Applying for a New License

If you operate a car, SUV, truck, motorcycle, moped, scooter, tractor, or any other road-legal motorized vehicle on the public roads and highways of Colorful Colorado, you need to own a legal driver license.

There are a couple of ways to obtain the official version in Colorado and a few basic requirements that cover each. The first is reaching the sweet age of 16, and the second is establishing roots in the scenic Rocky Mountain state. Roots equals residency, and that means you have been in the state at least 90 days or have landed employment here.

There are a few classes of license and three types of permits (for those learning to drive or just on the final countdown to 16), but the majority of people end up with the basic brand of legal accreditation.

Driver License Classes

The class of license you apply for is defined by your age and the type of vehicle you intend to operate:

• Class R―All vehicle types minus motorcycles and commercial

• Class M―Motorcycle (this is an endorsement, not an actual license)

• Class A, B, and C―Commercial vehicles as defined in federal guidelines.

Requirements for a New Resident with an Out-of-State License

This is a bit like a trade-in, considering you show up at a driver license office with proof of legal presence (see acceptable document list) and your Social Security number, ready to relinquish the out-of-state license. You are also required to take a vision test. If you are under 18 you will need to have an Affidavit of Liability and Guardianship signed by a parent or guardian.

Requirements for a New Colorado Driver License

To save yourself a second trip to the DMV, call ahead to find out which documents will suffice as acceptable forms of identification. Special circumstances might require you to bring in documents such as a birth certificate or a passport. And with the recent changes due to case-by-case situations, you can’t go wrong with a quick phone call to the nearest driver’s license office.

Driving Privileges for Non-Citizens

Your valid foreign license, along with an International Driver's Permit, is only valid for 90 days in Colorado. After this period you must apply for a Colorado license. The International Driver's Permit is issued by your home country, and it translates your foreign license into a format that U.S. officials can better understand.

Applying

Follow the regular license procedures. For identification, however, you must provide a valid foreign passport with photo, along with a U.S. visa and an I-94 form, or valid Processed For I-551 stamp.

If you're status F, J, H or M, you will also need to provide proof validating your presence in Colorado. This could be a letter from your employer, or, if a student, a valid DS-2019 or I-20AB.

You cannot apply for a drivers license if you're status B1, B2, WT, WB, CP or NC.

License and Permit Fees

Basic license

• $21.00 ages 21 and older (valid five years)

• $21.00 ages 16 to 21 (expires 20 days after 21st birthday)

Commercial license

• $35.00 (valid four years)

Instruction permit

• $14.00 (valid three years)

Written Test

No appointment is necessary for the written test, and it is administered on a first-come, first-serve basis, with Mondays and Fridays being the busiest days at most driver license offices. If a center closes at 5 p.m., then testing stops at 4:15 p.m.

The exam is cobbled together from the Colorado Driver Handbook and features multiple-choice questions on a variety of topics including road sign identification, general safety practices, and legal issues.

Driving Test

It is a rite of passage for many: nerves and jitters, a stranger in the passenger seat wielding a clipboard and pencil, calling out directions here and there, but otherwise silent, calculating every move into a grade, and controlling your driving existence. To some, passing the driving test feels a bit like winning the lottery. Walking back into the office and up to the counter for the final steps of the process (i.e., picture-taking and fingerprinting) is a great sense of accomplishment.

But first you need an appointment at a full-service driver license office. Be on time to the appointment, because the schedulers pack them tight and if you are tardy you will most likely have to reschedule.

Keep in mind that if an office closes at 5 p.m.; the last call for testing is 4 p.m. Moreover, make sure the vehicle you are taking the test in has verification of insurance and is in general working order. One light out and it is back to the drawing board.

The test is designed to measure you basic handling competence and general knowledge the road. Skills evaluated include: traffic interpretation, turns, lane management and merging, speed control, stops, and signalling.

When you finish (and pass) you will be issued a temporary paper license, while your official version with photo and fingerprint will be sent via mail.

If you do happen to fail the test, you generally have to wait one day until you take it again, but it ultimately is at the discretion of the examiner.

For details about beginning driver license application and processes, see First-time Drivers, Practice Tests, Teen Drivers, Driver Education, and Drivers Training on this site.