Colorado Drivers Education

For teens who are living in Colorado you perhaps face some of the most stringent requirements for obtaining your drivers license than any other state. Colorado, like many other states has adopted a graduated license system, however it has several steps which must all be adhered to.

At the age of fifteen and until you are fifteen and a half you may obtain your Driver Education permit which will not expire until three years after it is issued. You must hold this permit for a minimum period of one year before you may apply for a Driver’s License. You will also need to obtain a fully executed Affidavit of Liability (Form DR2460) from a parent or guardian as well as a fully executed Affidavit of Completion of a Driver Education Classroom Course (or BTW) which is also on the back of the same form. In addition, as a newly permitted driver, you will only be allowed to drive with the instructor or the person who executed this form and that restriction will remain until you reach the age of eighteen. At age eighteen, you may then begin driving with any properly licensed person over the age of twenty one.

If you are between the ages of fifteen and a half and sixteen, you may apply for a Driver Awareness Permit instead. This permit also expires three years from the date of issue and also must be held for a minimum period of twelve months. The application requires the same documentation as listed for the Drivers Education Permit which requires fifty hours of total driving time (and must be logged) with a Permit Supervisor or an Alternate Permit Supervisor (who has signed the DR2460).

If you are a new driver between the ages of sixteen and twenty one, you may apply for a Minor Instruction Permit and as with the other types of permits they are valid for thirty six months and must be held for a minimum of twelve months. These must also be accompanied by a fully executed DR2460 as referred to above and you may only drive with the person who signed the DR2460.

You must present a certified birth certificate, social security number and pass a written as well as a vision test before you may be issued any permits. Form DR2460 must be fully executed and confirmed with a Colorado Driver’s License or by a Notary Public. In the event the form must be signed by a guardian, original court documents must be presented.

It is always practical for you to obtain a copy of the Colorado Driver Handbook which summarizes laws, rules and safe driving practices as they apply to Colorado drivers.