Colorado License Restrictions
In some situations, the DMV may be warranted to place a restriction onto your Colorado driver license to prevent you from operating a vehicle under certain conditions. For example, if you do not meet the minimum vision standards, the DMV may issue a license restriction that prohibits you from operating a vehicle at nighttime. Colorado provisional license restrictions are a separate group of license restrictions that need to be observed by those who receive a drivers license before their 18th birthday. Junior license restrictions are part of the state's graduated license program and you can read more about the program in the drivers manual, should you wish to dig a little deeper into program requirements.
Drivers License Restriction Codes
Sadly, we did not locate a full list of Colorado license restriction codes. Most states make it available on the DMV website or in the driver handbook, however that is not the case with Colorado. If you had a restriction placed onto your drivers license and you are not sure what it stands for, you should get in touch with the DMV directly. However, in most cases, you should not have this problem, since restrictions are usually placed onto your driver license at the time when you take a Colorado permit test or a driving exam. At the time, a DMV employee explains to you what the restriction stands for and what limitations it imposes onto you.
Getting rid of a license restriction is not especially hard, you just need to prove to the DMV that the condition that forced them to place that restriction onto your Colorado driver license no longer applies. For example, if you have a restriction that prohibits you from driving at nighttime due to poor sight, you will need to take another vision exam to prove that your eye sight has improved. Those who are limited to operating a vehicle with automatic transmission only and wish to get rid of this limitation are required to take a Colorado drivers license test in a vehicle equipped with manual transmission.
Minor License Restrictions
According to Colorado graduated driver license program, if you are applying for your first driver license before your 18th birthday, you are not granted full driving privileges right away. First you need to obtain one of the Colorado driver permits and spend no less than 12 months operating under a permit. During this period, you need to observe all Colorado drivers permit restrictions. When the period is up and you pass the driving test, you are graduated to the next level of the program - a minor's license, which gives you a bit more freedom, but still comes with a mighty baggage of provisional license restrictions.
The following probationary license restrictions are currently active in Colorado:
- Curfew. No driving between midnight and 5 a.m. for the first 12 months. This restrictions can be disregarded if there is a supervising driver accompanying you. The supervising driver must be your parent or a person at least 21 years of age with a valid drivers license who has at least one year of driving experience. You are also allowed to travel between work /school and your house during these hours.
- Passenger restrictions. For the first six months, you are not allowed to carry any passengers under the age of 21 years. During the second six months, you are not allowed to carry more than one passenger under 21. Passenger restrictions don't apply when you are being supervised by a parent/legal guardian or a licensed driver at least 21 years of age with at least a year of driving experience. You cannot have more than one passenger under the age of 21 years present in the front seat until your 18th birthday.
- Seat belts. Everyone in the vehicle must wear a seat belt.
- Cell phones. Neither hand-held, nor hands-free electronic communication devices can be used, except for when making a call to an emergency service.
You can obtain more information about these restrictions and the penalties you will be facing, you can check out the Colorado drivers manual. You should also keep a copy of the book on file, in case you want to revise the driving rules and traffic signs.
