Passenger limits and curfew for young drivers

Key points

1. Under 18, your passenger limits depend on how long you have had your license.

   Source: Handbook p. 2

   “While you are younger than 18, you have passenger restrictions based on how long you have had your driver license.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 2

2. For the first six months, no passengers under 21 unless a parent or other licensed adult driver is in the car.

   Source: Handbook p. 2

   “For the first six months after your license is issued, you cannot have any passengers under 21, unless a parent or another licensed adult driver is in the vehicle.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 2

3. After 6 months, you may have one passenger younger than 21. Siblings and medical emergencies are exceptions.

   Source: Handbook p. 2

   “After 6 months, you may have one passenger younger than 21. Siblings and passengers with medical emergencies are exceptions.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 2

4. After 1 year, you may carry as many passengers as there are seat belts.

   Source: Handbook p. 2

   “After 1 year, you may carry as many passengers as there are seat belts in the vehicle.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 2

5. For your first year, no driving between midnight and 5 a.m. unless with an instructor, parent or legal guardian.

   Source: Handbook p. 2

   “For your first year as a licensed driver, driving between midnight and 5 a.m. is not allowed unless you are accompanied by an instructor, parent or legal guardian.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 2

6. Curfew exceptions include driving to and from school or work with a signed statement, medical emergencies and emancipated minors.

   Source: Handbook p. 2

   “Exceptions include driving to and from school or work (with a signed statement from school or work), medical emergencies and emancipated minors.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 2

7. If the person who signed for you no longer accepts responsibility and withdraws their signature, your permit or license is canceled.

   Source: Handbook p. 2

   “If the signer decides to no longer accept responsibility for your driving, that person may withdraw their signature and your permit/license will be canceled.”
   Colorado Driver Handbook, Handbook p. 2

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Colorado practice test

1. 1. During the first six months after a Colorado minor's license is issued, which passenger is generally prohibited?

   1. A passenger younger than 21, unless a parent or licensed adult driver is present
   2. A sibling younger than 21 under every circumstance
   3. One passenger younger than 21, even with a parent present
   4. All passengers, regardless of age
   Show answer

   A passenger younger than 21, unless a parent or licensed adult driver is present. For the first six months of a minor's license, Colorado restricts passengers under 21. Such a passenger is not allowed unless a parent or another licensed adult driver is in the vehicle. That means a sibling under 21 is not banned in every circumstance, because a parent or licensed adult in the car changes the situation. The restriction also does not eliminate every passenger. Think of the first six months as a supervised transition period with a specific age limit for young passengers.

2. 2. During the first year after a minor's Colorado license is issued, when is driving generally prohibited?

   1. Between midnight and 5 a.m., unless an exception applies
   2. Between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. in every circumstance
   3. Between 1 a.m. and 6 a.m., with no exceptions
   4. Only during daylight hours on school days
   Show answer

   Between midnight and 5 a.m., unless an exception applies. The first-year curfew covers midnight through 5 a.m., but it is not absolute. A supervising instructor, parent, or legal guardian may accompany the minor, and the handbook also lists signed school or work travel, medical emergencies, and emancipated minors as exceptions. The other time windows change the stated hours or invent a broader rule. A newly licensed minor should plan late-night trips around the documented exceptions and carry any required signed statement.

3. 3. After a Colorado driver under 18 has held a license for 1 year, how many passengers may ride along?

   1. Only one passenger under 21
   2. Three passengers at most
   3. As many as there are seat belts in the vehicle
   4. None without a parent
   Show answer

   As many as there are seat belts in the vehicle. After 1 year, a Colorado driver under 18 may carry as many passengers as there are seat belts in the vehicle. The one passenger limit belongs to months six through twelve, and the no passengers rule to the first six months. Colorado sets no three passenger cap. The seat belt count also ties into a separate law: the number of passengers in a vehicle driven by someone under 18 must not exceed the number of seat belts.

Source: the Colorado Driver Handbook, 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.