After you pass in Colorado: restrictions and your licence

By the end of this topic you can

• You can apply the passenger rules in months 0 to 6 and 6 to 12.
• You can explain the midnight-to-5 a.m. rule and its exceptions.
• You can list the rules that apply until you turn 18.
• You can state the penalties for breaking GDL rules.
• You can say when your minor license expires.

What you need to know and understand

• First 6 months: no passengers under 21 unless they are immediate family wearing seat belts, a qualifying adult is in the car, or there is a medical emergency.
• Months 6 to 12: no more than one non-family passenger under 21.
• First 12 months: no driving between midnight and 5 a.m., with exceptions.
• Under 18: everyone buckled, one front passenger only, and no more back-seat passengers than seat belts.
• Passenger and curfew violations bring fines, 8 to 24 hours of community service for a first offense, and 2 points.
• Officers can only cite the passenger or curfew rules if they stopped you for another violation.
• The minor license expires 20 days after your 21st birthday.

Your first year, month by month

• Months 0 to 6: drive alone or with family under 21 who are buckled up; friends under 21 only if a parent, guardian or qualifying licensed adult aged 21+ is also in the car.
• Months 6 to 12: one friend under 21 allowed.
• Months 0 to 12: home by midnight; no driving until 5 a.m.
• After 12 months or at 18, whichever is first: passenger and curfew limits end.
• Until 18: seat belt and seating rules continue, and the hands-free phone law applies to you as it does to every driver.

Curfew exceptions

You may drive between midnight and 5 a.m. if a parent, guardian or qualifying adult aged 21+ who has held a license for at least a year is with you, if you are driving to or from school or a school-authorized activity without adequate school transport (carry a signed statement from the school), for work (carry a signed statement from your employer), in a medical emergency, or if you are an emancipated minor.

Penalties and keeping your license

Carrying an unauthorized passenger or breaking curfew can bring a fine of up to $50 for a first offense, $100 for a second and $150 after that, plus community service and 2 points. A seat belt violation by an under-18 driver can bring a fine of up to $65 for a first offense, community service and 2 points, and carrying more passengers than seat belts also adds 2 points. Because a driver under 18 can be suspended for more than 5 points in 12 months, a few of these tickets add up fast.

When you turn 21, your minor license expires 20 days after your birthday and you renew as an adult. Our guides to Colorado teen restrictions and the points system go into more detail.

Common mistakes

• Giving friends a ride home after a late game without a school statement or qualifying adult.
• Counting the restriction period from your 16th birthday rather than the date your license was issued.
• Believing the seat belt and seating rules end after the first year; they last until you turn 18.
• Letting an extra friend squeeze in the back without a seat belt.

Test yourself: After you pass in Colorado: restrictions and your licence

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

Go deeper

• Colorado Teen License Restrictions, Curfew and Penalties
• Colorado 30-Hour Driver Ed vs 4-Hour Driver Awareness Course
• Colorado 50-Hour Driving Log and Affidavit of Liability Checklist