When Helena Perez of Newcastle bought a white Subaru two years ago, her car wasn’t the only thing she wanted to upgrade. She also wanted different license plates to go with it. She thought Colorado’s standard white and green license plates were boring and wanted “something new and fresh.”
For an extra $25 fee, she decided to get the state’s reissued black license plates, with white lettering.
“I thought it was retro,” she told CPR News. “I thought it looked really nice, the combination of the black plates with the white vehicle. I really liked that.”
What she hasn’t liked so much is seeing how many other people have had the same idea; the roads these days seem to be full of black plates.
“They look like mine. I like to be unique,” she lamented.
She isn’t alone in wanting to stand out. Over the past few years, Colorado has started to reissue a number of historic license plate designs, including solid red, blue, and black versions, as well as the classic green mountains on a white background. These retro license plates have drawn massive interest from drivers who want something different from the standard design. Among these, the black plates, originally from 1945, have been by far the most popular. According to the most recent figures, there are now roughly 378,000 thousand vehicles with black license plates on Colorado’s roads.
The appeal of these plates goes beyond aesthetics. Car owners must pay a $25 upfront fee to get them, plus an annual $25 renewal fee. The revenue generated from these fees directly supports programs for people with disabilities.
“It’s become very popular,” said Benjamin Meyerhoff, the Colorado Disability Funding Coordinator, whose office is housed in the state’s newly created Colorado Disability Opportunity Office.
So popular, in fact—bringing in a million dollars each month—that this money could soon be a victim of its own success, as cash-strapped lawmakers look anywhere and everywhere for funds to balance the state budget.
License Plate Fees and the State Budget Crisis
With Colorado facing a more than one-billion-dollar budget shortfall, lawmakers are weighing whether money collected for specific programs, like the specialty plate fees that support disability services, should be redirected to offset cuts in critical areas of the state budget, such as education and Medicaid.
This wouldn’t be the first time lawmakers have considered redirecting funds. The history of special license plates in Colorado is closely tied to disability advocacy.
A Long Relationship Between Special Plates and Disability Services
In 2011, the disability community, tired of hearing over and over that there wasn’t enough money in the state budget for the services their members needed, came up with an innovative solution: auction off highly desirable personalized license plates. Over the years, offerings have included cannabis-themed plates and the names of professional sports teams.
The returns were modest, to say the least. The program generated only $100,000 over its first decade, according to state figures. But bringing back retro license plates has been a game changer. Coloradans are now paying around $12 million a year to put these classic designs on their cars.
“It’s a really great example of sifting through the couch cushions for change and that change adding up to a whole bunch of money. It’s pretty extraordinary actually,” said Danny Combs, head of the state’s new Colorado Disability Opportunity Office.
The money has helped set up that office, which coordinates all disability services in the state, as well as funding grants to various organizations. Both the office and the grants are overseen by people with disabilities.
“What’s really important in this particular program is that the decisions where the money goes are made by people with disabilities,” said Lt. Gov Dianne Primavera, whose office helped set up this license plate program. “They have their finger on the pulse much better than some of the rest of us.”
Half of the money goes toward helping people with disabilities access the full range of benefits they may be eligible for, such as Medicaid, Social Security, and Supplemental Security Income. The other half funds innovation grants aimed at improving people’s quality of life.
In that realm, Meyerhoff said, “the sky’s the limit.” Grants have supported initiatives like a training program for people with disabilities to work in food service and an effort to design accessible pinball machines. One nonprofit even received funds to install a vibrating dance floor so that deaf individuals could feel the beat and follow the music.
A Pot of Money Too Tempting to Ignore
While disability advocates have celebrated the influx of funding, the grant program could become a casualty of this year’s state budget shortfall.
Lawmakers responsible for balancing the budget must find more than a billion dollars to keep state finances in order, and redirecting revenue raised by specialty license plates is one of the options on the table.
The fees for Colorado’s 200 or so specialty license plates, which include the historic black, blue, and red designs, generate about $30 to $40 million annually. That money is currently earmarked for specific programs, but it also counts toward the overall cap on how much the state is allowed to spend each year under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR).
“That’s something that you wouldn’t think of as being particularly difficult or problematic for the state’s budget, but it is,” said Democratic Rep. Shannon Bird. “It’s impacting what the state could otherwise use to invest in key services.”
Because of that, Bird and other members of the Joint Budget Committee are considering sweeping the specialty license plate funds into the general budget to help reduce cuts to other essential programs, such as K-12 schools and Medicaid, which make up the largest share of state spending.
“Medicaid is crucial,” said Bird. “They are the most vulnerable people in our communities that without this coverage won’t be able to enjoy any quality of life. People need oxygen, they need diabetes medication, they need heart medication. They rely upon Medicaid for all of these things.”
Many people with disabilities also rely on Medicaid to pay for in-home care, allowing them to live independently, and for medical equipment such as wheelchairs. However, Meyerhoff argues that the needs met by the current grants are equally important.
“These funds deserve to go to folks with disabilities to improve their lives,” he said. “This historically is an underfunded community, and just because the state is having a difficult time funding-wise doesn’t mean that these funds should go to the general fund. We need these funds.”
Other advocates appear more resigned to the possibility that the money could be redirected. Hillary Jorgensen, one of the heads of the Cross Disability Coalition, expressed hope that any repurposed funding would still benefit people with disabilities and that the state would restore grant funding in future years.
“I think it would be really a misstep to cut the program completely,” she said.
What Comes Next?
No final decisions have been made yet, and much of the outcome may hinge on the state’s next economic forecast on March 17. That forecast will provide the final figures the budget committee needs before it presents its proposed spending package to the full legislature.
Adding to the uncertainty is the potential impact of federal decisions on state funding.
“We are also very much aware that there are some things that are beyond our control that will have a big impact on the work we’re doing or have the potential to have a big impact on our role,” said Democratic Sen. Judy Amabile of Boulder, who sits on the budget committee.
Colorado Drivers Weigh In
However, the Colorado drivers CPR News spoke with were unaware of the potential drama surrounding their plates.
Jesse Bennas of Carbondale has a solid red plate on his vehicle, while his wife sports a solid blue, and his father-in-law, the black plates.
“I liked it a lot and it matches my car and I get a lot of compliments on it,” he said. “I’m glad the money’s going to good places.”
For Perez, learning about the extra fee she paid for her black plates supporting the disability community was eye-opening.
“Thank you for letting me know,” she told a reporter. “Because I had no idea that I was contributing to this, but now I feel better about myself honestly.”
She said she’ll no longer feel annoyed when she sees all those black plates on the road.
Unlock Your Child’s Potential with Expert ABA Therapy
At Gracious Growth ABA, we are dedicated to providing personalized, evidence-based therapy that empowers children with autism to thrive. Our compassionate team tailors each program to meet your child’s unique needs, fostering meaningful progress in communication, social skills, and daily living activities. We believe in a collaborative approach, working closely with families to ensure lasting success. If you’re looking for high-quality autism services in Colorado, we’re here to help every step of the way. Contact us today to learn how we can support your child’s growth and development!
