The Colorado permit test, explained
The short answer
In Colorado everyone takes the written driving knowledge test for a permit, at a DMV office, online with the @Home test or at a driving school. At 15 you also need a 30-hour driver education course; from 15½ a 4-hour driver awareness program is enough. We did not find the number of questions on the DMV pages we read.
Source: Get your Colorado permit and driver license (under 21), Colorado DMV
The age you apply at decides the course you need in Colorado, and the rules change on January 1, 2027.
This text was written with AI help, checked against the Colorado DMV’s pages and approved by Fri Vei AS. Last updated .
Checked against the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles · Report a mistake
Drivoku is not connected to the Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Every fact below links to the DMV page it comes from, checked on November 4, 2026.
The Colorado permit test at a glance
| 15 to 15½ | A 30-hour driver education course (DMV) |
|---|---|
| 15½ to 16 | A 4-hour driver awareness program or the 30-hour course |
| 16 and 17 | No course needed for the permit |
| Written test | Required at every age; number of questions and pass mark not on the DMV pages we read |
| Where | A DMV office by appointment, online (@Home), or a driving school |
| Retakes | At most twice a day; $11.50 state fee per retake |
How many questions are on the Colorado permit test?
We could not find the number or the pass mark on the DMV pages we read. The DMV says the written test, or driving knowledge test, is required at every age, and you can take it as many times as you need, but at most twice in one day (DMV: permits and first license). Each retake costs a state fee of $11.50, plus the regular testing fees. To study, the DMV points to the Colorado Driver Handbook and its online practice quiz.
Can you take the Colorado permit test online?
Yes. Anyone old enough for an instruction permit can take the @Home driving knowledge test after pre-registering at myDMV, on a desktop or laptop with a front-facing camera. It is in English and Spanish and can read the questions aloud. Bring your passing confirmation to the DMV. If you took the test at a driving school, bring proof of that instead.
What changes in 2027?
From January 1, 2027, 15- to 17-year-olds will need to complete a 30-hour driver education course before they get an instruction permit, under the state law HB24-1021 (DMV: HB24-1021). Check that page if you apply next year.
Rules for teen drivers in Colorado
Colorado, like every state, uses graduated driver licensing. From the DMV page on permits and the first license:
- Before the license: under 18, hold the permit for 12 months, and log 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night. Under 16½, you also need 6 hours behind the wheel with a driving school; if you live more than 30 miles from one, 12 more supervised hours (62 in all) can replace them.
- Passengers, first six months: only passengers aged 21 or older.
- Passengers, next six months: at most one passenger under 21.
- Nights, first year: no driving from midnight to 5 a.m., except with a parent or guardian, or to or from school, work or a medical emergency.
- Phones: under 18 you may not text or talk on a cell phone while driving, except to call the police in an emergency.
What Drivoku covers for Colorado
Our free permit practice test and the questions below cover road rules and signs that apply in every state, with signs from the national sign manual. They do not cover Colorado’s own laws; the Colorado Driver Handbook has those.
Practice five questions every state shares
Five shared road rules
Answer one question at a time. You see the answer and the reason after each one. Nothing you pick is saved or sent anywhere.
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Night and bad weather
You are using high beams on a dark two-way road. An oncoming vehicle is getting close enough that your high beams could dazzle its driver. What should you do?
- Keep high beams on until the other driver flashes theirs
- Switch to parking lights until the other vehicle passes
- Keep high beams on and aim your car toward the shoulder
- Switch to low beams Right
The right answer is D: Switch to low beams
WhyDim high beams to low beams to avoid blinding an oncoming driver.
Source: California Driver Handbook (California DMV): Signals, Horns, and Headlights: Using Your Headlights, Texas Driver Handbook, Chapter 9: Some Special Driving Situations, Headlights, Florida Driver License Handbook (FLHSMV): Low Visibility; Night Driving
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Alcohol and drugs
Some medicines you can buy without a prescription can make you drowsy or dizzy. What does this mean for driving?
- They are safe once you feel awake
- They can impair your driving Right
- Only prescription drugs impair driving
- They only matter at high doses
The right answer is B: They can impair your driving
WhySome over-the-counter and prescription medicines cause drowsiness or dizziness and can impair your driving.
Source: NHTSA: Drug-Impaired Driving, Many Substances Can Impair Driving
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Intersections and turns
You plan to turn onto a one-way street. Its permitted traffic direction runs from your left to your right. There are no other turn restrictions. Which turn follows that street's legal direction?
- A left turn across the near side of the street
- Either turn if the destination street is empty
- A left turn followed by an immediate lane change
- A right turn Right
The right answer is D: A right turn
WhyEnter a one-way street only in its designated direction of travel.
Source: UVC § 11-308(b) One-way roadways and rotary traffic islands (model law)
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Seat belts and child safety
Every rear seat in your car allows a correct car-seat installation. Which spot is unsafe for a rear-facing child safety seat?
- The middle seat in the back row
- Front seat, facing an active air bag Right
- Behind the driver's seat
- Beside a rear-side window
The right answer is B: Front seat, facing an active air bag
WhyA rear-facing seat must never go in front of an active air bag, whose force can seriously injure a child.
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Signs
A white sign reads DO NOT PASS. What does it mean?
- Do not overtake other vehicles Right
- Do not park on the shoulder
- Do not turn left here
- Do not follow too closely
The right answer is A: Do not overtake other vehicles
WhyDO NOT PASS means you may not overtake another vehicle in that zone.
Topics to review
- Signs
- Traffic signals
- Pavement markings
- Intersections and turns
- Right-of-way
- Sharing the road
- Alcohol and drugs
- Speed and space
- Seat belts and child safety
- Night and bad weather
- Distraction
- Emergencies
- Lanes
- Passing
- Highways
- Regulatory signs
- Warning signs
- Guide and service signs
- Pavement markings
- Emergency vehicles and crashes
- Learner and provisional licenses
- Driver education
- Seat belts and child seats
- Alcohol and DWI
- Parking
- Speed limits
- Sharing the road
- Headlights
- Insurance
- Phones and distraction
Your topics
- SignsKnow it
- Learner and provisional licensesOn the way
- Right-of-wayStamped
In the app, questions you miss come back until you get them right. 5 questions a day are free.
45 free questions on this website and 379 in the app, checked against the MUTCD, the Uniform Vehicle Code and Texas law, with the reason for every answer. About the app
Out now on iPhone and Android.
Keep going with the 25-question permit practice test and the road signs quiz. Parents planning the year of practice can read our guide to graduated driver licensing. Other states: permit test by state.
Common questions
Can you take the Colorado permit test online?
Yes. The DMV’s @Home driving knowledge test runs on a computer with a front-facing camera after you pre-register at myDMV.
Do you need driver’s ed for a permit in Colorado?
At 15 you need a 30-hour driver education course; from 15½ to 16 a 4-hour driver awareness program is enough. From January 1, 2027, 15- to 17-year-olds need the 30-hour course.
How many times can you take the Colorado permit test?
As many times as you need, but at most twice in one day. Each retake has a $11.50 state fee.
How long do you have to hold a permit in Colorado?
12 months if you are under 18, with 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night.