What is the Driving Age in Colorado?
You must be at least 15 years old to get a permit under the Graduated Drivers License program in Colorado. You have to be 18 to get a fully unrestricted license.
Written by Amber Reed
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Colorado
is one of many states that has adopted a Graduated Drivers License program (GDL) in order for teenage drivers to gradually gain the skills needed to get an unrestricted driver’s license by the time they are 18. RECOMMENDED
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What is the driving age in Colorado?
In Colorado, you must be 15 years old to apply for a learner’s permit. Drivers must be 18 to qualify for a standard unrestricted
Colorado driver’s license
. What is the Graduated Drivers License program in Colorado?
Colorado adopted its Graduated Drivers License program (GDL) in 1999, with the goal of decreasing the high rate of car crashes among teenage drivers. According to the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), motor vehicle accidents are the second biggest cause of death for young people. The GDL program allows teen drivers to progressively gain driving experience and skills before being granted full driving privileges. Typically, most programs include some variation of three stages:
- Instruction permit stage: Supervised driving only
- Provisional license stage: Limited unsupervised driving
- Full license stage: Unrestricted standard driver’s license
How to get your instruction permit in Colorado
All drivers under the age of 18 are required to follow Colorado’s GDL program, which is administered through the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). This program regulates the parameters under which minors may drive while they work their way towards a fully unrestricted driver’s license.
But it’s not as simple as just heading down to your nearest
DMV office
—there are some educational requirements you must meet first. Here are Colorado’s requirements for obtaining an instructional permit:
- You must be at least 15 years old
- Pre-register for a Colorado permit atmyDMV.Colorado.gov
- Successfully complete a 30-hour driver’s education course at anapproved school
- Gather the properidentification documents
Once you’ve done all that, then you must
make an appointment
to apply for your permit. In addition to the proper ID, make sure you bring: - A certificate of completion from your driver’s education course
- Written test completion from your driver’s ed school (if applicable)
- Allapplicable fees
- A parent or Colorado driver over 21 who can sign theAffidavit of Liability and Guardianship Form, if applicable
While you need to be 15 to apply for a permit, you can begin your driver’s education course when you’re 14 and a half. It’s also important to note that the educational requirements change depending on what age you are when you apply for your permit. See Colorado’s
Minor Permit
page for detailed information.Instructional permit restrictions
With an instructional permit, you are only allowed to drive with an instructor, parent or legal guardian, or a licensed adult (authorized by your parent) who is over 21. This person must be in the front seat at all times and have their seat belt on.
How to get your provisional driver’s license in Colorado
Colorado requires that you have an instructional permit for a year before moving on to a provisional license. You must also meet certain testing and training parameters.
Here are the requirements to obtain a provisional driver’s license in Colorado:
- You must be at least 16 years old
- Have a Colorado instruction permit for at least one year
- Successfully complete a skills test at an approved school
- Pay the requiredapplication fees
Like with getting an instructional permit, the
requirements vary
depending on how old you are when you apply, so make sure you check with the Colorado DMV for details. Key Takeaway The steps to getting a learner’s permit and a provisional license as a minorvary according to how old you arewhen you begin the process. Begin your education at 14 ½ if you want to have a provisional license when you turn 16.
Provisional driver’s license restrictions
You got your provisional license! Congratulations are definitely in order. But before you grab the keys and hit the open road, there are still certain restrictions that apply to your license.
During the first six months, you may not have any passengers under 21 unless there is a parent or approved guardian with you. For the next six months, just one passenger under 21 is allowed. Only one passenger is allowed in the front seat at all times, and everyone must wear their own seat belt.
During the first 12 months, minors may not drive between midnight and 5 am. It’s also against the law for a driver under the age of 18 to use a cell phone while driving, unless it’s for emergency purposes.
Exceptions
Of course, there are some exceptions to the restrictions placed on minors with provisional licenses. Some of these include:
- Medical emergencies
- School or school-authorized activities (signed documentation required)
- Driving to/from work (signed documentation required)
- Emancipated minors
Once you turn 18, you’ll be qualified for a full, unrestricted Colorado driver’s license. Way to go—you earned it!
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Can you get a Colorado driver’s license at 16?
Yes! As long as you have met the educational, testing, and driving time requirements, you can get an intermediate driver’s license when you are 16 in Colorado.
Can you drive by yourself at 17 in Colorado?
If you have successfully held your intermediate driver’s license for 12 months, then you can drive by yourself at 17 in Colorado—provided you meet the other requirements as well.
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