'How are they getting away with it?' Digging deeper into the expired registration problem in Colorado Springs

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — It's a problem we noticed many of you have been talking about on social media. Drivers in the 719 not renewing or registering their vehicles. Some of you have even reached out to our newsroom about this, and we're listening to your concerns.

Colorado State Patrol says you can get pulled over just for having expired tags. That could lead to a ticket of up to five hundred dollars. Not only that, you can also get hit with more penalties from the DMV, twenty-five dollars a month or more there.

We wanted to take a closer look at why we're seeing expired tags so much, so we reached out to the DMV. They say it's hard for them to track the reasons people don't renew their tags. That's because they say there isn't a way to know if vehicles are sold, inoperable, or even destroyed. Although they do charge late fees, they say it's up to law enforcement to keep the problem from getting worse.

So, we asked law enforcement if being short-staffed lowers the priority of this type of infraction. Trooper Rice with Colorado State Patrol tells me "There’s no priority that’s reduced based on staffing. We continue to look for all violations of the law on Colorado roadways whether it’s a moving or non-moving violation... we don’t ignore what might be considered by some a lesser violation because it’s not moving."

I found out that even if you get off with a warning, you still may get hit with fines from the DMV. Ben Whittier with the DMV tells me "You’ll have to pay the late fees that you’ve that you’ve incurred, you may owe other specific ownership tax or fees for the months that you did not operate that vehicle. If you go beyond 13 months, the registration can be canceled and essentially starting from new so if you want your same configuration, you might be personalizing to get it. Otherwise, you’re just starting a new registration"

The DMV also says it's important for people to register their vehicles. That's because part of that money goes to fund things like fixing roads, bridges, and schools.

Another thing officers told me is that many times people simply forgot to put the new sticker on their plates. Remember, that new sticker goes on the bottom right of your plate.

I plan on continuing to cover this story. I'm waiting to hear back from both CSPD and the El Paso County Sheriff's Office. Since plans in Denver and Aurora are to have officers cracking down on expired registrations, I asked if they plan on following suit. As soon as I uncover more details, I'll be sure to report back.

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