Official fees
Colorado motorcycle fee chart
Base registration (motorcycle weight class)
$6.00
Road Safety Surcharge
$12.30
Bridge Safety Surcharge
$13.00
Clerk hire, EMS, insurance & POST fees
$7.50
MOST fund surcharge
$4.00
Motorcycle Operator Safety Training
Specific Ownership Tax
2.1%→0.45%→$3
same schedule as passenger vehicles
Title fee (new purchase)
$7.20
Figures verified July 2026 against official sources (listed below). Always confirm the final amount with your county motor vehicle office (Colorado DMV sets the rules) - counties can add small local fees.
- Fixed fee stack
- ≈ $42.80/yr
- MOST fund surcharge
- $4.00
- SOT
- Same rate as cars
- Title fee (new purchase)
- $7.20
- Sales tax (new purchase)
- 2.9% + local
Overview
The Specific Ownership Tax still applies at the same rate as any Class C vehicle, based on the bike's original MSRP and age - a new $9,000 motorcycle carries roughly $161 in first-year SOT, more than triple the fixed fees around it. Buying one also triggers the same sales tax and $7.20 title fee as a car purchase. Run your numbers below.
Same state, other costs
More Colorado vehicle costs
Common questions
Colorado motorcycle fees FAQ
- How much does it cost to register a motorcycle in Colorado each year?
- About $42.80 in fixed fees - $6 base registration, $12.30 Road Safety Surcharge, $13 Bridge Safety Surcharge, $7.50 in clerk hire/EMS/insurance/POST fees, and a $4 MOST fund surcharge. On top of that sits the Specific Ownership Tax, which depends entirely on the bike's original MSRP and age.
- What is the MOST fund surcharge?
- A $4 fee added to every motorcycle registration that funds Colorado's Motorcycle Operator Safety Training program - the state's subsidized rider-training courses. It's separate from the small surcharge added to a motorcycle endorsement on your driver's license.
- Do motorcycles pay the Specific Ownership Tax like cars?
- Yes, at the identical rate schedule - 2.1% of 85% of original MSRP in year one, stepping down to a flat 0.45% for years five through nine and $3 at year ten and beyond. There's no motorcycle discount on SOT.
- Does a new motorcycle purchase owe the same sales tax as a car?
- Yes - the same state-plus-local combined rate applies, based on your registration address, with the same dealer trade-in credit and bona fide gift exemption rules as any other vehicle purchase.
- Are mopeds and scooters registered the same way?
- If it's street-legal and titled as a motorcycle or moped, it falls into the same lightest weight bracket and fee stack. Low-power scooters that meet Colorado's specific statutory definition may be exempt from parts of the fee stack, like the EMS fee - check with your county if you're unsure which category your vehicle falls under.
- Do motorcycles need emissions testing in the Front Range counties?
- Colorado's emissions program targets gasoline and diesel passenger vehicles and light trucks; motorcycles are not part of the standard Air Care Colorado testing requirement, so a bike renewal in a Front Range county skips that step entirely.
Receipts
Official sources
Every number on this page comes from these documents - check them yourself.
