Getting a license, instruction permits and the drive test

Key points

1. Anyone driving a motor vehicle, motor driven cycle or moped on public roads must be 16 or older with a valid license.

   Source: Handbook p. 1

   “Anyone who operates a motor vehicle, motor-driven cycle or moped on Colorado's public streets and highways must be 16 or older and have a valid driver license.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 1

2. New residents must get a Colorado license within 30 days of becoming a resident.

   Source: Handbook p. 1

   “you must get a Colorado driver license within 30 days of becoming a resident”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 1

3. You have 30 days to notify the DMV of a name or address change.

   Source: Handbook p. 1

   “You have 30 days to notify the DMV of a name or address change.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 1

4. With an instruction permit, a person 21 or older with a valid Colorado license must sit in the front passenger seat.

   Source: Handbook p. 1

   “you must have a person who is 21 years or older who has a valid Colorado license in the front passenger seat.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 1

5. Written tests are not given within 30 minutes of an office's scheduled closing time.

   Source: Handbook p. 1

   “Written tests are not given within 30 minutes of an office's scheduled closing time.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 1

6. If you fail the drive test, you must wait until the next business day to retake it.

   Source: Handbook p. 1

   “If you fail the drive test, you must wait until the next business day before retaking the test.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 1

7. On the drive test, signal 100 feet before a turn in urban areas and 200 feet on 4 lane highways, and cancel within 3 seconds.

   Source: Handbook p. 2

   “Turn signal is turned on continuously 100 feet before turning or changing lanes in urban areas and 200 feet before turning or changing lanes on 4-lane highways. Turn signal is cancelled within 3 seconds of turning or changing lanes.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 2

8. Under 18, your application needs an Affidavit of Liability signed by a parent, guardian or other responsible adult who accepts legal liability.

   Source: Handbook p. 2

   “If you are under 18, your application must be accompanied by an Affidavit of Liability (DR2460) signed and verified by your parent, stepparent, grandparent with power of attorney, legal guardian, spouse older than 18, or any other responsible adult willing to accept legal liability.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 2

9. Minors must hold a permit for 12 months and log 50 hours of driving, 10 at night, before applying for a license.

   Source: Handbook p. 2

   “Colorado law requires minors to have an instruction permit for 12 months before applying for a driver license and to submit a completed and signed driving log showing 50 hours of driving experience (10 of which must have been at night).”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 2

10. If younger than 16 and 6 months, you must also complete 6 hours of behind the wheel training with an approved instructor.

    Source: Handbook p. 2

    “If younger than 16 and 6 months, you must also complete 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training with an approved driver education instructor.”
    Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 2

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Colorado practice test

1. 1. While driving with a Colorado instruction permit, who must sit in the front passenger seat?

   1. A person at least 21 years old with a valid Colorado license
   2. Any passenger who is at least 18 years old
   3. A licensed driver who is at least 16 years old
   4. No passenger, because permit holders must drive alone
   Show answer

   A person at least 21 years old with a valid Colorado license. 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. An 18-year-old or a 16-year-old does not meet the stated age requirement, even if licensed. The permit creates limited driving privileges for learning, so supervision is part of the privilege rather than an optional safety suggestion. Before moving, check that the supervising passenger is seated beside you and carries the required Colorado license.

2. 2. Before a Colorado minor applies for a driver license, what driving experience must the signed log show?

   1. 75 hours, including 20 hours at night
   2. 30 hours, including 5 hours at night
   3. 50 hours, all during daylight
   4. 50 hours, including 10 hours at night
   Show answer

   50 hours, including 10 hours at night. Before applying for a driver license, a Colorado minor must submit a completed and signed driving log showing 50 hours of driving experience. Ten of those hours must have been at night. The permit must also have been held for 12 months, but that separate timing rule does not change the log total. Thirty hours is too few, daylight-only driving misses the nighttime requirement, and 75 hours with 20 at night adds figures not stated here. Keep the log accurate as practice occurs so both totals can be verified at application time.

3. 3. What must a Colorado minor submit with the application for a driver license?

   1. Only proof of vehicle registration
   2. A log showing 20 total hours, all during daylight
   3. A signed log showing 100 hours, none after sunset
   4. A completed, signed driving log showing 50 hours, including 10 at night
   Show answer

   A completed, signed driving log showing 50 hours, including 10 at night. The minor licensing requirement combines a 12-month instruction permit period with a completed, signed driving log. That log must document 50 hours of experience, of which 10 hours occurred at night. The other hour totals are not the handbook figures, and vehicle registration alone does not demonstrate supervised driving practice. Keep the log current and signed before applying, because the application requirement is about documented experience rather than simply owning or accessing a vehicle.

Source: the Colorado Driver Handbook, Getting a Driver License and Minor Drivers. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.