Pub.L.

82-187, as amended 38 U.S.C. SEC. 3901 ET SEQ., or is a veteran of the armed forces of the United States who incurred a disability and who is, at the date of application, receiving compensation from the veterans administration or any branch of the armed forces of the United States for a fifty percent or more, service-connected disability, or for loss of use of one or both feet or one or both hands, or for permanent impairment or loss of vision in both eyes that constitutes virtual or actual blindness. The exemption provided in this subsection (3)(a):

(I) DOES NOT APPLY TO:

(A) COMMERCIAL VEHICLES;

(B) IMPLEMENTS OF HUSBANDRY; OR

(C) A TRUCK OR TRUCK TRACTOR REGISTERED TO BE TAXED UNDER SECTION 42-3-306 (4);

(II) APPLIES ONLY TO INDIVIDUALS; AND

(III) Applies to the original qualifying vehicle and to any vehicle subsequently purchased and owned by the same veteran but does not apply to more than one vehicle at a time.

SECTION 3.

Act subject to petition - effective date - applicability. (1) This act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August 12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13, 2026); except that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1

(3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.

This act applies to vehicles registered on or after the applicable effective date of this act.