Is the Colorado Driving Test Hard? (2026 Statistics)

The test

The DMV asks 25 questions and requires 80% correct - at least 20 right answers. That leaves a margin of 5 wrong. That places Colorado near the middle of the national distribution on test difficulty.

Colorado lifts driving restrictions before most states

In Colorado, a new driver picks up a learner's permit at 15, holds it for 12 months, qualifies for an intermediate license at 16, and earns a full unrestricted license at 17.

On Colorado's roads.

For every 100,000 licensed drivers aged 19 and under in Colorado, 22.4 die in a crash each year. The U.S. average is 16.8; Colorado ranks 40th lowest of 51.

Across all drivers, Colorado's road network sees 1.31 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled. The U.S. average is 1.25.

What Colorado bans behind the wheel.

Colorado scores 4.5 of 6 on our distracted-driving rubric (rank 19th of 51). The state bans handheld phones for all drivers and prohibits texting and manual data entry for all drivers. Colorado's seat-belt law is secondary enforcement - an officer cannot stop a vehicle for an unbuckled driver unless another violation is present. Self-reported belt use is 95%.

What it costs to insure a car here.

Once you have the license, insurance is the real running cost. In Colorado, the average driver pays about $1,453 a year, more than the $1,282 a typical American pays. Here is where that sits next to the national average and the cheapest and priciest states.

About 19.7% of Colorado drivers carry no insurance at all (the national figure is 15.4%), and the least coverage the state lets a driver carry is $25,000 for injuries to one person, $50,000 total for injuries per accident, and $15,000 for property damage. Roll spend, uninsured drivers, affordability and required coverage together and Colorado lands 9th of 51 on our insurance-burden score, where 1st is the heaviest.

One way to trim the bill: Colorado law makes insurers give a discount for finishing an approved defensive-driving course (for drivers 55+), good for 3 years.

On two wheels.

Colorado's motorcyclist fatality rate is 7.65 deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles - above the 6.87 U.S. average. Colorado's helmet law is partial - typically required only for younger riders.

DMV's motorcycle knowledge test is 25 questions, with a 84% pass mark. Whether a safety course waives the DMV road test is not something we have verified for Colorado, so check with DMV before you count on it. Required for riders under 18 and passengers under 18.

On bigger rigs.

The Colorado CDL knowledge test is federally standardised - 50 questions, 80 percent to pass, the same content in every state. The CDL knowledge-test fee in Colorado is $18.52. Other fees and endorsement processing run through the DMV.