Colorado Car / Permit Practice Test
The Colorado Car / Permit knowledge test has ~25 questions, and you need ~20 correct (80%) to pass. Practice free with questions written from the official Colorado driver handbook — every one has a clear explanation, and you can retake as often as you like with no sign-up.
Content reviewed against official driver handbooks · July 7, 2026
What's on the Colorado written test
The Colorado Car / Permit knowledge test has ~25 questions; you need ~20 correct (80%) to pass.
Based on the official Colorado exam format — always confirm current details with your state DMV.
Practice by topic
Focus on one area at a time — each topic has its own set of Colorado practice questions.
Learn the shapes, colors, and meanings of regulatory, warning, and guide signs — from stop and yield to construction and school-zone signs.
Speed limits, turning and signaling rules, headlight and seat-belt requirements, and the everyday laws every driver must follow.
How to read traffic signals, lane lines, and pavement markings — including yellow and white lines, arrows, and flashing lights.
Who goes first at intersections, four-way stops, roundabouts, and crosswalks, and how to yield to pedestrians and emergency vehicles.
Following distance, scanning, blind spots, using your lights, and the habits that prevent crashes and keep you in control.
Driving safely around motorcycles, bicycles, large trucks, pedestrians, and school buses — and knowing who has the right of way.
Blood alcohol limits, zero-tolerance and implied-consent laws, and how alcohol and drugs — legal or not — affect your driving.
Legal and illegal parking, colored curbs, distances from hydrants and crossings, and how to park safely on hills.
Choosing a safe speed, keeping a space cushion, adjusting for weather and traffic, and understanding stopping distance.
What to do when things go wrong — brake failure, tire blowouts, skids, and stalling on railroad tracks.
The point system, license suspension, provisional-license rules, insurance requirements, and other licensing basics.
How to pass the first time
- Read the official Colorado driver handbook at least once before test day.
- Practice by topic to find your weak spots, then fix them.
- Take full-length practice tests until you pass comfortably every time.
- Read every explanation — understanding beats memorizing.
Colorado Car / Permit test — frequently asked questions
How many questions are on the Colorado Car / Permit test?
The Colorado Car / Permit knowledge test has ~25 questions, and you need ~20 correct (80%) to pass. Our practice tests mirror that format.
How many questions can I miss on the Colorado Car / Permit test?
You can miss up to ~5 of the ~25 questions and still pass — you need ~20 correct, which is 80%.
Can I retake the practice test?
Yes — practice as often as you like, completely free. The questions and answer choices are shuffled each time.
Can I take the Colorado practice test in Spanish?
Yes. Every question here is available in English and Spanish — switch languages anytime. Many states also offer the real knowledge test in languages other than English; confirm what Colorado offers with your DMV.
Can I practice on my phone?
Yes. The practice tests work in any mobile or desktop browser — no app or sign-up needed — so you can study anywhere.
Are these the real DMV test questions?
No. Our questions are original, written from the current official Colorado driver handbook to match the real test's topics and style. We are not affiliated with any DMV or government agency.
What's the best way to study?
Read the Colorado driver handbook, practice by topic to target weak areas, and finish with full-length tests until you consistently pass.
Other Colorado practice tests
Take the Car / Permit test in another state
Every Colorado question is written from the official Colorado driver handbook and checked against its current edition. DMV Test Free is a free, independent study resource — not affiliated with any DMV or government agency. About DMV Test Free
Colorado Car / Permit questions with answers
20 sample questions from the Colorado Car / Permit question bank — each with the correct answer, a short explanation, and the section of the official handbook it comes from.
1. A child under 2 years old who weighs less than 40 pounds must ride in:
Correct answer: a rear-facing child restraint in the back seat
Children under 2 and under 40 pounds must be secured in a rear-facing restraint in the rear seat of the vehicle.
2. About how far does an average freight train traveling 55 mph need in order to stop?
Correct answer: about one mile
A freight train at 55 mph takes roughly a mile to stop and appears to move slower than it really is, so never try to beat one across the tracks.
3. A driver 21 or older can be charged with DUI per se when their blood alcohol concentration is greater than:
Correct answer: 0.08%
A BAC above 0.08% supports a DUI per se charge, while a lower level can still lead to a DWAI charge.
Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Driving Under the Influence
4. At a steady red light, making a right turn is generally:
Correct answer: allowed after a full stop and yielding, unless a sign prohibits it
After stopping and yielding to pedestrians and traffic, you may turn right on red unless a posted sign forbids it.
Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Traffic Signals (Steady Red Light)
5. You must switch your high beams to low before coming within how many feet of an oncoming vehicle?
Correct answer: 500 feet
High beams, or low beams with fog lights, must be dimmed before you are within 500 feet of an approaching vehicle so you do not blind that driver.
6. On narrow, winding mountain highways and blind curves, the default speed limit is:
Correct answer: 20 mph
Unless posted otherwise, drive no faster than 20 mph on narrow, winding mountain roads and blind curves, versus 40 mph on open mountain highways.
Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Speed
7. The crosshatched (diagonally striped) area beside a disabled parking space is:
Correct answer: reserved for van access, where parking is never allowed
Crosshatched sections next to accessible spaces provide van access and may not be parked in at any time.
Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Traffic Signs (Disabled Parking Signs)
8. The safest way to see where you are going while backing up is to:
Correct answer: turn and look over your shoulder through the rear window
When reversing, look directly over your shoulder through the rear window; mirrors and cameras help but do not show the area right behind the vehicle.
Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Basic Driving (Backing Up)
9. Signs with an orange background and black letters or symbols normally appear:
Correct answer: in and around road construction or maintenance areas
Orange is reserved for work-zone signs, which help guide traffic safely past crews and equipment, and fines are commonly doubled in these areas.
Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Traffic Signs (Work Zone Signs)
10. On a divided highway with a median separating the directions of travel, drivers coming from the opposite direction of a stopped school bus:
Correct answer: are not required to stop because of the physical barrier
When a median or barrier separates your side from the bus, you do not have to stop; the requirement applies when there is no such separation.
Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Right-of-Way (School Bus)
11. If a large animal suddenly appears in your path, the handbook advises that the safest choice may be to:
Correct answer: brake and stay in control, even if it means striking the animal
Drastic evasive action to miss a large animal can cause a worse crash, so concentrate on keeping control, as hitting the animal may be the safest outcome.
12. Before applying for a license, a Colorado minor must hold an instruction permit for 12 months and log:
Correct answer: 50 hours of driving, including 10 at night
Minors must keep a permit for 12 months and complete a signed log of 50 hours of driving, 10 of which are at night.
Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Minor Drivers (Application for driver license)
13. When it comes to pedestrians, a driver should never assume that they:
Correct answer: can see or hear the vehicle or its signals
Some pedestrians are deaf, hard of hearing, or blind, so do not assume they can hear or see your vehicle; watch carefully and be ready to stop.
14. Combining two or more substances such as alcohol, marijuana, or medications while driving is:
Correct answer: polydrug impairment, which can increase the effects and is especially dangerous
Polydrug impairment comes from using more than one substance together; mixing them can amplify their effects and is more dangerous than a single drug.
Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Driving Under the Influence (Polydrug Impairment)
15. When you approach a steadily flashing yellow traffic light, you should:
Correct answer: slow down and move through with caution
A flashing yellow signal warns of a hazard, so reduce speed and proceed carefully without a required stop.
Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Traffic Signals (Flashing Yellow Light)
16. In an urban area, how far ahead of a turn or lane change must you keep your turn signal on?
Correct answer: 100 feet
City drivers must signal continuously for 100 feet before turning or changing lanes, and a good rule of thumb is at least three seconds.
17. The handbook cites that a lightweight passenger car traveling 55 mph can stop in roughly:
Correct answer: 200 feet under ideal conditions
Under ideal conditions a lightweight passenger car at 55 mph needs about 200 feet to stop, and heavier vehicles require more.
Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Speed (Stopping distance)
18. Parking is prohibited on all of the following except:
Correct answer: a legal metered space along the street
You may not park on crosswalks, sidewalks, bridges, elevated structures or railroad tracks; a legal marked space is, of course, permitted.
19. A driver whose license carries a corrective-lens restriction must:
Correct answer: wear glasses or contact lenses whenever driving
If your license has a corrective-lens restriction, you are required to wear your glasses or contacts every time you drive.
Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Before You Drive (Vision)
20. A sign with a green background most often provides:
Correct answer: directions and mileage to a destination
Green guide signs give directional information such as route names, exits and the distance to a place.
Source: Colorado Driver Handbook — Traffic Signs (Guide Signs)