How licensing works in Colorado
The Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) issues permits and licenses. Drivers under 18 must hold a permit for a full year and then follow extra rules during their first year of driving alone.
| Stage | Minimum age | Main rules |
|---|---|---|
| Minor instruction permit | 15 (with driver education) | Pass the written test. A parent or guardian signs the Affidavit of Liability (DR 2460). Drive with a licensed Colorado driver 21 or older in the front seat. Valid three years. |
| Minor driver license | 16 | Hold the permit 12 months. Signed log of 50 hours (10 at night). First year: midnight to 5 a.m. curfew and passenger limits. |
| Full privileges | After 1 year licensed, or 18 | Curfew and passenger limits end. |
Driver education
Colorado ties permit age to driver education. The DMV lists a 30-hour driver education course, a 4-hour driver awareness program, or no formal education, depending on your age. Teens who apply for a license before 16½ also need 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training with an approved instructor.
First-year passenger and curfew rules
| Time licensed | Passengers under 21 |
|---|---|
| First 6 months | None, unless a parent or licensed adult is in the car |
| 6 months to 1 year | One |
| After 1 year | As many as there are seat belts |
Siblings and passengers with a medical emergency are exceptions. During the first year you may not drive from midnight to 5 a.m. unless an instructor, parent or guardian is with you, or you are going to school or work with a signed statement, or there is a medical emergency.
The Colorado written test
You must pass the written test before the DMV issues a permit. It covers road signs, DUI, driving rules, safety rules and legal topics from the Colorado Driver Handbook.
- Take the test at a DMV office, or at home online. After an at-home test, book an appointment to get the permit.
- The test machine can read the exam aloud. Sign language interpretation is available. For other spoken languages, you must bring your own translator.
- Offices do not give written tests within 30 minutes of closing.
- Practice quizzes are in the myColorado app and online.
What to bring
Bring identification documents, your driver education certificate or test completion form if you have one, and the adult who will sign the Affidavit of Liability. That adult must attend in person. Bring the fee as well.
Rules specific to Colorado
Alcohol
- Under 21: license can be revoked for a BAC over 0.02.
- Driving while ability impaired (DWAI): 0.05%. A first DWAI is 8 points.
- DUI: 0.08%. A first DUI brings a 9-month revocation.
Under Colorado's express consent law, driving means you agree to a blood, breath, saliva or urine test if an officer suspects impairment. Refusal brings a one-year revocation and two years with an ignition interlock.
Phones
Using a mobile phone or texting while driving is banned unless you use a hands-free accessory, face an emergency, or are contacting police or the fire department.
Seat belts and child seats
Drivers, front-seat passengers and children under 16 must be buckled. When the driver is under 18, every passenger must wear a belt. Children under 2 and under 40 pounds ride rear-facing in the back. Children 4 to under 9 use a car seat or booster.
School buses and emergency vehicles
Stop at least 20 feet from a school bus with red lights flashing, from either direction, unless a median or barrier separates you. When passing a stopped emergency vehicle, leave a lane open. If you cannot, slow to 25 mph on roads posted 45 mph or less, or to 20 mph below the limit on faster roads.
Leave an empty lane next to a stopped emergency vehicle, or slow down if you cannot.
- The stopped emergency vehicle on the shoulder.
- Your car moves over one lane.
- If you cannot move over, slow down.
Default speed limits
| Where | Limit |
|---|---|
| Narrow, winding mountain highways and blind curves | 20 mph |
| Business districts | 25 mph |
| Residence districts | 30 mph |
| Open mountain highways | 40 mph |
| Urban interstates and highways | 55 mph |
| Designated rural interstates and highways | 65 to 75 mph |
Work zone fines are doubled. Use headlights from sunset to sunrise and whenever you cannot see 1,000 feet ahead.
Test tips
- Read the Colorado Driver Handbook all the way through.
- Make flash cards for the numbers: 12 months, 50 hours, 0.02, 0.05, 0.08, 20 feet.
- Use the practice quiz in the myColorado app.
- Retake these practice tests until you score 90% or better.
Keep studying
This guide covers rules that are special to Colorado. The general rules of the road, such as right-of-way, turns, lane markings, parking and sharing the road, are in the national US driving study guide. Study both before your test.