Colorado permit test cheat sheet

Colorado-specific rules from our question bank, condensed to one line each with the handbook page. Read it the night before; don’t use it instead of practicing.

Study sheet for before your test. Notes aren’t allowed in the DMV test room. See the study sheets to print.

Test format
Not published
Passing score
80%
Permit and test fees
$20 total
Minimum age for a permit
15 years
Supervised driving
50 hours (10 at night)
Hold your permit
12 months minimum

Permits & licensing

  • A Colorado permit holder must have a supervisor who is at least 21 and holds a valid Colorado license, and that person must sit in the front passenger seat. p. 4
  • Colorado law requires minors to hold an instruction permit for 12 months before applying for a license. p. 5
  • Minors must submit a completed and signed log showing 50 hours of driving experience, and 10 of those hours must be at night. p. 5
  • Applicants younger than 16 and a half must complete 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training with an approved driver education instructor, on top of the 50-hour log. p. 5
  • If no approved school within 30 miles offers enough behind-the-wheel training, 12 extra hours with your parent, guardian or alternate permit supervisor can replace the 6 instructor hours. p. 5
  • For the first six months, a driver under 18 may not carry passengers under 21 unless a parent or another licensed adult driver is in the vehicle. p. 5
  • For the first year as a licensed driver, a minor may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m. unless accompanied by a parent, legal guardian or another qualifying adult. p. 5
  • Driving to and from work is an exception to the first-year midnight to 5 a.m. curfew, but you need a signed statement from your school or employer. p. 5
  • Applicants under 18 need an Affidavit of Liability signed by a parent, guardian or other responsible adult. p. 5
  • Colorado DMV Rule 8 requires a correct score of 80 percent or higher on the written examination. source

Alcohol & drugs

  • Under C.R.S. 42-4-1301(2)(a), a driver commits DUI per se with a BAC of 0.08 or more at the time of driving or within two hours after. source
  • Colorado can revoke the license of a driver under 21 whose BAC is over .02. p. 6
  • DWAI (Driving While Ability Impaired) means you are impaired to the slightest degree. p. 6
  • A first DWAI for a driver 21 or older is listed at a 0.05% BAC, with 8 points toward suspension, a $200-$500 fine, 2-180 days of jail and 24-48 hours of public service. p. 7
  • Colorado's express consent law means that by driving here you agree to a chemical test of your blood, breath, saliva or urine when suspected of impairment. p. 8
  • Colorado allows a permissible inference of DUI if a driver's blood contains 5 nanograms of THC per milliliter. p. 8
  • Driving while impaired by marijuana or any drug, including prescription medicine, is illegal with the same penalties as alcohol. p. 7
  • It is unlawful for anyone to possess an open container of alcohol or an open container of marijuana in the passenger area of a vehicle on a public road. p. 6