Laws & regulations summary:

Colorado

Ratings
Young driver licensing
Safety belt use
Child restraint use
Motorcycle helmet use
Red light camera

DUI/DWI
BAC defined as illegal per se	0.08
Administrative license suspension 1st offense?	3 months
Restore driving privileges during suspension?	yes1
Do penalties include interlock?	yes
Do penalties include vehicle forfeiture for multiple offenses?	no
Open container laws	driver/passenger
Restrictions on cellphone use and texting
Hand-held ban	no
Young drivers all cellphone ban	drivers younger than 18
Bus drivers all cellphone ban	no
Texting ban	all drivers
Enforcement	primary
Maximum posted speed limits for passenger vehicles
Rural interstates (mph)	75
Urban interstates (mph)	65
Other limited access roads (mph)	65
Other roads (mph)	65
Licensing system for young drivers — learner stage
Minimum entry age	152
Mandatory holding period	12 months
Minimum amount of supervised driving	50 hours, 10 of which must be at night
Licensing system for young drivers — intermediate stage restrictions on driving while unsupervised
Minimum age	16
Nighttime restrictions	midnight-5 am secondary enforcement
Passenger restrictions (family members excepted unless otherwise noted)	first 6 months—no passengers; second 6 months—no more than 1 passenger secondary enforcement
Licensing system for young drivers — minimum age at which restrictions may be lifted
Nighttime restrictions	17
Passenger restrictions	17
Older driver licensing procedures
Length of regular renewal cycle	10 years
Special licensing provisions for older drivers
Accelerated renewal	5 years for people 61 and older
Other provisions	people 66 and older cannot renew electronically, but they can renew by mail if a licensed physician or optometrist certifies that they passed a vision exam given within the prior six months; no one may renew by mail or electronically whose prior renewal was by mail or electronic
Child restraint laws
Must be in child restraint	younger than 1 year and less than 20 pounds in a rear-facing infant seat; 1 through 3 years and 20-40 pounds in a child safety seat; 4 through 7 years in a booster seat
Adult safety belt permissible	8 through 15 years
Maximum fine 1st offense	$81
Seating preference	1 year and younger and less than 20 pounds must be in the rear seat if available
Children not covered	all children covered
Safety belt use
Initial effective date	07/01/87
Standard enforcement?	no
Who is covered? In what seats?	16+ years in front seat
Maximum fine 1st offense	$71
Can nonuse decrease monetary awards for injuries in lawsuits?	yes
Motorcycle helmets
Motorcyclists covered	17 and younger and passengers 17 and younger
Bicycle helmets
Covered by state law	no law
Restrictions on riding in cargo areas of pickup trucks
Restrictions on riding in cargo areas	yes
Gaps in coverage	people sitting in the cargo area if it is fully or partially enclosed on all 4 sides
Low-speed vehicles
On which roads are low-speed vehicles permitted?	roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less
What is the top speed permissible for low-speed vehicles?	25 mph
Medium-speed vehicles
On which roads are medium-speed vehicles permitted?	roads with posted limit of 45 mph or less once DOT adopts standard
What is the top speed permissible for medium-speed vehicles?	45 mph
Minitruck vehicles
Initial effective date	no state law
Where permitted	—
Speed restrictions	—
Vehicle classification under state law	—
Automated enforcement
Notes	Colorado law grants the authority to use automated enforcement to capture any traffic violation
Automated enforcement - red light
Statewide or only specified locations? statewide Violations red light Citations issued to whom? registered owner Who is liable? driver What image is taken? tag and driver Traditional enforcement penalty $110 fine (including surcharge)/4 points Auto enforcement penalties/record $75; no points or record
Automated enforcement - speed
Statewide or only specified locations? restricted to construction and school zones, residential areas, or adjacent to a municipal park Violations speed Citations issued to whom? registered owner Who is liable? driver What image is taken? tag and driver Traditional enforcement penalty $151 (including surcharge)/4 points Auto enforcement penalties/record $40 maximum fine ($80 in school zones); no points or record; warning only for first photo radar offense if speed within 10 mph of limit
Automated enforcement - rail crossing
Statewide or only specified locations? — Violations — Citations issued to whom? — Who is liable? — What image is taken? — Traditional enforcement penalty — Auto enforcement penalties/record —
Automated enforcement - other violations
Statewide or only specified locations? — Violations — Citations issued to whom? — Who is liable? — What image is taken? — Traditional enforcement penalty — Auto enforcement penalties/record —

¹Drivers usually must demonstrate special hardship to justify restoring privileges during suspension, and then privileges often are restricted.

²The minimum permit age varies. Fifteen year-olds who are enrolled in driver education may apply for an instruction permit. Their supervising driver must be a parent, stepparent, grandparent, guardian, or driving instructor. A person age 15, 6 months may apply for an instruction permit which allows driving while supervised by a parent, stepparent, grandparent, or guardian. Although driver education is not required at this age, applicants for this permit must have completed a 4-hour driver awareness program. At 16, young drivers may apply for a permit that allows driving while supervised by a licensed driver age 21 or older.