Providing criminals with an enhanced license to steal

Some background: In 1975, upon entering the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office training academy in Golden, I learned that Colorado license plates had letters assigned that would designate the county in which the plate was issued. This would prove helpful over the years when, on uniformed patrol duty, I would spot a car from Arapahoe County or Denver in the foothills of Conifer or Evergreen.

My training, coupled with a natural curiosity, asked me what the vehicle was doing 'there.' While it was certainly not a crime to be in the county, I nevertheless kept an eye on the activities of those in the vehicle. I should also add that, at the time, daytime residential burglaries were unfortunately a key crime statistic in affluent Jefferson County, and an excessive number of inmates (for all types of offenses) housed in the jail in Golden had residential addresses outside of Jefferson County, which seemed to be a magnet for the "perps."

I have since learned that Colorado has done away with this by-county designation on license plates, which I imagine has taken away a key tool for law enforcement personnel throughout the state.


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I remember...Xsomething was Elbert County. A through F or G were counties in the Denver Metro area.

I think Wsomething was Garfield County...but I don't remember.

This isn't new - we knew this when we were teens. Though I find it funny that mine designates Park County when we don't live in Park County.

In Iowa, the actual county you live in is printed on the plates.

Since the plate stays with the owner and owners move, I really don't see how this is much of an issue.

Whenever we moved to Colorado we were shocked to find that the plate stays with the owner because this is a car theif's dream come true. The car is always changing identity and is much more difficult to pinpoint by the law agencies. It seems that this state is set up for criminal behavior, car theft, and sale of stolen cars.

Agreed, MB. States I came from, if the plate stayed with the car and it's supposed to be on a white jeep and a cop calls it in and it's on a red ford, more chance it's stolen. Here, could be that someone just bought the car and the computers haven't caught up.

The plate stays with the original owner of it...it doesn't stay with the vehicle it was originally attached to. It has been that way in Colorado for a long time...I guess they figure it saves money and time.

I am lucky enough to be eligible for a disabled veteran plate, which doesn't cost me anything; however, it takes your blood type and the name of the doctor present at your birth to get it and these plates cannot be applied for through the local county office...you have to go to the state office to get them. Furthermore, the information on the state web site is not correct...I found that out the hard way.

Anyways...I got my tags for my Old-Ota and less than 2 years later that vehicle was totaled. So when I got Vern, my new Toyota, I asked what I needed to do to get my tags transferred from one vehicle to the other. I sent them all the required information and guess what...they renewed the tags for the Old-Ota not the new vehicle. So when I called the state and finally got through to someone after being put on hold more than once, and I explained the situation...the state had zero information regarding my new vehicle. Then when I finally did get the registration and stickers, they forgot to send me the month sticker.

And these are our competent state workers...

The county ID on the plates has been invalid for quite a while. Between 15 - 20 years ago, I moved from Pueblo to Colorado Springs, Back to Pueblo, Up to Denver, Back to Colorado Springs, and then to Evergreen. I never had to change my plates.