The Colorado DMV documents the permit process in remarkable detail — form numbers, retest fees to the cent, exemptions measured in miles. What it does not state anywhere on its permit pages is how many questions are on the written test, or what score passes it.
Study sites widely print 25 questions with 20 to pass. At least one prints 18 to pass instead. Neither traces back to the DMV, so we are not going to pick between them.
This practice test uses 25 questions scored at 20, and that format is ours rather than the state’s. The material is drawn from the official Colorado Driver Handbook and the DMV’s own published requirements.
Colorado Practice Test
The DMV tells you everything except the exam
Colorado’s permit pages are among the most thorough we have read. Form numbers, retest fees to the cent, a mileage-based exemption, exactly which documents a caseworker must bring for a ward of the state. It is all there.
What is not there is how many questions the written test has or what score passes it. Study sites print 25 questions and 20 to pass; at least one prints 18. Neither figure traces back to the DMV, so we use our own format and label it as ours.
Fingerprints, and what else happens at the counter
Colorado takes fingerprints from permit applicants under C.R.S. 42-2-107 and 42-2-302. Most states do not. It sits in the same list as the vision exam and the photograph, for which you must remove glasses, bulky clothing and any hat or headwear, except where worn for religious reasons.
You leave with a temporary paper permit. The physical card is mailed within 30 days, and you must carry the paper version while driving until it arrives.
Six months of patience saves 26 hours
| Age at application | Required before the permit |
|---|---|
| 15 to 15 years 6 months | 30-hour driver education course |
| 15 years 6 months to 16 | 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 holding period — eligible to take the driving test immediately |
The affidavit is a real commitment
Under 18, a parent, guardian or responsible adult over 21 must sign the DR 2460 Affidavit of Liability, in front of a DMV employee or a notary, showing a valid Colorado license.
By signing they accept financial responsibility for any accident the minor causes and agree to attend any hearing relating to the minor’s license. The signature can be withdrawn later with form DR 2464, at which point a new signer and a new permit are needed.
If the parent does not hold a Colorado license, they may appoint an Alternate Permit Supervisor on the affidavit instead.
Fifty hours, ten at night, and the 30-mile rule
- 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 at night, on DR 2324 sheets or the RoadReady app — printed either way
- 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training with an approved third-party school, waived at 16 years and 6 months
- Live more than 30 miles from an approved full-time school and 12 hours of supervised driving substitute for those 6 hours, for a total of 62 logged hours. Bring a printed map of the route
- The drive skills test is conducted by approved third-party schools, not the DMV, and you may only take it once per day
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 ride with you at any time, and the limits lift during a medical emergency. For the first year you also may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m. unless with a parent or legal guardian, traveling to or from school or work with a signed statement from the school or employer, dealing with a medical emergency, or emancipated.
Texting or talking on a phone is against the law under 18, except an emergency call to the police.
Testing in another state?
The variation is wide. Utah publishes both numbers and adds 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, or read more on the Colorado hub.
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. Our questions are original practice material, not real exam questions, and our 25-question format is our own rather than the state’s. Always confirm current requirements against the official Colorado Driver Handbook and dmv.colorado.gov.