Photo: Minime5468, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Colorado adds points to your driving record for each traffic conviction, and the number that triggers a suspension depends on your age. Drivers 17 and under are suspended at 6 points in 12 months or 7 points in total before 18. Drivers 18 to 20 are suspended at 9 points in 12 months, 12 in 24 months, or 14 in total, and adults at 12 in 12 months or 18 in 24 months. This guide covers the point values for common tickets, the teen permit and license penalties, and what happens at a point suspension hearing.
Key facts (Colorado, as of November 2026)
- Everyone starts at 0 points. Points are added when a conviction reaches the Colorado DMV.
- The suspension count uses the date of each violation, not the date you were convicted.
- Once you reach a threshold, the hearing officer must suspend. They decide how long, up to one year.
- Teen restriction tickets carry their own points: 2 for a curfew, passenger or seat belt violation, 3 for driving on a permit without an approved supervisor.
- Legal authority: C.R.S. 42-2-127 and 1 CCR 211-3, according to the Department of Revenue Hearings Division.
Colorado point suspension thresholds by age
| Your age | Suspension at |
|---|---|
| 17 and under | 6 or more points in any 12 months, or 7 or more points at any time while under 18 |
| 18 to 20 | 9 or more in any 12 months, 12 or more in any 24 months, or 14 or more at any time between 18 and 21 |
| 21 and over | 12 or more in any 12 months, or 18 or more in any 24 months |
The “at any time” limits are the ones that catch young drivers out. A 17-year-old who spreads tickets out so that no 12-month window reaches 6 points is still suspended once the running total since licensing reaches 7.
Separate, higher limits apply to chauffeurs (people employed as drivers, such as taxi drivers) who can prove each ticket happened at work. They do not apply to new teen drivers.
How many points is a ticket in Colorado?
The full schedule is in C.R.S. 42-2-127(5). These are the values it gives for common tickets.
Speeding
| Speed over the limit | Points |
|---|---|
| 5 to 9 mph over | 1 |
| 10 to 19 mph over | 4 |
| 20 to 39 mph over | 6 |
| 40 mph or more over | 12 |
| Speed not reasonable and prudent for conditions | 3 |
One 40 mph-over ticket puts a driver of any age at or past the 12-month limit. For a 17-year-old, a single 10 to 19 mph-over ticket (4 points) leaves only 1 point of room before the 12-month limit.
Other common convictions
| Conviction | Points or result |
|---|---|
| Driving while ability impaired (DWAI), first | 8 points |
| DUI, first | Revocation for 9 months |
| Reckless driving | Up to 8 points |
| Passing a stopped school bus | 6 points, plus a mandatory court appearance and a fine of up to $300 |
For any ticket not listed here, check the point value in C.R.S. 42-2-127(5) or ask the Colorado DMV before you pay it. Paying a ticket counts as a conviction.
Teen permit and license violations and their points
CDOT’s graduated licensing guide lists the minimum fines and points for breaking the permit and minor license rules:
| Violation | Minimum fine | Community service | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Permit: driving without an approved supervisor | $70 | None listed | 3 |
| Mobile device use, any driver (C.R.S. 42-4-239) | $75 first, $150 second, $250 third or later within 24 months, each plus a $10 surcharge | None listed | 2 / 3 / 4 |
| Unauthorized passenger | $50 / $100 / $150 | 8 to 24 hours | 2 |
| Seat belt or seating violation (everyone belted, one front passenger, no more passengers than rear belts) | $65 / $130 / $195 | 8 to 40 hours | 2 |
| Curfew | $50 / $100 / $150 | 8 to 24 hours | 2 |
The phone row uses the current statute and C.R.S. 42-2-127(5), not the CDOT guide, which still shows the pre-2025 $50/$100 and 1 point. The full passenger and curfew rules are in Colorado teen license restrictions and penalties. Phone rules for new drivers are in Colorado phone and texting laws for learner and new drivers.
Worked example: a 16-year-old in the first year
- March: a ticket for 12 mph over the limit. 4 points.
- August: a curfew ticket. 2 points. Total 6 points inside 12 months.
- Result: 6 points within 12 months meets the under-18 threshold. The case goes to a point suspension hearing, and the hearing officer must suspend.
The same two tickets would leave a 21-year-old at half the adult 12-month limit.
Alcohol rules for drivers under 21
- A driver under 21 convicted of DUI or DWAI can have their license revoked on a first conviction if they fail to complete a court-ordered evaluation or program. A second or third conviction means mandatory revocation.
- Anyone under 21 convicted of buying or possessing alcohol can have their driving privilege revoked, even if no driving was involved.
- Refusing a chemical test means a one-year revocation and two years with an ignition interlock.
More on the low under-21 limit: zero tolerance laws for drivers under 21.
What happens at a Colorado point suspension hearing?
- The suspension itself is automatic. If your points meet a threshold, the hearing officer has no discretion about whether to suspend.
- The length is decided at the hearing. The officer starts from a base of 6 months, then adjusts for aggravators (repeat offenses, crashes, serious offenses, not disclosing pending tickets) and mitigators (evidence that your driving habits have changed). The maximum is one year.
- You may ask for a probationary license. Often called a “red license”, it lets you drive only for set reasons such as work or school. It is discretionary, harder to get a second time, and not valid outside Colorado.
- Any moving ticket cancels a probationary license, even if you plan to fight the ticket in court. If that happens, you must carry SR-22 insurance for 3 years after reinstatement.
- You must reinstate at the end. When the suspension (or the probationary license) ends, you cannot drive until your license is reinstated.
Can a course remove points in Colorado?
The Department of Revenue’s point suspension guidance does not describe any course that removes points from a Colorado record. What it does describe is the hearing, where evidence that you have changed your driving habits counts as a mitigator and can shorten the suspension. If a court offers a driving class as part of a ticket, ask the court in writing whether points will still be reported.
Colorado’s own driver education is a licensing requirement, not a point-reduction tool. See Colorado 30-hour driver ed vs the 4-hour driver awareness course.
Common questions
How many points can you get before losing your license at 17 in Colorado?
6 points in any 12 months, or 7 points in total before your 18th birthday, means a suspension.
Do points from my permit count?
Yes. Permit violations carry points, such as 3 for driving without an approved supervisor, and they count toward the under-18 limits.
Does the 12-month count run from the ticket date or the court date?
From the date of each violation.
What changes when I turn 18?
You move into the 18 to 20 bracket: 9 points in 12 months, 12 in 24 months, or 14 in total between 18 and 21.
Can I drive to work during a point suspension?
Only if the hearing officer grants a probationary license, and only for the reasons written on it.
How do I check my points?
Request your driver record through Colorado DMV online services.
How does Colorado compare with other states?
See points systems and license suspensions in the US.
Main guide: learning to drive in Colorado.
Sources
- Colorado Department of Revenue, Hearings Division, “Point Suspensions” (revenue.colorado.gov)
- Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles, “Colorado Driver Handbook” (dmv.colorado.gov)
- Colorado Department of Transportation, “Graduated Driver Licensing resource guide” (codot.gov)
- Colorado General Assembly, “Penalties for Speeding Violations” (leg.colorado.gov)
- Colorado Revised Statutes, sections 42-2-127 and 42-4-239, as amended by Senate Bill 24-065 (leg.colorado.gov)
