Can You Turn Right on Red in Colorado?
Red light right turns are legal in Colorado, but you must make a complete stop and yield to right-of-way traffic in the intersection.
Written by Pat Roache
Edited by Melanie Krieps Mergen
Turning right on a red light in
Colorado
is legal unless a sign indicates that the turn is prohibited. However, you must make a complete stop and yield the right-of-way to other vehicles or pedestrians before entering the intersection. - You must complete a full stop and yield the right of way to pedestrians and traffic before making a right turn at a solid or flashing red light.
- You can only turn left on red in Colorado if you are turning from a one-way street onto another one-way street.
- The maximum penalty for an illegal right turn on red in Colorado is a $110 fine and four violation points on your driver’s license.
- You must complete a full stop and yield the right of way to pedestrians and traffic before making a right turn at a solid or flashing red light.
- You can only turn left on red in Colorado if you are turning from a one-way street onto another one-way street.
- The maximum penalty for an illegal right turn on red in Colorado is a $110 fine and four violation points on your driver’s license.
Can you turn right on red in Colorado?
You can legally turn right on red in Colorado as long as there isn’t a sign posted at the intersection stating otherwise.
Section
42-4-604-605 of the Colorado Statute
states that all vehicles should stop at a clearly marked line or before the crosswalk for a steady circular red light. You must perform the following actions before making a right turn on red in Colorado:
- Use your turn signal as you approach the intersection.
- Come to a complete stop.
- Yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and other traffic in the intersection.
If the light is flashing yellow or red, you should treat it as a stop sign and take the same steps to perform a right turn.
Keep in mind: Local authorities will place signs indicating that a right turn is not allowed if they’ve prohibited right turns on red at certain intersections.
Can you turn left on red in Colorado?
As with most states, turning left at a red light is only legal if you’re turning from a one-way street onto another one-way street. However, you must yield the right-of-way to pedestrians and other vehicles using a green signal before making your turn.
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Penalties for an illegal right turn on red in Colorado
You’ll face the following fines for an illegally performed right turn on red in Colorado, depending on how you were caught:
- Ticket from an officer: $110 ($100 ticket + $10 surcharge)
A ticket from an officer can also result in up to four
driver violation points
on your record. A ticket from a red light camera, on the other hand, will not add any points to your license.Keep in mind: Performing an illegal right turn on red can be more expensive than just a fine. Driver violation points lead to higher
car insurance
rates, and too many points could result in a suspended license
with an expensive reinstatement process.“Jerrywas easy to use, and they saved me a lot of money on my truck. I would definitely recommend them.” —Johannes T.
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