1. What does my child, who is under age 18, have to do to get a Colorado instruction permit?

There are three types of permits available to minors:

DRIVER EDUCATION PERMIT – Available to minors 15 years – 15 years 6 months.

• Expires 3 years from the date of issue.

• Must hold the permit for a minimum of 12 months before applying for a Driver's License.
• Must present a completed Affidavit of Liability and Guardianship (DR2460)
• Must present a completed Affidavit of Enrollment in Driver Education (back of DR2460) showing enrollment in a department-approved Driver Education Course that also offers behind the wheel instruction.  Please refer to FAQ #3and #4 for a complete list of approved courses.
• May drive only with the driver education instructor or the person(s) who signed the DR2460 until the age of 18 . This restriction is automatically lifted when the minor reaches 18 . May then drive with any Colorado-licensed driver 21 years of age or older.
• If the person(s) who signed the DR2460 does not hold a valid Colorado driver's license, they may appoint an Alternate Permit Supervisor to supervise the minor while driving.  The Alternate Permit Supervisor must hold a valid Colorado Driver's License and be 21 years of age or older.  Drive time with an Alternate Permit Supervisor will count toward the 50-hour total required on the log sheet.  The person(s) who signed the DR2460 may also allow any person 21 years of age or older, who holds a valid license, to supervise the minor while driving but that driving time does not count toward the 50 hour total required on the log sheet.

DRIVER AWARENESS PERMIT – Available to minors 15 years 6 months - 16 years

• Expires 3 years from the date of issue.
• Must hold the permit for a minimum of 12 months before applying for a Driver's License.
• Must present a completed Affidavit of Liability and Guardianship (DR2460).
• Must provide documentation indicating they have completed a 4-hour driver awareness program approved by the department. Please refer to FAQ #5 for a complete list of approved instructors.
• May drive only with the person who signed the DR2460 until the age of 18 . This restriction is automatically lifted when the minor reaches 18. May then drive with any licensed driver 21 years of age or older.
• If the person(s) who signed the DR2460 does not hold a valid Colorado driver's license, they may appoint an Alternate Permit Supervisor to supervise the minor while driving.  The Alternate Permit Supervisor must hold a valid Colorado Driver's License and be 21 years of age or older.  Drive time with an Alternate Permit Supervisor will count toward the 50-hour total required on the log sheet.  The person(s) who signed the DR2460 may also allow any person 21 years of age or older, who holds a valid license, to supervise the minor while driving but that driving time does not count toward the 50 hour total required on the log sheet.

MINOR INSTRUCTION PERMIT – available to minors 16 years to 21 years of age.

• Expires 3 years from the date of issue.
• Minors under 18 must hold the permit for a minimum of 12 months before applying for a Driver's License.
• Must present a completed Affidavit of Liability and Guardianship (DR2460).
• May drive only with the person who signed the DR2460 until the age of 18.   May then driver with any Colorado-licensed driver 21 years of age or older.
• If the person(s) who signed the DR2460 does not hold a valid Colorado driver's license, they may appoint an Alternate Permit Supervisor to supervise the minor while driving.  The Alternate Permit Supervisor must hold a valid Colorado Driver's License and be 21 years of age or older.  Drive time with an Alternate Permit Supervisor will count toward the 50-hour total required on the log sheet.  The person(s) who signed the DR2460 may also allow any person 21 years of age or older, who holds a valid license, to supervise the minor while driving but that driving time does not count toward the 50 hour total required on the log sheet.

The minor customer must present a certified birth certificate or other acceptable form of identification, and their Social Security Number and pass a written test and a vision screening test to be issued an instruction permit. Every applicant under age 18 must submit an "Affidavit of Liability and Guardianship" (DR 2460) signed by a parent or stepparent, a guardian or a grandparent with Power of Attorney. The DR 2460 must be verified by either a Driver's License employee or a Notary Public. If the signer is a guardian, original court documents showing guardianship, custody or adoption must be presented. If the signer is a grandparent with Power of Attorney (POA), the original POA must be presented and a copy of the POA must be surrendered upon application for the permit. If neither parent is living, the legal guardian of the minor may sign the affidavit. In this case, court-ordered guardianship papers are required. The affidavit may be obtained at any Motor Vehicle Driver License Office; the back of the Colorado Driver's Manual; or on the Motor Vehicle Division Handbooks Web page.

2. When does an instruction permit expire?

Instruction permits are normally valid for three years from the date of issue unless the person changes age groups from minor to adult before then. In that case, the expiration date is the person's 21st birthday.

3. Are there places, other than a Driver's License office, where I can take a drive test/do any of these places also offer driver education?

Yes, an updated list of organizations approved by the state to offer driver education and administer the drive tests is available on the Department of Motor Vehicle website: http://www.revenue.state.co.us/mv_dir/
wrap.asp?incl=drivingschoolslist . The list is updated on a monthly basis.  Most organizations offer the 6-hour behind-the-wheel instruction as a part of their approved course and are authorized to sign for minors under 15 1/2 years of age.  However, where indicated, a limited number of organizations, offering Internet instruction, also offer the 6-hour behind-the-wheel instruction for minors under 15 1/2, but the 6-hour behind-the-wheel instruction is not offered as separate instruction from the complete course.  Any organization that enrolls a student under 15 1/2 years of age must conduct both the classroom and behind the wheel training.  A course provider "parent taught" program does not qualify a minor at 15 years of age for an instruction permit.  A minor using a "parent taught" boxed, correspondence, or Internet program is eligible for an instruction permit at 15 1/2 years of age.

4. Are there places that offer only driver education?

Yes. For an updated list, please visit: http://www.revenue.state.co.us/mv_dir/
wrap.asp?incl=drivingschoolslist

5. Where can I take the 4-hour Driver Awareness Course so I can get a permit at 15 and 6 months.

Yes. For an updated list, please visit: http://www.revenue.state.co.us/mv_dir/
wrap.asp?incl=drivingschoolslist

6. I just got my Driver's License and I am under 18. Are there restrictions on my driving?

Regardless of when you got your license, if you are under 18 you cannot drive a vehicle carrying a passenger under 21 unless you have held your Driver's License for at least 6 months. And, you cannot drive a vehicle carrying more than one passenger under 21 unless you have held your Driver's License for at least one year. All persons in the vehicle, including the minor driver, must wear their seatbelt.

Exceptions to carrying passengers:

· If your parent or guardian is in the car with you, or

· If there is an adult passenger in the vehicle, 21 years of age or older, who has a valid license and has held a Driver's License for at least one year or

· If the passenger under 21 needs emergency medical assistance, or

· If the passengers under 21 are members of your immediate family.

So, if you were issued your license on January 1, 2005, on July 1, 2005, you would be able to carry only one passenger under 21 but no more than one until January 1, 2006, unless you meet one of the exceptions above.

There are also new restrictions on the time of day that you can drive. If you are under 18 you cannot drive between the hours of 12 midnight and 5 a.m. unless you have held your Driver's License for at least one year

· unless your parent or guardian is in the car with you, or

· unless there is an adult passenger, 21 years of age or older, in the vehicle who has a valid license and has held a Driver's License for at least one year, or

· unless you are driving to school or a school-authorized activity and the school doesn't provide transportation. You will need a signed statement from the school official showing the date of the activity, or

· unless you are driving because of employment; you must carry a signed statement from your employer verifying your employment, or

· unless you are driving because of an emergency, or

· unless you are an emancipated minor but your parent(s) or guardian(s) have not canceled your license. 

7. Can I use a cell phone while I am driving?

Colorado law prohibits a person, driving with any type of Instruction Permit from using a "mobile communication device" (example, a cell phone) while they are driving. This includes instruction permit holders of all ages. Exceptions are if it is an emergency, or if the driver is contacting a public safety entity (police, fire department, etc.), or if the driver has parked the vehicle.

8. I am an emancipated minor. Do(es) my parent(s) have to sign the Affidavit of Liability (DR 2460) to receive a Colorado instruction permit?

Yes. Emancipated minors must have an Affidavit of Liability to receive a Colorado instruction permit.

9. If I'm an Organ Donor, will that show on my license?

If you answered "yes" to the organ and tissue donor questions you were asked when you applied for your license, permit or ID card, then a red heart with a "Y" in the center will show on the front of your license, permit or ID card.  You must also discuss your wishes with your family.  Also, by answering yes, your name is automatically entered in the confidential Colorado Organ & Tissue Donor Registry.

For more information, please contact Donor Awareness Council at 303-388-8605 or 888-388-8605 or Donor Awareness

10. Can I pay the license fee with a credit card?

Credit cards, payroll checks and third-party checks are not accepted. Fees may be paid with cash, personal check or money orders for the exact amount only . Traveler's checks will be accepted in the amount of $50 or less.

11. What's the minimum number of hours my teen driver has to log during the Instruction Permit Phase?

50 hours (40 during the day and 10 at night) must be logged, and initialed, on the official “Drive Time Log Sheet” by an authorized, licensed parent or legal guardian. The “Drive Time Log Sheet” is the only log sheet acceptable as proof of the required 50 hours of driving experience, unless the log sheet you are presenting is from a state-approved Commercial Driving School, Driver Education or 3 rd party testing organization (find approved driving schools and classes at http://www.revenue.state.co.us/mv_dir/
wrap.asp?incl=drivingschoolslist ). You may make photos copies of the log sheet if your teen needs more than the one sheet to complete the 50 hours.

12. Where do I find the log sheet?

You can obtain the log sheet at one of the Department of Motor Vehicle's driver's licensing offices, on-line at www.revenue.state.co.us/mv_dir/home.asp or www.coteendriver.com .

13. Where can I find a copy of Colorado 's Graduated Driver Licensing Law?

On the Department of Motor Vehicle web-site www.revenue.state.co.us/mv_dir/home.asp (at the bottom of Frequently Asked Question #27) or www.coteendriver.com and click on Resources.

Please go to the Department of Motor Vehicle website for additional FAQs.

www.revenue.state.co.us