A new car may cost you more thanyou bargained for.If you’re from one of those stateswhere license plate fees are around$50, you’re in for a big surprise- like, about 10 times the surprise.Colorado’s license plate fees dependon the year, list price and weight ofthe vehicle, plus additional fees. Asyour ride ages, the price of your plateswill decrease. The Motor Vehicle Departmentcan provide a specific pricewhen you present your automobileinformation, but don’t be shocked topay $500 or much more.”Other states have lower (licenseplate) fees, but they tax other thingsthat people own. Some states havehigher property taxes or sales tax,”said Sue Spriggs, who worked as theoffice manager in titles and registrations.The good news is that a percentageof the fees are tax deductible.Go to the county commons to getyour driver’s license and plates; it’s inthe same building as the main library.

If you see ZL plates with predominantlygreen Colorado license plates, you knowthat driver is a survivor – especially if ZLis followed by a number less than 100. TheZL series was the fi rst the DMV issued toSummit County residents. After that cameZR, then WPA, WPB, WPW and WNZ.While some people think it’s snobbish to beproud of a ZL plate, we tip our hats to thesetrue locals who have weathered so manycold winters. Some local wanna-bes mayhave vanity plates with ZL, but you’ll knowthe difference in authenticity because theyusually sport Colorado’s newer plates, whichare predominately white, with green on top.Some drivers honor the ZL tradition withEuropean-style stickers that read: ZL.