The Colorado knowledge (permit) test

By the end of this topic you can

• You can list the three places you can take the Colorado knowledge test.
• You can explain the extra step for online test takers under 19.
• You can describe what topics the test is likely to cover.
• You can plan a retake if you do not pass first time.
• You can use the official handbook as your main study source.

What you need to know and understand

• The knowledge test is required for all ages applying for a first Colorado permit.
• You can test in a DMV office, at an approved driving school or third-party tester, or online with the @Home Driving Knowledge Test.
• The @Home test needs pre-registration through myDMV.
• Online test takers younger than 19 need an adult over 19 to act as their proxy, and the proxy also receives the results.
• After passing online, you still visit a state driver license office to get your permit.
• The DMV allows up to two attempts in one day, and a state fee applies to retakes.
• Colorado law says the licensing exam covers eyesight, reading and understanding signs, and knowledge of state traffic laws.

What the test covers

The test is multiple choice and is built from the Colorado Driver Handbook. Expect questions on:

• Sign shapes, colors and meanings, signals and pavement markings.
• Right of way, turns, intersections and roundabouts.
• Colorado speed limits and the basic speed rule.
• Alcohol, drugs and Colorado's impaired-driving limits.
• Phone and seat belt laws, school buses, emergency vehicles and railroad crossings.
• GDL rules for drivers under 18 and the points system.

Choosing how to sit the test

Taking the @Home test online can save an office trip, but you must set it up in advance on myDMV and, if you are under 19, have an adult proxy register. Testing in an office or at a driving school suits learners who prefer a supervised setting. Whichever you choose, check the current number of questions, passing score and fees on the Colorado DMV website before test day, since these details can change.

From January 1, 2027, applicants aged 15 to 17 must also finish a 30-hour driver education course before they can pass the written permit exam.

A simple study plan

1. Read the current Colorado Driver Handbook from the DMV, one chapter a day.
2. Make flash cards for numbers: speed limits, BAC limits, parking distances and stopping distances for school buses and railroad crossings.
3. Take practice tests, such as our free Colorado permit practice test, and note every wrong answer.
4. Re-read the handbook section behind each mistake.
5. Book the test only when you are scoring well consistently.

Common mistakes

• Studying only from practice apps. Questions come from the official handbook, so read it.
• Forgetting that under-19s testing online need an adult proxy to register.
• Mixing up Colorado rules with another state's, such as curfew hours or speed limits.
• Rushing a retake the same day without reviewing what went wrong.

Test yourself: The Colorado knowledge (permit) test

Answer each question, then read the explanation. Questions come in a random order each time.

Go deeper

• Colorado Permit Practice Test
• Colorado Permit Test
• Colorado 30-Hour Driver Ed vs 4-Hour Driver Awareness Course