Colorado offers its citizens 88 choices of what license plates they want to get. That number is about to be cut, as 14 plates face extinction.
If you've spent any length of time on Colorado's roads, there's one thing you're sure to have noticed: we have a lot of options for license plates. In fact, Colorado currently offers 88 license plate options, many of which are specialized group plates. 14 of these plates may be vanishing soon, however. Included among those facing extinction are the Girl Scouts plate, the Avalanche plate, the Rockies plate and the Nuggets plate. [gallery size="large" ids="14100,14101,14102"] You may be asking, why are these plates being retired? Well, it's policy in Colorado that any group seeking a group plate can create one. However, these group plates must have 3,000 people register for them before a deadline. For the Girl Scouts, that deadline is July 1 of this year. To date, only 285 Girl Scout Plates are on record. The three other plates mentioned are also below their required minimums. According to Department of Revenue spokesman Kyle Boyd, if the specific plate statute says the department 'may' stop issuing the plate, then the organization is given a one-year grace period to obtain 3,000 registered vehicles. That's good news for the Girl Scouts and the Rockies, who both received their warning letters this year. For the Nuggets and the Avalanche, though, that year of grace is up in just a few weeks time. Any group can try to have a plate made in Colorado. The group must approach a state lawmaker with a proposal for a plate. Often, the plate includes an additional fee that is donated to charity. Other times, the purpose is simply to raise awareness, such as the 'Respect Life' plate that was developed to honor victims of the Columbine shooting. Lawmakers then draft a bill including the minimum registration deadline, as well as a date when the DMV can start distributing, and the minimum registration requirement. The group is responsible for the plate's design costs, so the state doesn't lose money if the plate isn't successful.
Even after these plates retire, you'll likely still spot them out on the roads. Those who already have the plates are allowed to keep them. The other plates that will be retired in July if they don't reach their minimum are:
- Carbon Fund
- Child Loss Awareness
- Craig Hospital
- Kids First
- State Parks
- Support Education
- Support the Horse
- Fort Lewis
- Fallen Heroes
- Flight for Life
- Protect Our Rivers
