Colorado
Below is a list of the key highway safety laws in Colorado. For more information, contact the Colorado Office of Transportation Safety.
| No state law |
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Handheld Ban | All Cell Phone Ban | Text Messaging Ban | Crash Data |
||||||
| School Bus Drivers | Novice Drivers | All Drivers | School Bus Drivers | Novice Drivers | |||||
| <18 (Primary) |
Yes (Primary) |
Covered under all driver ban | Yes | ||||||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Child Restraint Required unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Adult Safety Belt Permissible unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| <1 (and <20) in rear-facing infant seat in rear seat if available; 1 - 3 (and 20 - 40) in child safety seat; 4 - 7 in booster seat | 8 - 15 | $82 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Per Se Laws for Drugs (Forbidding Prohibited Substances in Driver's Body) | DEC/DRE Programs (Providing Law Enforcement Training) |
| Yes | |
Source: State Highway Safety Office.
| Inc. Penalty for High BAC | Admin. License Susp. on 1st Offense | Limited Driving Privileges During Susp. | Ignition Interlocks | Vehicle and License Plate Sanctions | Alcohol Exclusion Laws Limiting Treatment | |||
| *Meeting Federal Requirements | ||||||||
| .17 | 3 months | Yes | Highly incentivized for all convictions | Yes | Yes | |||
Sources: Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Learner Stage | Intermediate Stage | Full Privilege Min. Age (Years/ Months) |
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| Min. Age (Years/ Months) |
Min. Duration (Months) |
Required Supervised Driving Hours (Night Hours) |
Min. Age (Years/ Months) |
Nighttime Driving Restriction | Passenger Restriction (except family, unless noted) |
||
| 15 (w/ driver's ed.) 15 / 6 (w/ driver awareness program) 16 (w/out driver's ed. or program) |
12 | 50 (10) | 16 | Midnight - 5 a.m. (secondary enforcement) |
First 6 mos.–no pass. <21; second 6 mos.–no more than 1 <21 (secondary enforcement) |
17 | |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Motorcyclists | Bicyclists | ||
| Universal Helmet Law (Year Enacted) |
Partial Law | Universal Helmet Law Repealed | |
| <18; all passengers <18 | 1977 | ||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Length of Regular Renewal Cycle (Yrs.) | Provisions for Mature Drivers |
| 10 | >61: renewal every
5 yrs. >66: no electronic renewal, mail renewal requires passage of vision exam within the prior 6 months |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Type of Law | Who is Covered (Yrs.) | In What Seat | Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| Secondary | >18 (primary for <18) | Front | $71 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway and State Highway Safety Office.
| State Law |
| Permitted |
Sources: Segway LLC and State Highway Safety Office.
| Checkpoints Conducted? | Frequency | Legality |
| Yes | Once or twice a month | Upheld under state and federal Constitution |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Rural Interstates | Urban Interstates | Other Limited Access Roads | |||
| Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
| 75 | 75 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Violation / State Law | Permitted Locations/Criteria | Citation Issued To / Liability | Image Taken | Penalties (Traditional Penalties) |
| Speed: Limited | Construction and school zones, residential areas or adjacent to municipal park | Registered owner/ Driver |
Tag and driver | $40 max. ($80 school zone); no points or record; warning for 1st offense if <10 mph over ($151 incl. surcharge; 4 points) |
| Red light: Permitted | Statewide | $75; no points or record ($111 incl. surcharge; 4 points) | ||
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Violations Affected | Enhanced Penalties | Workers Must Be Present | Signs Must Be Present |
| All | Double original fine | No | No |
Sources: National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse and State Highway Safety Office.
Disclaimer: The information on this page is for general information purposes only and is not to be considered legal authority. For clarification on any law, consult the appropriate State Highway Safety Office.