You need 80% to pass the Colorado permit knowledge test; the official Colorado sources we checked do not state a fixed question count. Official source. Page updated 2026-10-19.
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Key Colorado DMV rules and numbers
These are key rules and numbers from the Colorado handbook, a few per topic so they fit on one printed page. We favor rules that state a specific number. Every fact below comes from our free Colorado DMV practice test question bank, which has 500 questions across 9 topics, checked against the Colorado handbook (last verified 2026-09-07).
Speed limits
- The 65 to 75 mph range is listed for designated rural interstates and highways. (Handbook, p. 12)
- Colorado lists 20 mph for narrow, winding mountain highways and blind curves unless a different limit is posted. (Handbook, p. 12)
- The handbook sets 55 mph on urban interstate and highways unless another limit is posted. (Handbook, p. 12)
- Citing the National Safety Council, the handbook says a lightweight passenger car traveling 55 mph can stop in about 200 feet, and other vehicles need different distances. (Handbook, p. 12)
- Colorado provides default speed limits for different road settings when no other limit is posted. (Handbook, p. 12)
Right of way
- A green signal does not give anyone an unlimited claim to proceed. (Handbook, p. 11)
- A vehicle stopped at a crosswalk may be waiting for a pedestrian you cannot see. (Handbook, p. 9)
- A driver must yield to a bicyclist in a designated bike lane when merging with that lane or crossing it to turn. (Handbook, p. 11)
- When vehicles reach a four-way stop simultaneously, the vehicle on the left yields and lets the vehicle on the right proceed first. (Handbook, p. 11)
- At a four-way stop, the vehicle that reached the intersection first has priority to go first. (Handbook, p. 11)
Alcohol and DUI
- For drivers age 21 and older, the handbook identifies DUI per se at a BAC greater than 0.08 percent. (Handbook, p. 3)
- The commercial alcohol threshold is 0.04 percent or higher while operating a commercial motor vehicle requiring a CDL. (Handbook, p. 96)
- A driver younger than 21 can face revocation based on a BAC over 0.02 percent. (Handbook, p. 3)
- For a first DUI or DWAI conviction involving a driver younger than 21, the handbook says the license is subject to revocation when the driver fails to complete a court-ordered evaluation or program. (Handbook, p. 4)
- Colorado treats several differently sized servings as comparable alcohol amounts: 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of distilled spirits. (Handbook, p. 3)
Signals and markings
- Colorado requires low beams, with fog lights off, when following another vehicle within 200 feet. (Handbook, p. 16)
- In urban areas, Colorado requires a turn signal continuously for 100 feet before a turn or lane change. (Handbook, p. 12)
- Urban streets use a 100-foot signal rule, but Colorado gives a longer distance for four-lane highways when the posted speed is faster than 40 mph. (Handbook, p. 12)
- For a three-point turnabout, the handbook says to activate your left turn signal at least 200 feet before the turn, or a minimum of three seconds, and check traffic and any blind spots. (Handbook, p. 13)
- The handbook says to deactivate your turn signal within 3 seconds of completing the lane change. (Handbook, p. 15)
Parking
- Colorado lists a 30-foot no-parking distance for a traffic signal, stop sign, or railroad crossing. (Handbook, p. 13)
- The handbook says that where parallel parking is permitted, your vehicle must be within 12 inches of the curb or as close as possible to the outside edge of the shoulder. (Handbook, p. 14)
- For a standard transmission, the handbook says to leave the vehicle in low gear when headed uphill and in reverse gear when headed downhill. (Handbook, p. 13)
- The handbook tells drivers to set the emergency brake and remember to remove the ignition key when leaving the vehicle. (Handbook, p. 13)
- The handbook lists several places where you cannot park a vehicle. (Handbook, p. 13)
Safe driving
- Since January 1, 2025, Colorado law bars every driver from using a mobile electronic device while operating a motor vehicle, and use includes holding the phone for a call or writing, sending, or reading texts. (Handbook)
- The handbook recommends placing both hands on opposite sides of the outside of the steering wheel, at 3 and 9 o'clock or 4 and 8 o'clock. (Handbook, p. 6)
- Colorado requires a driver to stop at least 20 feet before a school bus that is stopped with red lights flashing. (Handbook, p. 11)
- Children 4 years of age or older but less than 9, and weighing at least 40 pounds, must be properly secured in a child restraint system or booster seat in the rear seat if a rear seat is available. (Handbook, p. 3)
- Children 2 years of age but less than 4, and weighing at least 20 pounds, must be secured in a rear-facing or forward-facing child restraint system in the rear seat if one is available. (Handbook, p. 3)
Road signs
- Since 2022, Colorado lets bicyclists who are 15 or older treat a STOP sign like a yield sign, and a red stop light like a stop sign, but only when the intersection is clear and the rider already has the right-of-way. (Handbook, p. 23)
- The PASS 3 FT MIN sign points to Colorado's bicyclist passing clearance. (Handbook, p. 22)
- The Colorado handbook says illegally parking in a designated disabled space without a placard or plate can bring a charge and, on conviction, a fine of $350 to $5,000, plus possible jail time, loss of driving privileges or impoundment. (Handbook, p. 9)
- Disabled parking signs mark spaces reserved for vehicles displaying a disabled parking permit, but the permit alone does not make parking legal. (Handbook, p. 9)
- A yield sign requires a driver to reduce speed and give priority to pedestrians and vehicles that already have the right of way. (Handbook, p. 7)
Laws and paperwork
- Colorado law requires headlights from sunset to sunrise and when visibility is less than 1,000 feet. (Handbook, p. 16)
- The first-year curfew covers midnight through 5 a.m., but it is not absolute. (Handbook, p. 2)
- The minor licensing requirement combines a 12-month instruction permit period with a completed, signed driving log. (Handbook, p. 2)
- A permit holder must have an adult supervisor in the front passenger seat, and Colorado specifies both qualifications: the person must be at least 21 and must hold a valid Colorado license. (Handbook, p. 1)
- For the first six months of a minor's license, Colorado restricts passengers under 21. (Handbook, p. 2)
Emergencies
- The handbook identifies the period between dusk and dawn as the time when approximately 90 percent of deer and elk crashes occur. (Handbook, p. 26)
- With ABS, apply the brakes with hard, firm pressure and keep the pedal down while the system works. (Handbook, p. 25)
- A blowout can pull the vehicle and provoke a panic reaction. (Handbook, p. 26)
- When approaching an emergency vehicle stopped along the road, the handbook says to try to leave at least one lane between the vehicles. (Handbook, p. 11)
- Colorado requires drivers to yield to emergency vehicles using a siren, air horn, or flashing red, blue, white, or yellow lights. (Handbook, p. 11)
Want the reasoning behind these rules? Study the handbook, chapter by chapter, in 23 short lessons quoted from the Colorado manual.
Signs
Sign shape and color carry meaning before you even read the words. A red octagon always means stop, a red-bordered triangle pointing down means yield, and yellow diamonds warn of a hazard ahead. For every sign image used in our practice test, with the exact meaning and explanation, see the full road sign glossary.
Keep studying
This cheat sheet is a summary, not a substitute for practice. Test yourself with the free Colorado DMV practice test, which explains the reasoning behind every answer, or see Colorado DMV facts and fees before test day.