What is the youngest age you can get a Colorado instruction permit?
15 Colorado issues a learner's permit from age 15. At 15 you also need to finish a 30-hour driver education course first, and you still have to pass the written test.
If you're under 18, how long must you hold your permit before you can take the driving test?
12 months Under-18 permit holders must hold the permit for at least 12 full months from the date it was issued. Adults 18 and older have no minimum holding time.
How many hours of supervised driving must an under-18 driver log before getting a license?
50 hours, including 10 at night Colorado asks for at least 50 hours of supervised driving, and 10 of those hours must be at night. A parent, guardian or responsible adult signs the log, which you hand in or upload when you upgrade.
During their first year with a minor license, when may a teen NOT drive (unless an exception applies)?
From midnight to 5 a.m. For the first year, a minor license holder can't drive between midnight and 5 a.m. Exceptions include driving with a parent or guardian, going to or from school or work with a signed statement, a medical emergency, or being an emancipated minor.
A 6-year-old who weighs 45 pounds is riding in your car. Under Colorado law, how must the child ride?
In a booster seat or child restraint, in the back seat if there is one Children from 4 to under 9 years old who weigh at least 40 pounds must be in a child restraint system or booster seat, in the rear seat if one is available. If the parent isn't in the car, it's the driver's job to make sure.
Since January 1, 2025, when may a Colorado driver hold and talk on a phone while driving?
Only when calling police or the fire department in an emergency Colorado now bans all drivers from using a handheld mobile device while driving. The only exceptions are contacting law enforcement or the fire department in an emergency, or using a hands-free accessory.
A 19-year-old is caught with alcohol at a party. They weren't driving. What can happen to their license?
They can lose it In Colorado, an alcohol or marijuana violation by anyone under 21 leads to loss of their driver's license, even when they weren't behind the wheel. For minors, driving with even a trace of alcohol is also punishable.
How do you check that you're at least three seconds behind the car ahead?
Count from when the other car's rear bumper passes a fixed object until your front bumper reaches it Pick a fixed object such as a sign or pole. Start counting when the rear bumper of the car ahead passes it. If your front bumper reaches it before you get to 'one thousand three', you're too close.
The road is wet from rain. What following distance does the DMV's guide suggest?
Five or six seconds On wet or slippery roads it takes longer to stop, so the guide says to slow down and stretch your following distance to five or six seconds. Turn on your wipers and low beams too.
You're driving in thick fog. Which lights should you use?
Low beams, and fog lights if you have them Use low beams, plus fog lights if your car has them. High beams bounce off the fog and make it harder to see. Slow down until your speed matches how far ahead you can see.
You're in a car entering a roundabout at the same time as a large truck. Who must yield?
You must yield to the truck A 2023 Colorado law says drivers must yield to trucks, buses, emergency vehicles, RVs and other large vehicles entering, leaving or driving in a roundabout. Large vehicles often need more than one lane to get around.
On a road with several lanes, which lane should a left turn usually start and end in?
The lane closest to the right of the yellow center line Left turns should almost always begin and end in the lane closest to the right of the yellow line. Steer through the middle of that lane so you don't cut into other lanes.
You're driving downhill on a narrow mountain road and meet a car coming uphill. There's only room for one. Who must yield?
You, the driver going downhill On a narrow road, the driver going downhill must yield to the vehicle going uphill. It's easier for the downhill driver to back up or pull over safely.
What's the safe way to control your speed going down a long, steep hill?
Use a lower gear Use a lower gear to help hold your speed on long, steep hills, going up or down. Never coast downhill in neutral or with the clutch pushed in, because you lose the engine's help in slowing the car.
A deer steps onto the road and you can't stop in time. What does the DMV say to do?
Brake and stay in your lane rather than swerve If you can't stop for an animal, don't swerve. Swerving makes the car hard to control, and the worst crashes happen when drivers swerve into oncoming traffic or roll into a ditch.
A car is stopped on the highway shoulder with its hazard lights flashing. You can't safely change lanes. What does Colorado's Move Over Law require?
Slow down to at least 20 mph below the speed limit When you pass any stationary vehicle with hazards flashing, move over one lane if it's safe. If you can't, or the road has only one lane each way, slow to at least 20 mph below the posted limit.
Several CDOT snowplows are clearing the highway side by side in a line, lights flashing. What should you do?
Stay back and don't pass Passing snowplows working together in a tandem line with their lights on is a Class A traffic offense in Colorado. Give them room, don't tailgate, and watch for sudden stops and turns.
You need to pass a person riding a horse beside the road. What does the 2025 Colorado law say?
Pass wide and slow, keeping 6 feet away if you can Since August 2025, drivers passing an equestrian must pass wide and slow, keep 6 feet away (or as much space as traffic allows), not use the horn unless needed to avoid danger, and obey a rider's signal to stop or slow.
What do two solid yellow lines in the center of the road mean?
No passing in either direction Two solid yellow center lines mark a no-passing zone for traffic in both directions. Stay on your side of the road.
On a rural road you reach a railroad crossing marked only with a white X-shaped sign. No lights, no gates. What should you do?
Slow down, look both ways and listen, and cross only if no train is coming Many rural crossings have only a yellow advance warning sign and a white crossbuck, with no lights, bells or gates. Slow down, look both ways, listen and be ready to stop. Cross only when you can't see or hear a train either way.
Colorado · Permit test