Colorado · DMV
Colorado practice tests
Permits at 15, held for a full year, 50 logged hours, and fingerprints taken at the counter. The DMV documents every step of the process in detail — except how many questions are on the test. Free practice questions from the official Colorado Driver Handbook.
Full exam
Colorado Practice Test
Road signs and signals, driving rules, safety rules, alcohol law and the graduated licensing restrictions. Our own format, since the DMV does not publish one.
Take the test
Signs and markings
Colorado Road Signs Test
25 questions on shapes, colors, signals and markings, plus the mountain signs that matter here: steep grades, runaway ramps, chain stations and elk.
Take the signs test
Quick reference
Colorado Cheat Sheet
Every number in one place: the retest fees, the age-based driver education routes, the fingerprint requirement, the 50 logged hours and the 30-mile exemption.
See the numbers
Colorado fingerprints you for a learner’s permit
Most states take a photograph and a signature. Colorado takes fingerprints, under C.R.S. 42-2-107 and 42-2-302, at the same appointment. It is listed alongside the vision exam and the photograph as a standard requirement, and it applies to every applicant.
For the photograph you have to remove glasses, bulky clothing and any hat or headwear, except where worn for religious reasons.
What the DMV publishes, and what it does not
The Colorado DMV documents the permit process in unusual detail — every form number, every fee, exemptions measured in miles. What it does not state anywhere on its permit page is how many questions are on the written test or what score passes it.
Study sites widely print 25 questions with 20 to pass, though at least one prints 18 to pass instead. We are not going to pick between unsourced figures, so our practice test uses its own format and says so plainly.
Your age decides your driver education
| Age at application | Required before the permit |
|---|---|
| 15 to 15 years 6 months | A 30-hour driver education course |
| 15 years 6 months to 16 | Either a 4-hour driver awareness program or the 30-hour course |
| 16 to 18 | No course required for the permit |
| 18 to 21 | No course, and no required holding period at all |
That 4-hour awareness program is the shortcut most 15-year-olds are waiting for: six months of patience saves 26 hours of classroom time.
The permit itself
- Minimum age 15. A permit is required if you have never held a license, or if your license has been expired or canceled for over 12 months, regardless of age
- Valid for three years, or until your 21st birthday, whichever comes first
- Hold it 12 full months, or until your 18th birthday, whichever comes first
- Supervision: a licensed driver 21 or older in the front passenger seat, holding a valid Colorado license, or a military ID with a valid out-of-state license
- Under 18, a parent, guardian or responsible adult over 21 must sign the DR 2460 Affidavit of Liability, either in front of a DMV employee or a notary
- You get a temporary paper permit at the appointment; the card arrives within 30 days
The signer of the affidavit takes on real obligations: financial responsibility for any accident the minor causes, and attendance at any hearing about the minor’s license. They can withdraw the signature later using form DR 2464.
Fifty hours, ten at night
Before the driving test you log at least 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night, on the DR 2324 log sheets or through the RoadReady app. Either way you have to print the log for the appointment.
You also complete 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training with an approved third-party school — unless you are 16 and a half or older, in which case it is waived.
Restrictions in your first year of licensure
| Period | Passengers |
|---|---|
| First 6 months | Only passengers 21 or older |
| Next 6 months | One passenger under 21 |
| After 1 year, or at 18 | More than one passenger under 21 |
Siblings may ride with you at any time, and the limits do not apply during a medical emergency.
For the first year you also may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m., unless you are with a parent or legal guardian, traveling to or from school or a school-authorized activity with a signed statement from the school, traveling to or from work with a signed statement from your employer, dealing with a medical emergency, or are an emancipated minor.
Texting or talking on a phone is against the law for any driver under 18, with one exception: an emergency call to the police.
Language and accommodations
The written test is offered in English and Spanish in the office, and the DMV states it is not available in other languages at this time. If you need another language you may bring your own translator, and the DMV provides ASL interpreters on request. The exam can also be read aloud at the testing station if you bring plug-in headphones.
Testing in another state?
The variation is wide. Utah publishes both its numbers and requires a second exam nobody mentions, Nevada lets you test at home by webcam, and Texas states a 70% pass mark but never says out of how many. Compare them on our states page.
Disclaimer: Pass The Permit is an independent study resource and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles or any government agency. Fees and rules change. Always confirm current requirements against the official Colorado Driver Handbook and dmv.colorado.gov.