Updates to Colorado’s Motor Vehicle Minor Driver Education Standards Effective 1/1/27

What You Need to Know About the New Standards on Teen Driving

On Jan. 1, 2027, new requirements for obtaining a learner’s permit in Colorado will go into effect. This update, known as HB24-1021, shifts the focus of driver’s education to a more comprehensive approach with stricter safety protocols for driving schools.

The new regulations require:

• A 30-hour driver education course for minors 15 through 17 years old (which may include an online course).
• Either a 30-hour course or a 4-hour prequalification driver awareness program (which may include an online course) for ages 18 through 20 years old.
• Those applying for a license under the age of 16.5 must still complete six hours of behind-the-wheel training.
• Individuals under 21 years old must successfully complete a motorcycle safety training program approved by Colorado State Patrol before being issued a motorcycle instruction permit.

Full Sized Flowchart Linked Here

To enhance public safety, the act also prohibits anyone who has been convicted of certain violent or sexual crimes from providing behind-the-wheel instruction to minors and at-risk adults, and commercial driving schools are prohibited from employing people with disqualifying criminal backgrounds as driving instructors. Each instructor employed by a commercial driving school must obtain a fingerprint-based criminal history record check.

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