(1) The department may issue personalized license plates for motor vehicles in accordance with this section. (2) (a) "Personalized license plates", as used in this section, means license plates that have displayed upon them the registration number assigned to the motor vehicle for which such registration number was issued in a combination of letters or numbers requested by the owner of the vehicle, subject to the limitations of this section. (b) "Personalized license plates", as used in this section, includes special license plates that bear the words "street rod" and that may be issued only to a street rod vehicle. (3) (a) Personalized license plates must be the same color and design as regular motor vehicle license plates, must consist of any combination of numbers or letters not exceeding seven positions and not less than two positions except as otherwise provided in section 8-88-206 (4), and must not conflict with existing passenger, commercial, trailer, motorcycle, or other special license plates series; except that personalized license plates bearing the words "street rod" shall be of a design determined by the executive director of the department, which design shall be different from those used by the state for regular motor vehicle license plates. (b) If number plates issued for vehicles include the county of vehicle registration, a vehicle owner shall have the option of obtaining a personalized license plate that does not include such county designation. (4) Any person who is the registered owner of a motor vehicle registered with the department or who applies to register a motor vehicle or renew personalized license registration of a motor vehicle, upon payment of the fee prescribed in subsection (6) of this section, may apply to the department for personalized license plates in the manner prescribed in this section. Personalized license plates shall be issued for the annual registration period immediately following the year in which the application is made. (5) An applicant for issuance of personalized license plates or renewal of such plates shall apply in such form and by such date as the department may require, indicating thereon the combination of letters or numbers requested as a registration number. There shall be no duplication of registration numbers, and the department may refuse to issue any combination of letters or numbers that carry connotations offensive to good taste and decency, are misleading, or duplicate any other license plates provided for in this article. (6) (a) A fee of thirty-five dollars shall be charged in addition to the registration fee normally due upon the vehicle for the issuance of the same number of personalized license plates for a vehicle as are specified in section 42-3-201 for the issuance of number plates. Upon reissuance of the same personalized license plates in subsequent years, the additional fee shall be twenty-five dollars. Such fee shall be due upon the original issuance or reissuance of personalized license plates other than a renewal of registration under paragraph (b) of this subsection (6). (b) The department may provide for renewals of personalized license plates whereby such plates are retained by the applicant in subsequent years upon the payment, in addition to the normal registration fee, of an annual renewal fee of twenty-five dollars for which the department shall provide a distinctive tag or insignia to be affixed to such plates to signify that such vehicle has been properly registered for the year for which such license plate was renewed. (c) The fee for transferring previously issued personalized license plates to another vehicle shall be twelve dollars in addition to other applicable fees. (d) A person who fails to apply for the renewal or transfer of issued personalized license plates according to subsection (5) of this section shall lose the priority right to use the combination of letters or numbers displayed on the personalized license plates. (e) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) to (d) of this subsection (6), in lieu of such fees, the fee for a license plate that contains only two alphabetic figures and up to four numeric figures shall be the actual cost of issuing such plate. (7) All applications for special registration of motor vehicles shall be made directly to the department, and shall be administered by the department. All fees received from special registrations shall be credited to the highway users tax fund created in section 43-4-201, C.R.S., and allocated and expended as specified in section 43-4-205 (5.5)(b), C.R.S.; except that two dollars of each such special registration fee collected pursuant to paragraphs (a) to (d) of subsection (6) of this section shall be remitted to the county general fund. (8) The executive director of the department may prepare any special forms and issue any rules necessary to implement this section. (9) (a) A person who has been issued personalized license plates pursuant to this section, section 42-3-115 (5)(a), or section 42-3-206.5 may retain the unique combination of letters or numbers of such plate, notwithstanding that the person no longer has a registered motor vehicle, if the person pays an annual fee of twenty-five dollars, which shall be transferred to the highway users tax fund. (b) This subsection (9) shall not be construed to authorize a person to reserve license plates for which no motor vehicle has ever been registered according to this article 3, unless the license plate configuration was purchased pursuant to section 24-30-2208. This subsection (9) shall not be construed to require the department to send a renewal notice to the person who retains the unique combination of letters or numbers.
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