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HB26-1057 • 2026

Veteran Disability License Plates & Taxes & Fees

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 pla

Taxes
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Rep. M. Bradfield, Rep. B. Marshall, Sen. M. Snyder
Last action
2026-03-05
Official status
House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and text do not provide specific details on the financial impact or implementation timeline beyond the effective date.

Veteran Disability License Plates and Tax Exemptions

This bill allows disabled veterans to register one motor vehicle without paying taxes or fees, and it provides them with the option of receiving a different type of license plate if they qualify.

What This Bill Does

  • Disabled veterans can register one motor vehicle without paying taxes or fees.
  • Veterans who meet certain standards can receive a disabled veteran license plate with 'D.V.' on it.
  • The bill allows veterans to get another type of license plate instead of the standard disabled veteran plates if they qualify for that option.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Disabled veterans who meet specific criteria
  • The Department of Revenue in Colorado

Terms To Know

Veteran
A person who has served in the military and is no longer active duty.
Service-connected disability
An injury or illness that happened because of military service or was made worse by it.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not cover commercial vehicles, implements of husbandry, or farm trucks taxed at a reduced rate.
  • It is unclear how many veterans will take advantage of the new plate options.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

L.005

HOU Finance

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment changes the law to remove fees for disabled veterans who need license plates starting July 1, 2028.

  • Disabled veterans will not have to pay a fee for one set of license plates starting from July 1, 2028.
  • For other types of plates that are not issued under this section, the department can charge fees as usual.
  • The amendment text is technical and may be hard to understand without additional context about existing laws.
L.006

HOU Finance

Passed [*]

Plain English: The amendment adds a new option for disabled veterans to receive a 'Keep Colorado Wild Pass' instead of a disabled veteran license plate, and it waives the pass fee.

  • Adds an option for disabled veterans to choose a 'Keep Colorado Wild Pass' if they do not want a disabled veteran license plate.
  • Exempts disabled veterans from paying the fee for the 'Keep Colorado Wild Pass'.
  • The amendment does not specify all details about how this new option will be implemented or enforced.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-05 House

    House Committee on Finance Refer Amended to Appropriations

  2. 2026-01-14 House

    Introduced In House - Assigned to Finance

Official Summary Text

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 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.
(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced.)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
Second Regular Session
Seventy-fifth General Assembly
STATE OF COLORADO
INTRODUCED

LLS NO. 26-0300.02 Jery Payne x2157 HOUSE BILL 26-1057
House Committees Senate Committees
Finance
A BILL FOR AN ACT
CONCERNING THE REGISTRATION BY A VETERAN WITH A DISABILITY OF101
CERTAIN VEHICLES WITHOUT PAYING THE REQUIRED AMOUNTS.102
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
HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
Bradfield and Marshall,
SENATE SPONSORSHIP
Snyder,
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:1
SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 42-3-213, amend2
(1)(b)(II)(B), (1)(b)(II)(J), (5)(a)(I), and (5)(c); and add (1)(i) as follows:3
42-3-213. License plates - military veterans - rules -4
retirement.5
(1) (b) (II) Notwithstanding subsection (1)(b)(I) of this section:6
(B) No fee THE DEPARTMENT shall be charged NOT CHARGE A FEE7
for one set of disabled veteran license plates issued under subsection (5)8
of this section for a passenger car, truck, motorcycle, or noncommercial9
or recreational vehicle OR A PLATE ISSUED IN LIEU OF A DISABLED10
VETERAN LICENSE PLATE UNDER SUBSECTION (1)(i) OF THIS SECTION. FOR11
THE ISSUANCE OR RENEWAL OF A PLATE NOT ISSUED UNDER THIS SECTION,12
THE DEPARTMENT SHALL CHARGE THE FEES IMPOSED FOR THE ISSUANCE13
OR RENEWAL OF A LICENSE PLATE THAT EXCEED THE FEES THAT WOULD BE14
CHARGED FOR THE ISSUANCE OR RENEWAL OF A STANDARDIZED LICENSE15
PLATE UNDER SECTION 42-3-203.16
(J) The department shall not charge a fee for one set of disabled17
woman veteran license plates issued under subsection (32) of this section18
for a passenger car, truck, motorcycle, or noncommercial or recreational19
vehicle OR A PLATE ISSUED IN LIEU OF A DISABLED WOMAN VETERAN20
LICENSE PLATE UNDER SUBSECTION (1)(i) OF THIS SECTION . FOR THE21
ISSUANCE OR RENEWAL OF A PLATE NOT ISSUED UNDER THIS SECTION, THE22
HB26-1057-2-
DEPARTMENT SHALL CHARGE THE FEES IMPOSED FOR THE ISSUANCE OR1
RENEWAL OF A LICENSE PLATE THAT EXCEED THE FEES THAT WOULD BE2
CHARGED FOR THE ISSUANCE OR RENEWAL OF A STANDARDIZED LICENSE3
PLATE UNDER SECTION 42-3-203.4
(i) A N INDIVIDUAL WHO QUALIFIES TO NOT PAY FEES IN5
ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 42-3-304 (3)(a) MAY ELECT TO BE ISSUED6
ANOTHER LICENSE PLATE IN LIEU OF BEING ISSUED A DISABLED VETERAN7
LICENSE PLATE UNDER SUBSECTION (5) OF THIS SECTION OR A UNITED8
STATES DISABLED WOMAN VETERAN LICENSE PLATE UNDER SUBSECTION9
(32) OF THIS SECTION IF:10
(I) THE INDIVIDUAL MEETS THE QUALIFICATIONS DESCRIBED IN THE11
SECTION ESTABLISHING THE LICENSE PLATE BEING ISSUED; AND12
(II) THE INDIVIDUAL PAYS THE ADDITIONAL FEES FOR THE LICENSE13
PLATE AS DESCRIBED IN SUBSECTION (1)(b)(II)(B) OR (1)(b)(II)(J) OF THIS14
SECTION.15
(5) Disabled veterans.16
(a) (I) The disabled veteran license plate shall MUST indicate that17
the owner of the motor vehicle to which the license plate is attached is a18
disabled veteran of the United States armed forces AND IS DISABLED.19
(c) License plates qualifying for the exemption granted in20
sub-subparagraph (B) of subparagraph (II) of paragraph (b) of subsection21
(1) SUBSECTION (1)(b)(II)(B) of this section shall be issued only by the22
department and shall MAY bear the inscription "D.V." and a separate23
number series shall be used for such license plates. Additional license24
plates bearing such inscription may be issued by the department to THE25
DEPARTMENT SHALL CHARGE eligible persons upon the payment of any26
fees or taxes required by this article ARTICLE 3 FOR THE ISSUANCE OF A27
HB26-1057-3-
SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT DISABLED VETERAN LICENSE PLATE.1
SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 42-3-304, amend (3)2
introductory portion and (3)(a) as follows:3
42-3-304. Registration fees - passenger-mile taxes - clean4
screen fund - fees - report - rules - definitions - repeal.5
(3) No fee is payable THE OWNER NEED NOT PAY THE TAXES AND6
FEES for the annual registration of a vehicle when:7
(a) The owner of the vehicle is a veteran who in an application for8
registration shows that the owner has established such owner's rights to9
benefits under the provisions of Pub.L. 79-663, as amended, and Pub.L.10
82-187, as amended 38 U.S.C. SEC. 3901 ET SEQ., or is a veteran of the11
armed forces of the United States who incurred a disability and who is,12
at the date of application, receiving compensation from the veterans13
administration or any branch of the armed forces of the United States for14
a fifty percent or more, service-connected disability, or for loss of use of15
one or both feet or one or both hands, or for permanent impairment or16
loss of vision in both eyes that constitutes virtual or actual blindness. The17
exemption provided in this subsection (3)(a):18
(I) DOES NOT APPLY TO:19
(A) COMMERCIAL VEHICLES;20
(B) IMPLEMENTS OF HUSBANDRY; OR21
(C) A TRUCK OR TRUCK TRACTOR REGISTERED TO BE TAXED22
UNDER SECTION 42-3-306 (4);23
(II) APPLIES ONLY TO INDIVIDUALS; AND24
(III) Applies to the original qualifying vehicle and to any vehicle25
subsequently purchased and owned by the same veteran but does not26
apply to more than one vehicle at a time.27
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SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date -1
applicability. (1) This act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following2
the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the3
general assembly (August 12, 2026, if adjournment sine die is on May 13,4
2026); except that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 15
(3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item, section,6
or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part7
will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general election8
to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the9
date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.10
(2) This act applies to vehicles registered on or after the11
applicable effective date of this act.12
HB26-1057-5-