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DENVER (KDVR) — The state is cracking down on late vehicle registrations, but what happens when you do not have a license plate at all?

Whether you just did not want to pay the registration fees or had them stolen from your vehicle, being caught without any license plates in Colorado will cost you some money.

What it costs to not have license plates

When you are caught driving without any license plates, it is known as a class B traffic infraction.

The fine ranges from $15 to $100 at the maximum.

It is the same as if you were caught with only one license plate and the same as the maximum fine for not registering your car in time.

The infraction does not carry any DMV points, meaning no matter how many times you are caught doing it, your license will not be suspended.

However, if you intentionally cover your license plate to prevent anyone from reading it, that carries a slightly higher penalty than if you had no license plates at all.

The fine is the same — a minimum of $15 and a maximum of $100 — but you will get DMV points for it, meaning it could lead to your license being suspended.

How does this compare to the cost of registering your vehicle?

FOX31 used the Colorado Department of Revenue website to see what the registration costs of three hypothetical vehicles would be.

The estimates do not include any local tax or fees you would have to pay on a vehicle.

For a hypothetical new 2023 luxury SUV, registration would put you back around $1,200.

The registration costs on a used 2018 pickup truck would be a lot less — around $180. A used 2015 sedan would cost around $120, which is the lowest registration fee of the three.

Registration would cost more if you were late, adding a maximum fine of $100, as well as back taxes for the time you did not have your vehicle registered.