US driving theory test practice

Colorado DMV Cheat Sheet

A condensed study guide for the Colorado DMV written knowledge test — test logistics, plus the Colorado-specific rules most likely to differ from what you already know. This isn't a substitute for the official Colorado driver's manual, or for practicing the real questions. Looking for the core rules and signs that apply everywhere, not just Colorado? Check the general driving theory cheat sheet instead.

25Questions
80%To Pass
$19 instruction permit feeFee
3 attempts within 90 days of the application before it closes and must be restartedAttempts

Colorado-Specific Rules

Licensing Process & @HOME Testing

  • Nearly any first-time applicant can take the Driving Knowledge Test entirely online through the webcam-proctored @HOME platform, with random photo captures confirming identity throughout and no office visit needed until permit pickup.
  • A first @HOME attempt costs about $6.50 in vendor fees with no separate state charge; a second online attempt adds an $11.50 state DMV fee. The first two attempts are free of vendor fees if taken in person instead.
  • The written test covers the whole handbook -- signs, DUI, driving rules, safety, and legal items -- and is never given within 30 minutes of an office's closing time.
  • The driving skills test can't currently be scheduled at a state driver license office; it's primarily given by certified commercial driving schools, though some counties offer it.
  • New Colorado residents (by business ownership, 90 days' continuous residence, or in-state employment) must get a Colorado license within 30 days, unless active-duty military, a military dependent, or in-state chiefly for education.

Minor & Graduated Driver Licensing

  • A minor must hold an instruction permit a full 12 months and log 50 hours of supervised driving (at least 10 at night) before applying for a license.
  • Permit holders younger than 16 years 6 months need 6 hours of instructor training; if no nearby school offers at least 20 hours per week within 30 miles, 12 parent/guardian hours substitute for each missing instructor hour.
  • New minor licensees can't carry passengers under 21 for 6 months (unless a licensed adult 21+ rides along); one such passenger is allowed after 6 months, unlimited after a year. Siblings and medical emergencies are always exceptions.
  • A first-year licensed driver can't drive midnight-5 a.m. unless accompanied by an instructor, parent, or guardian -- except for school/work (with a signed statement), medical emergencies, or emancipated minors.
  • Under-18 permit applicants need a signed Affidavit of Liability and Guardianship (DR2460) from a parent or other responsible adult, executed before an office employee or notary; the signer can later withdraw it and cancel the permit.
  • Anyone under 21 convicted of purchasing or possessing alcohol risks license revocation, even if driving wasn't involved at all.

DUI, DWAI & Impaired Driving

  • Colorado has two impairment tiers: DWAI (ability impaired to the slightest degree, first offense tied to 0.05% BAC) and the more serious DUI (substantially incapable of safe driving, first offense tied to 0.08% BAC).
  • A first DUI carries a 9-month revocation, $600-$1,000 fine, 5-365 days jail, 48-96 hours public service; a first DWAI carries no automatic revocation but 8 points, a $200-$500 fine, 2-180 days jail, 24-48 hours public service.
  • Under the express consent law, refusing a chemical test when suspected of impaired driving means a one-year revocation plus a two-year ignition interlock requirement.
  • 5 nanograms of THC per milliliter of blood creates a permissible inference of DUI; there's no equivalent THC threshold for the lesser DWAI charge.
  • A driver under 21 convicted of DUI/DWAI risks revocation on a first offense if they skip a court-ordered program; a second or third conviction under 21 is a mandatory revocation regardless.

Traffic Controls, Signals & Lane Rules

  • HAWK (High Intensity Activated Crosswalk) signals let pedestrians cross at locations without a full signal, using a yellow-to-red flashing sequence to alert drivers.
  • Before entering a roundabout, drivers must yield to a truck, bus, emergency vehicle, or recreational vehicle entering, exiting, or driving in the roundabout at the same time -- even overriding normal right-of-way.
  • A Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) crosses traffic to the opposite side of the road so vehicles get uninterrupted left turns onto the ramps, eliminating standard four-way interchange conflicts.
  • Turn signals must be on continuously for 100 feet in urban areas, or 200 feet on four-lane highways posted faster than 40 mph, cancelled within 3 seconds of finishing the turn.
  • In a Zipper Merge, drivers use both lanes fully and alternate car-by-car into the open lane right at the closure point -- waiting that long is the correct, courteous way to merge, not cutting in line.

Sharing the Road: Bicycles & Motorcycles

  • Lane filtering lets a two-wheeled motorcycle pass a vehicle stopped in the same lane at no more than 15 miles per hour, if adjacent lanes are also stopped and there's room to do it safely.
  • Drivers must leave at least three feet of space passing a bicyclist, and may briefly cross a double solid yellow line to do so when there's no oncoming traffic and it's safe.
  • Since a 2022 law, cyclists 15+ may treat a stop sign as a yield and a stop light as a stop sign -- but only when the intersection is clear and they already have the right-of-way.
  • The handbook recommends the "Dutch Reach": open your door with the hand closest to the vehicle's center, which naturally turns your body to check for bicyclists first.

Railroads, Light Rail & Emergency Vehicles

  • Every public rail crossing has a blue Emergency Notification System (ENS) sign below the crossbuck with a 24/7 phone number and DOT crossing number so dispatchers can stop trains headed that way.
  • Denver RTD Light Rail Vehicles weigh up to 40 tons and can't stop quickly -- never turn in front of one, across the tracks without checking, or around a lowered gate even after one train has passed.
  • The Move Over Law requires moving over one lane for any stopped vehicle with hazards flashing when safe; otherwise slow to at least 20 mph below the posted limit.
  • Passing a stopped emergency vehicle you can't move over for: slow to 25 mph if the posted limit is 45 mph or less, or 20 mph under the posted limit if it's above 45 mph.
  • Stop at least 20 feet before a school bus with flashing red lights and remain stopped until the lights stop -- from any direction, except across a median or other physical barrier.

Mountain, Rural & Seasonal Driving

  • On a narrow mountain road too tight for two vehicles, the downhill vehicle yields to the uphill vehicle by backing up or stopping, except where it's more practicable for the uphill vehicle to yield instead.
  • Rural highways have the highest fatality rate per mile of any Colorado roads, due to sharp curves, blind driveways, washboard surfaces, and unmarked crossings.
  • Unless posted otherwise, default speed limits run from 20 mph on narrow winding mountain highways up to 65-75 mph on designated rural interstates and highways.

Parking, Crashes & Enforcement

  • No parking within 30 feet of a traffic signal, stop sign, or railroad crossing, or within 15 feet of a fire hydrant -- on top of the usual crosswalk/sidewalk/bike-lane/driveway bans.
  • The Move It Law requires moving vehicles off a divided highway after a minor crash if the vehicle is drivable, no drugs/alcohol were involved, and there are no injuries -- with no penalty for doing so.
  • Under "Accident Alert Status" (declared when severe weather overwhelms law enforcement's crash response), drivers exchange information and file a report within 24 hours instead of waiting at the scene.
  • Illegally parking in a disabled space without a placard risks a misdemeanor, a $350-$5,000 fine, jail time, license loss, and towing; using someone else's placard doubles those fines.

Seat Belts & Child Passenger Safety

  • Rear-facing seat under 2 years old and under 40 lbs; rear- or forward-facing seat from 2 to under 4 years (20+ lbs); booster or child restraint from 4 to under 9 years (40+ lbs) -- all in the rear seat when one is available.
  • Seat belts are required for the driver, front-seat passengers, and children under 16, with narrow exceptions for emergency personnel, bus occupants, farm equipment, on-duty delivery drivers, and a physician's written exemption.

Signs, Roundabouts & Special Lanes

  • The white "Pass 3 Ft Min" sign marks where the three-foot bicycle-passing rule applies -- but that rule is statewide law even where the sign isn't posted.
  • The white "Bicycle May Use Full Lane" sign reminds drivers that cyclists can ride in the center of the lane whenever hazards or poor visibility compromise their safety at the edge.
  • A reflective orange triangle (slow-moving vehicle marker) means the vehicle travels no faster than 25 miles per hour -- slow down and pass with extra care.
Want the core rules and road signs that apply everywhere, not just Colorado?General cheat sheet →

Rules and fees change — always confirm current details with Colorado DMV before your exam. Cheat sheet v1.0, last checked 2026-08-01.