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Colorado military PCS move

Moving to Colorado on military orders: vehicle registration, license, and fees

What we could confirm on an official Colorado source for a nonresident service member on active-duty orders there, with the exact quote and link for every fact.

Checked against official Colorado sourcesLast reviewed 2026-09-14. Every confirmed fact below links to the official page that supports it.

Do I have to register my vehicle in Colorado?

Colorado does not force a nonresident active-duty servicemember stationed in Colorado to re-title/re-register a vehicle that is already titled and registered in the servicemember's home state. If a servicemember (or spouse) does register/title a vehicle in Colorado while remaining a legal resident of another state, Colorado's Specific Ownership Tax (the annual tax collected with registration) can be waived by filing DMV Form DR 2667, certifying non-residency and active-duty status. The exemption is for the ownership tax specifically, not a blanket statement that registration itself is unnecessary, so the practical rule is conditional on the servicemember's choice to register in CO and file the affidavit.

I am not a legal resident of the State of Colorado.

Colorado DMV Form DR 2667 - Nonresidence and Military Service Exemption From Specific Ownership Tax ↗ · Checked 2026-09-14

Can I keep driving on my current license in Colorado?

Colorado driver licenses, ID cards, and instruction permits are issued only to state residents, which the Colorado DMV states plainly on its active-duty military page. This means a nonresident active-duty servicemember stationed in Colorado is not required to obtain a Colorado license and may continue driving on a valid home-state license.

You must be a Colorado resident to obtain a Colorado driver license, ID card, or instruction permit.

Colorado DMV - Active Duty Military and Veterans ↗ · Checked 2026-09-14

Spouse and dependents

Colorado treats the service member's spouse the same as the service member for this purpose.

a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, serving under orders in Colorado

Colorado DMV Form DR 2667 - Nonresidence and Military Service Exemption From Specific Ownership Tax ↗ · Checked 2026-09-14

This covers the service member's spouse only. A dependent who is not a spouse is frequently treated differently and is not covered here.

Fee waivers and tax exemptions

Specific Ownership Tax exemption for nonresident military (Form DR 2667)

Nonresident active-duty servicemembers (or their spouse) who complete and certify Form DR 2667 are exempted from Colorado's Specific Ownership Tax on a vehicle they register in Colorado, provided the vehicle is not used in trade or business in the state.

will not be used in any trade or business in the State of Colorado

Colorado DMV Form DR 2667 - Nonresidence and Military Service Exemption From Specific Ownership Tax ↗ · Checked 2026-09-14

First-set fee exemption for Purple Heart / valor license plates

Colorado exempts the first set of Purple Heart, Distinguished Service Cross, Navy Cross, Medal of Honor, and Prisoner of War license plates from the plate issuance fee, citing C.R.S. 42-3-213; a second or additional set requires the standard fee.

CRS 42-3-213(1)(b)(II)(D)

Colorado DMV - License Plates for Military ↗ · Checked 2026-09-14

Renewal grace period while deployed

See the official source for the exact terms of this renewal grace period.

Colorado residents on active duty are eligible for an automatic three-year extension.

Colorado DMV - License Extensions ↗ · Checked 2026-09-14

What to know as a new Colorado resident

Colorado's general driver-license statute (described by secondary legal-research sites as C.R.S. 42-2-102) is said to give any new resident, including one who just PCS'd in, a 30-day grace period to keep driving on a valid out-of-state license before a Colorado license is required; this is a general new-resident rule rather than a military-specific one, and the exact statutory text was not independently verbatim-confirmed from an official .gov page in this pass.

When you become a resident

Once you establish Colorado residency

The nonresident accommodations above stop applying once you become a legal resident of Colorado. Use the standard route for the license and registration deadlines that then apply.

Open the Colorado moving guide

Lender or lessor holds the title? See the financed-car title path for Colorado.

Optional saved route

Save the Colorado move in one checklist

Add the state you are leaving to save the complete route, including deadlines, title steps, and closeout, free.

Keep your place and return later

Track your progress, dates, title requests, and receipts to keep. We will email a private return link.

Transaction details

Use these fields when the vehicle was bought, sold, gifted, inherited, rejected, or delayed.

We use your email for the saved route. The two checkboxes are optional.
Colorado questions

Before you assume an answer

Do I have to register my vehicle in Colorado while on PCS orders there?

I am not a legal resident of the State of Colorado.

Can I keep driving on my home-state license in Colorado?

You must be a Colorado resident to obtain a Colorado driver license, ID card, or instruction permit.

What happens once I become a Colorado resident?

The nonresident accommodations on this page stop applying once you establish residency. See the standard Colorado moving guide for the deadlines and steps that then apply.

Official Colorado sources