Colorado Minor Driver License

Colorado calls its graduated teen license a Minor Driver License. It's available to 16- and 17-year-olds who have held an instruction permit for at least 12 months without a moving violation. The card looks like an adult license but carries built-in passenger and time-of-day restrictions for the first year of independent driving.

Eligibility

To qualify for a Minor Driver License, the applicant must:

• Be at least 16 years old.
• Have held a Colorado instruction permit for a minimum of 12 consecutive months.
• Have completed at least 50 hours of supervised driving, with at least 10 of those hours at night, signed off on the official Colorado Driver Education Log Sheet.
• Have completed a state-approved 6-hour behind-the-wheel training course (separate from the 30-hour classroom training).
• Have no convictions for traffic violations or alcohol-related offenses during the permit period.
• Pass the Colorado road test.

A 17-year-old who never held a permit must hold one for at least 12 months from age 16 onward before becoming eligible — the time-on-permit requirement runs even if the teen got the permit late.

Documents required

Bring the documents listed on the Colorado driver license page, plus the signed driver education log and the parental affidavit (DR-2460) renewed for the upgrade. Both parents or legal guardians who share custody may need to sign — the office will tell you in advance.

Fees

The Colorado Minor Driver License fee is $20.86 for a license that expires the day before the holder's 21st birthday. Road test retake fee is $11.15.

Restriction 1: passengers

For the first 6 months after the Minor Driver License is issued, the licensee may not transport any passenger under age 21 who is not an immediate family member. For the next 6 months (months 7-12), the licensee may transport only one passenger under 21 who is not an immediate family member. After 12 months, the passenger limit ends. Immediate family — a sibling, half-sibling, step-sibling, or foster sibling — does not count toward the cap.

Limited exceptions: a medical emergency, transporting a passenger when accompanied by an instructor or a licensed driver age 21 or older, or work-related driving with a written employer letter on file.

Restriction 2: nighttime driving

For the first 12 months, a Minor Driver License holder may not drive between midnight and 5 a.m. unless:

• Driving directly to or from work with documentation from the employer.
• Driving directly to or from a school activity with documentation from the school.
• Driving with a licensed driver age 21 or older in the front passenger seat.
• A medical emergency.

Restriction 3: cell phones

Colorado bars Minor Driver License holders from any cell phone use while driving — including hands-free Bluetooth, navigation by phone, and dictation. The only exceptions are emergency 911 calls and contact with a parent. The ban remains in effect until the driver turns 18, even after the passenger and curfew restrictions lift.

Restriction 4: seat belts

Every occupant must wear a seat belt or be secured in an appropriate child restraint. Colorado treats seat belt failure as a primary offense for drivers under 18 — officers can stop a teen driver solely for an unbelted passenger, and a conviction adds 2 points to the record.

Penalties for violations

Most teen-license violations are civil traffic infractions, but the consequences cumulate quickly. A second violation suspends the Minor Driver License for 3 months. A third suspends it for 6 months. Conviction of any "habitual offender" violation in this category — speeding 25+ over, reckless driving, eluding police — restarts the curfew and passenger restrictions from day one regardless of how much time has passed. A teen license is also subject to the stricter under-18 point thresholds: 5 points in 12 months triggers suspension.

Graduating to a full license

The Minor Driver License automatically becomes a full Class R license when the holder turns 18 — there's no extra fee or office visit. The card itself doesn't change appearance until the next 5-year renewal cycle, but the restrictions drop off. New full-license holders should review the 25/50/15 insurance requirement and confirm coverage with their insurer, since premiums often shift at the 18-year-old transition point.