License Plate Sticker Shock

Before you take a peek at your license plate renewal, you’d better sit down. You are going to get some price sticker shock. Faster legislation has put the plate fee hike into overdrive.

I went to the El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s office and chatted with some people who saw the price jump for this year. Michael Embery’s plates took a jump from 27 to 65 dollars. He wasn’t alone of the people I talked with inside and outside the office.

Back in 2009, Governor Ritter signed the FASTER Transportation bill into law. It was a bridge surcharge and a road surcharge. Since it was signed into law, the fees have gone up to as high as they’re going to go. FASTER raises about 250-million yearly to fix aging Colorado bridges and roads. Some are of these are in poor to obsolete condition.

The fees you’ll see on your plate renewals are as high as they’re going to go since they were implemented in 2009. Senator John Morse tells me, the surcharges stay until the law gets changed. He doesn’t believe that’s likely because of the conditions of the necessary maintenance, repair and replacement of the roads and bridges.

The fee surcharges depend on what you drive. A motorcycle would have a 29 dollar plate increase in 2011 and beyond. Anything heavier on the road costs more, but never more than 71 dollars more per year.

The Colorado Department of Transportation or CDOT has put together a list of FASTER projects in Southern Colorado. Page one includes those in design and completed. Page two includes completed projects. Most on page two are paid for by FASTER money.

Click here to view the list of FASTER projects