Driving Without Registration in Colorado – What’s the Penalty?

Driving without current and valid vehicle registration in Colorado is a class B traffic infraction punishable by $15 to $100, a small surcharge, and no DMV points. If you fail to register your vehicle within 60 days of purchasing it or within 90 days of moving to Colorado, you face additional fines of $25 per month your car remains unregistered (up to $100) plus back taxes.¹ Vehicles must be re-registered every 12 months. 

Can I go to jail?

No. Driving without valid and current registration in Colorado does not carry jail as a potential penalty.²

Will I get points on my record?

No. Driving without registration in Colorado does not cause DMV points to be added to your driving record.³

Can I get the record sealed?

No. Driving with an un-registered vehicle is not a sealable offense under Colorado state law. This conviction remains on your record forever.⁴ Learn more about Colorado record seals.

What if my registration is fake?

It is a class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense in Colorado to either:

• Use a false name or address, knowingly make a false statement, or knowingly conceal a material fact in an application for the registration, renewal registration, or duplicate registration of a motor vehicle; or
• Display, permit to be displayed, have in possession, or offer for sale a certificate of title, validation tab or sticker, or registration number plate knowing the same to be fictitious or to have been stolen, canceled, revoked, suspended, or altered.

Penalties for having fake car registration include 10 to 90 days in county jail and/or $150 to $300 in fines. This conviction can never be sealed from your criminal record.⁵

What if I do not have a license?

Driving without a current and valid driver’s license in Colorado is a class A traffic infraction carrying $15 to $100 plus a surcharge. Plus the DMV may deny you a new license for up to one year. However, driving without a license will be prosecuted as only a class B traffic infraction if either:

• You have a current and valid license but forgot to carry it with you when law enforcement pulled you over; or
• Your license has been expired for less than one year (and it was not suspended or revoked).

Class B traffic infractions carry $15 to $100 in fines plus a small surcharge. Though a second-time offense also carries six DMV points.⁶

Note that driving without a license is an entirely separate Colorado crime from “driving under restraint (DUR),” which is the formal term for driving on a suspended or revoked license. The penalties for driving under restraint turn on why your license was suspended or revoked:

Reason for Suspension of Driving Privileges	Colorado Sentence for Driving Under Restraint (DUR)
Outstanding Judgment	Class A traffic infraction:  $15 to $100 and 3 DMV points.
DUI, DUI per se, DWAI, or UDD	First Offense Class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense:  10 days to 1 year in county jail and $150 to $1,000 in fines.^ Also, the date you can get a license reinstatement is extended for 1 year.*
	Subsequent Offense (within 5 years of the first conviction) Class 2 misdemeanor traffic offense:  10 days to 2 years in jail and $500 to $3,000 in fines.^ Also, you cannot get a new license in Colorado for 4 years.*
Any other reason	First Offense Class A traffic infraction:  $15 to $100. Plus your license suspension is extended for 1 year.*
	Subsequent Offense (within 5 years of the first conviction) Class A traffic infraction:  $15 to $100. Plus your license suspension is extended for 3 years.*
^ The judge may not grant probation or a suspended sentence instead of jail. Though if you drove because of an emergency, then the judge does not have to impose the mandatory minimum jail sentence. * Colorado residents could be eligible for restricted driving privileges from the Division of Motor Vehicles pursuant to CRS 42-2-132.5.7

What if I do not have insurance?

Driving without proof of insurance is a class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense under Colorado law. The penalty for a first-time offense is a minimum fine of $500. Though if the owner of the vehicle gets an insurance policy afterward, the court may impose one-half of the fine. In addition, the Colorado DMV adds four points to your license. Plus the judge may impose up to 40 hours of community service.⁸

Additional Reading

For more information, see our related articles:

• How to reinstate a suspended driver’s license in Colorado – the steps you have to take to get the DMV to give you back your license
• How to remove points from my Colorado driver’s license – a discussion of how DMV points cannot be removed
• How long does it take to get points off your license in Colorado? – an explanation of how points older than two years do not count against you
• How to check points on my Colorado license – the procedure for checking the point status on your license
• How many points on a Colorado license trigger a license suspension? – an outline of how many traffic tickets you can get before the DMV takes action on your license

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Legal References