In Colorado, traffic violations carry not only fines and possibly jail. They also cause “points” to go on your driving record, and too many points will trigger a driver’s license suspension of six months to one year.
For instance, if you are 21 or older, the Colorado DMV will suspend your driver’s license if you accumulate:
- 12 points in a year or
- 18 points in two years.
You can contest your driver’s license suspension at a DMV administrative hearing. However, these proceedings can be difficult to win since the state’s burden of proof is very low, much lower than in a criminal trial.1
The purpose of the DMV point system is to deter unsafe driving and remind motorists that driving is a privilege, not a right.
In this article, our Colorado criminal defense attorneys will address the following key issues regarding the DMV point system.
- 1. How DMV Points Work
- 2. Point Chart
- 3.Hearings
- 4. Length of Suspension
- 5. Probationary Licenses
- 6. How Long Points Stay
- 7. License Reinstatement
- 8. Insurance
- 9. Driving Records
- 10. Removing Points
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Additional Resources
1. How DMV Points Work
If you are 21 or older, the Colorado DMV will suspend your driver’s license for amassing:
- 12 points in 12 months or
- 18 points in 24 months.
If you are 18, 19, or 20 years old, rules are stricter. The Colorado DMV will suspend your driver’s license for amassing:
- 9 points in 12 months,
- 12 points in 24 months, or
- 14 points or more during the time you are 18 to 20 years old.
If you are younger than 18, rules are very strict. The Colorado DMV will suspend your driver’s license for amassing:
- 6 points in 12 months or
- 7 points before turning 18 years old.
Rules are laxer if you are a chauffeur (such as a cab driver). The Colorado DMV will suspend your driver’s license for amassing:
- 16 points in 12 months,
- 24 points in 24 months, or
- 28 points in 48 months.2
Note that you have the burden to prove that the traffic violation occurred during the course of your employment as a chauffeur.1
Traffic infractions and misdemeanors carry a certain number of DMV points.
2. Point Chart
In Colorado, the more serious the traffic violation, the more points it carries.2 The following are common traffic crimes/infractions and the number of points they put on your driving record.
| Colorado Driving Offense | Demerit Points |
| DUI (driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol) | 12 |
| DUI per se (driving with a BAC of .08% or higher) | 12 |
| Evading / eluding an officer | 12 |
| Leaving the scene of an accident | 12 |
| Speed contests | 12 |
| Speeding 40 mph or more over limit | 12 |
| DWAI (driving while ability impaired) | 8 |
| Failure to stop for a school bus | 8 |
| Reckless driving | 8 |
| Speeding 20 mph to 39 mph over limit | 6 |
| Careless driving | 4 |
| Driving on wrong side of road | 4 |
| Failure to observe traffic sign or signal | 4 |
| Failure to show or maintain proof of insurance | 4 |
| Failure to yield to emergency vehicle | 4 |
| Improper passing | 4 |
| Speeding 10 mph to 19 mph over limit | 4 |
| UDD (underage drinking and driving) | 4 |
| Driving in wrong direction on one-way street | 3 |
| Driving through safety zone | 3 |
| Failure to yield right of way | 3 |
| Improper turn | 3 |
| Failure to dim – or turn on – lights | 2 |
| Improper backing | 2 |
| Improper signal / failure to signal | 2 |
| Operating an unsafe vehicle | 2 |
| Speeding 5 mph to 9 mph over limit | 1 |
The most minor traffic violations carry just one or two points.
3. Hearings
DMV hearings are administrative trials at the Colorado DMV where you can contest your driver’s license suspension in front of a hearing master (similar to a judge). You can present evidence and witnesses and cross-examine state witnesses, such as the police officer.
Everyone who faces a license suspension for accruing too many DMV points is entitled to a hearing. The DMV will mail you a notice of the date and time of your hearing.
DMV hearings, which are less formal than criminal trials, occur in person or over the phone. You can appear by yourself or with your attorney.3
4. Length of Suspension
The hearing master at your Colorado DMV hearing has the discretion to impose a suspension of six months to one year. If you do not attend the hearing, your license is automatically suspended for one year.
When deciding whether enough evidence exists to suspend your license and how long the suspension will be, the hearing master takes into account:
- The nature of the traffic violation(s),
- Your age,
- Your driving history,
- Any “mitigating evidence” that shows you in a less blameworthy light (such as by having an otherwise clean driving record), and
- Any “aggravating evidence” that shows you in a more blameworthy light (such as causing an accident or being a repeat offender).4
You can contest your driver’s license suspensions at a hearing at the DMV.
5. Probationary Licenses
If your Colorado license suspension will cause you “undue hardship,” you can ask the hearing master for a probationary driver’s license (PDL or “red license”) that lets you commute to work, school, doctor’s appointments or to carry out essential family functions (like picking up your children).
Note that Colorado has a “zero tolerance policy” for PDLs. This means the DMV will cancel your PDL if you pick up even a minor traffic ticket. Furthermore, you must obtain SR22 insurance and maintain it for three years to get your regular driver’s license reinstated.5
6. How Long Points Stay
As long as you are 21 years old and not a chauffeur, your Colorado DMV points no longer count against you after two years. If you are a chauffeur, the “lookback period” is four years.6
Getting traffic violations will likely increase your insurance premiums.
7. License Reinstatement
In most cases, reinstating your Colorado driver’s license following a point suspension requires the following:
- An application for reinstatement (Form DR 2870),
- A reinstatement fee of $95 (plus a fee of $25 in DUI/DWAI/UDD cases) payable to the Department of Revenue, and
- Proof of insurance.
If you refused a DUI chemical test – or if your license was revoked or suspended due to alcohol and/or drug use – you may be required to provide some or all of the following:
- A Colorado DR 2598 certification form,
- SR-22 from your insurance company,
- An affidavit of enrollment in an alcohol and drug education and treatment program (Form DR 2643), and/or
- A Restricted License Ignition Interlock Agreement Affidavit (Form DR 2058).7
8. Insurance
Accumulating driver’s license points can cause your car insurance rates to increase in Colorado. This is true whether or not your driver’s license ends up being suspended or revoked.
Note that insurance companies can look back seven or even ten years when deciding what to charge you. For this, they rely on your “driving record,” discussed in the next section.
An attorney may be able to get your driving charge reduced to a lesser offense or dismissed.
9. Driving Records
Your Colorado driving record – also called a motor vehicle record (MVR) – is a report that documents your driving history, including your DMV points. Plus the report will show any “red licenses,” which is shorthand for having had your license suspended, restricted, or revoked.
Colorado MVRs go back for seven years. However, it shows DUIs for the last 10 years.
If you are applying for a job that involves driving (such as transporting people or making deliveries), your prospective employer will take your MVR into account. That is why it is a good idea to review it periodically to make sure there are no mistakes.
To report traffic violation errors on your MVR, you can call the Colorado DMV at (303) 205-5600 or TDD (303) 205-5940.8
Obtaining a Copy of your Driving Record: Three Ways
1) Online
The quickest way to check your driver’s license status is to go online at the Colorado DMV to buy your MVR. After choosing “self-request”, click “next” and provide your:
- Full name,
- Date of birth,
- Driver license number (if available) and issue date, and
- Last four numbers of your SSN.
After clicking “next” again, choose option 7 to order your MVR. You will need to provide your email and a credit card.
- Non-certified driving records cost $9.25, and
- Certified driving records cost $10.25.
After clicking “I certify” and “next” once again, pay with your credit card. If you bought a non-certified driving record, it will be emailed or mailed to you.
2) By Mail
To order your MVR through the mail, complete the MVR written request (Form DR 2489). It will ask for your:
- Full name,
- Date of birth,
- Driver license number (if available), issue date, and expiration date,
- Last four numbers of your SSN,
- Full and legible signature,
- Reason for the request,
- Photocopy of driver’s photo ID with signature, and
- Check or money order for $9.25 (for non-certified copy) or $10.25 (for a certified copy).
Then mail it to:
Colorado Department of Revenue
Division of Motor Vehicles
Driver Control, Room 164
PO Box 173345
3) In Person
You can also purchase a non-certified or certified copy of your Colorado motor vehicle record at any full-service driver’s license office. The DMV accepts:
- Cash,
- Check,
- Money order,
- Credit cards, and
- Debit cards.
10. Removing Points
Remember that the Colorado DMV stops looking at points that are more than 24 months old (unless you are a chauffeur or under 21). So once two years have passed, it is as if those points never existed from the DMV’s standpoint.9
There is no way to “remove” points from your driving record in Colorado. However, you may be able to plea bargain with a prosecutor to take a defensive driving class in exchange for a reduction to a lesser charge, which in turn carries fewer points.
If you are 21 or older, you face a license suspension if you accumulate 12 or more points in a year.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many points can I get before my license is suspended in Colorado?
If you’re 21 or older, your license will be suspended for accumulating 12 points in 12 months or 18 points in 24 months. For drivers 18 to 20, it is 9 points in 12 months or 12 points in 24 months. For under 18, it is 6 points in 12 months or 7 points total before turning 18.
How long do points stay on my Colorado driver’s license?
For drivers 21 and older, points no longer count against you after two years. For chauffeurs, points stay on your record for four years. However, your complete driving record (MVR) shows violations for seven years, and DUIs appear for 10 years.
How can I check my Colorado DMV points?
You can check your points by obtaining your Motor Vehicle Record (MVR) in three ways: online through the Colorado DMV website for $9.25 (non-certified) or $10.25 (certified), by mail using Form DR 2489, or in person at any full-service driver’s license office.
What happens if my license gets suspended for too many points?
You will receive a notice for a DMV hearing where you can contest the suspension. If found valid, suspensions last 6 months to 1 year. You may be eligible for a probationary license for essential driving needs, but you will need SR22 insurance and must pay reinstatement fees when the suspension ends.
Additional Resources
For more information, refer to these Colorado DMV websites:
- Make an appointment – Save time by making an appointment online.
- DMV office locations – A list of all the DMVs in Colorado.
- Application for reinstatement – This is necessary to regain your driving privileges.
- Online portal (MyDMV) – You can often avoid going to the DMV by using the portal.
- Pay tickets online – The easiest way to pay your civil penalties and close your case.
Also see our related articles:
- How long do points stay on your license in Colorado?
- How many points on a Colorado license trigger a license suspension?
- How to reinstate a suspended driver’s license in Colorado
- How to check points on my Colorado license
- How to remove points from my Colorado driver’s license
- How long does it take to get points off your license in Colorado?
Legal References
- CRS 42-2-127. Point Suspensions, Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles.
- Same. See also: Edwards v. Motor Vehicle Div. (1974) 33 Colo. App. 382, 520 P.2d 598; Ewing v. Motor Vehicle Div., (Colo. App. 1980) 624 P.2d 353.
- Point Suspensions, Colorado DMV. CRS 42-2-126.
- Same.
- Same.
- See note 1.
- Process to Reinstate Driving Privilege, Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles. State DMV Fees, Colorado DMV.
- Motor Vehicle Record, Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles.
- See note 1.