Colorado Permit Test Cheat Sheet (2026)
The Colorado rules and numbers to know for the DMV knowledge test, on one page. Every line was checked against the official Colorado driver's handbook. It is a study sheet: you cannot use notes during the real test.
The Colorado test at a glance
- Questions on the test
- Not published by the DMV
- To pass
- 80% correct
- Time limit
- We found no published time limit for the Colorado knowledge test.
- Minimum permit age
- 15 years old
- Hold the permit for
- 12 months (under 18)
- Alcohol limit under 21
- 0.02% BAC
Colorado rules and numbers
From the official Colorado handbook (DR 2337 (12/05/24), January 2025); PDF page numbers in brackets.
Rules of the road
- Colorado, first 6 months under 18: no passengers under 21 unless an adult 21+ rides. [p.5]
- Colorado business district: 25 mph unless posted otherwise. [p.15]
- Colorado residence district: 30 mph unless posted otherwise. [p.15]
- Narrow, winding mountain highways and blind curves: 20 mph unless posted. [p.15]
- Open mountain highways in Colorado: 40 mph unless posted. [p.15]
- Colorado work zones (like school zones): fines are doubled. [p.21]
- No parking within 30 ft of a stop sign, traffic signal or railroad crossing. [p.16]
- Parallel parking in Colorado: within 12 inches of the curb. [p.17]
- Colorado: signal 100 ft in town, 200 ft on 4-lane highways over 40 mph. [p.15]
- Stop at least 20 ft from a school bus with flashing red lights. [p.14]
- No stop line at a railroad crossing: stay at least 10 ft from the tracks. [p.24]
- No passing within 100 ft of an intersection or railroad crossing. [p.19]
- Do not pass unless you can return to your lane 200 ft before oncoming traffic. [p.18]
- You may cross a double yellow to give a cyclist 3 ft if no traffic is coming. [p.25]
- Colorado cyclists 15+ may treat stop signs as yield signs when clear. [p.26]
- Colorado lane filtering: only past stopped traffic, at 15 mph or less. [p.26]
- Narrow mountain road: the vehicle going downhill yields to the one going up. [p.14]
- Colorado roundabouts: yield to trucks, buses, RVs and emergency vehicles. [p.13]
- Illegal to pass snow plows working together in a staggered formation. [p.14]
- Cross a bike lane only to turn; never park, stop or idle in it. [p.26]
- Solid white line between lanes: stay within your lane. [p.12]
- Colorado minors, first year: no driving midnight-5 a.m. (some exceptions). [p.5]
- Colorado minors: 50 logged practice hours, 10 at night, permit held 12 months. [p.5]
Safe driving & emergencies
- Colorado: drivers under 18 may not use a phone at all, except to report an emergency. [source]
- Colorado Move Over: if you can't move over, slow to 25 mph or 20 below the limit. [source]
- Colorado: since 2025, adults may use a phone while driving only hands-free. [p.21]
- Headlights on from sunset to sunrise or when visibility is under 1,000 ft. [p.19]
- Dim high beams within 500 ft of oncoming traffic; 200 ft when following. [p.19]
- Hydroplaning: ease off the gas and slowly steer in the direction of the slide. [p.19]
- Report aggressive drivers in Colorado: dial *CSP (*277). [p.28]
- Move It law: minor crash, no injuries, drivable - move off the highway. [p.29]
- No earphones over both ears while driving; one-ear devices are allowed. [p.8]
Rules learners miss most
The rules behind the most-missed questions on our practice tests. Some details, such as parking distances, can differ by state - your handbook has the final word.
- At 60 mph a car travels about 88 feet per second.
- Measure following distance in seconds, counted from a fixed roadside object.
- Most states: no parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection.
- A yellow curb signals a stopping or parking limit - check signs and local rules.
- Uncontrolled T-intersection: the terminating road yields to the through road.
- Uphill with a curb: turn wheels away from the curb; downhill: toward it.
- Most states: no parking within 15 feet of a fire hydrant (a few use 10 feet).
- KEEP RIGHT: pass to the right of the island, median or obstruction.
- Point of no return: past it you cannot stop safely on yellow, so proceed.
- Zipper merge: use both lanes up to the merge point, then alternate.
- In heavy rain use low beams, slow down and increase following distance.
- Parallel park close to and parallel with the curb, within your state's limit.
- Yellow pennant on the left side of the road: a no-passing zone begins.
- Car with skid marks: the road is slippery when wet.
- Diamond-shaped signs are warning signs.
- 4-way stop tie: the driver on the left yields to the driver on the right.
- ABS keeps wheels from locking in hard braking so you can still steer.
- A round yellow sign warns of a railroad crossing ahead.
- Merging onto a highway: yield to traffic already on the highway.
- An upward-pointing pentagon marks a school zone or school crossing.
- Steady yellow: the light is about to turn red - stop if you can do so safely.
- Basic speed law: never drive faster than is safe for conditions, even under the limit.
- Use high beams on open roads; dim them for oncoming or followed vehicles.
- Arrows pointing up and down warn of two-way traffic ahead.
- Orange diamond signs warn of construction and work zones.
- Adult (21+) BAC limit is 0.08% in most states.
- Implied consent: by driving you agree to chemical tests if arrested for DUI.
Now test yourself
Reading rules is a start; answering questions is what makes them stick.