Get your first driver's license in Colorado

Online or in person

Start online · At least one office appointmentFirst-time applicants pre-register on myDMV before the office visit. You can take the written test online with the @Home Driving Knowledge Test, and you can upgrade your permit to a license online if your name and other details have not changed. Under 18, the online upgrade needs an uploaded, signed drive log. You get the permit at a driver license office by appointment (vision test, fingerprints, photo, fee). State driver license offices do not give drive tests: you take the drive test at an approved third-party driving school. The license upgrade can be done online or at an office appointment.

Cost

$20 instruction permitThe fee page lists "Instruction Permit (includes motorcycle)" $20.00 under REAL ID fees and $23 under Standard fees. It has no row for a first or minor license: it lists "Driver License" $36 (Standard) and "Driver License, renewal" $34 (REAL ID). The @Home written test costs $6.50 per attempt, and from April 1, 2026 a $11.50 state DMV fee also applies. Retests: written $11.50, drive $15.40. Third-party testers may charge their own fees.

You leave with

Instruction permit, then a driver licenseA paper temporary credential at the appointment; the card is mailed within 30 days.

Your plan

1. Gather your documents

   • Proof of identity and lawful presence
     One document from the single-document list, or one from List A plus one from List B. Originals or government-certified copies only; no photocopies, photos, laminated or notarized copies. A school ID alone is not sufficient.
     Show accepted documents (bring 1)

     • U.S. passport or passport card (Unexpired)
     • Certificate of naturalization or citizenship
     • Permanent Resident Card (I-551)
     • Certified U.S. birth certificate (List A) (No abbreviated, miniature, hospital or California abstract birth certificates; pair it with a List B document)
   • Social Security number
     You can say your number at the appointment, or bring a document showing your full SSN.
     Show accepted documents (bring 1)

     • Social Security card (Signed if you are 18 or older)
     • W-2
     • SSA-1099
     • Pay stub showing your full SSN
   • Proof of Colorado address · 2 different documents
     Two for a REAL ID, one for a standard credential. Full name and street address, dated within the last year, in English; no P.O. boxes, junk mail or handwritten documents. Under 21, you may use the accompanying adult's address proof if the adult is present and named on it.
     Show accepted documents (bring 2)

     • Bank statement
     • Pay stub
     • Utility or phone bill
     • Lease or rental contract
     • Insurance policy
     • First-class government mail
   • Written test result
     If you passed the @Home online test, bring the Certificate of Completion (paper or electronic). Bring glasses or contacts for the vision test.

2. Pre-register online

   First-time applicants enter their details on myDMV before the visit. The confirmation does not replace an appointment.

   Pre-registration (Colorado DMV) ↗

3. Study the Driver Handbook

   Study the Colorado Driver Handbook and take the practice quiz on the Driver Education page.

   Driver Education (Colorado DMV) ↗

4. Take a free practice test

   Before the knowledge test, try our Colorado Permit Practice Test: 25 questions like the real exam, based on the official handbook, with every answer explained.

   Start the Colorado practice test

5. Pass the written test

   Take the @Home Driving Knowledge Test online ($6.50 per attempt plus an $11.50 state DMV fee; under 19 needs an adult over 19 as proxy), or test at your permit appointment and get the permit the same visit. You can take the written test no more than twice in one day; a written retest has an $11.50 state fee.

   @Home Driving Knowledge Tests (Colorado DMV) ↗

6. Get your instruction permit

   Book an appointment at a driver license office. You take a vision test, give fingerprints, have your photo taken and pay the fee. You leave with a temporary paper permit.

   Appointment Scheduling (Colorado DMV) ↗

7. Practice with a supervisor

   At 18 or older there is no holding period or hour log: you can take the drive test any time after you get the permit. Drive only with a licensed driver 21 or older in the front passenger seat.

   Permit and license under 21 (Colorado DMV) ↗

8. Pass the drive test at a third-party school

   State driver license offices are not conducting drive tests. Book the drive test with an approved third-party provider (minimum age 16); the DMV does not book these appointments. If you fail, you can retest once a day starting the next day; each retest has a $15.40 state fee.

   Driver Education (Colorado DMV) ↗

9. Upgrade your permit to a license

   Upgrade online on myDMV if your name and details have not changed (under 18: upload the signed log sheet), or at an office appointment with your permit, driving log and the fee; if your address changed, also bring two proofs of your Colorado address dated within the last year.

   Permit and license under 21 (Colorado DMV) ↗