Driving Tests

Colorado 50-Hour Driving Log, 12-Month Permit Hold, Behind-the-Wheel Rule

informational·how to guide·Published June 7, 2026

How many hours do you need before a Colorado driver's license?

If you are under 18, Colorado requires you to hold your instruction permit for at least 12 months and log 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night. If you are under 16 years and 6 months old, you also need 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training with an approved driving school. From age 18, there is no holding period and no log.

Where these Colorado rules come from

The Colorado Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) explains the hold period, the log and the training rule on its permits and first-time license page. The law is in sections 42-2-104 and 42-2-106 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, Title 42 (2024 edition), and the Colorado Driver Handbook (DR 2337) repeats the minor license rules. This post also uses the DMV documents and driver education pages. The rules here are for applications until December 31, 2026, and the information is as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Colorado DMV (dmv.colorado.gov) before you drive.

Which rules apply to your age?

You are under 18 and apply for a minor driver's license

Hold the permit at least 12 months, log at least 50 hours with 10 at night, and have the log signed. You must be at least 16.

You are under 16 years and 6 months old

You also complete 6 hours of in-the-car training with an approved driving school, unless the 30-mile exemption applies to you.

You will turn 18 before your permit is a year old

You do not need a driver time log. After your 18th birthday, you can take the driving test right away.

You are 18 to 21

No permit holding period, no logged hours and no behind-the-wheel training.

How long must you hold a Colorado permit?

Under 18, Colorado law (42-2-104) does not allow a license until you have held an instruction permit for at least 12 months. Count 12 full months from the date your permit was issued. If you turn 18 first, the wait ends on your 18th birthday.

The permit is valid for three years or until your 21st birthday, whichever comes first, so the 12-month wait fits inside it. The minimum age for the minor driver's license is 16.

How to keep your Colorado driving log

1
Choose a log
Use the Drive Time Log Sheets (DR 2324) or the RoadReady mobile app. For an in-person license appointment, print the log either way.
2
Log every practice drive
Record each drive until you reach at least 50 hours, with at least 10 hours at night. With the 30-mile exemption, the target is 62 hours. A free practice question checks the hold period and the log hours.
3
Get the log signed
A parent, guardian or other responsible adult signs the log.
4
Check the log before you submit it
Make sure that your name is clear at the top, that the hours of each drive and the total drive time are correct, and that the signature is on the log.
5
Bring it or upload it
For an in-person appointment, bring the signed sheets printed and ready. For an online upgrade under 18, upload a signed driving log sheet.

Who can supervise you, and which hours count?

For applications until December 31, 2026, Colorado law (42-2-106) lets you practice with the parent, stepparent, grandparent with power of attorney, guardian or foster parent who signed the Affidavit of Liability. That person must hold a valid Colorado driver's license and sit in the front seat close to you. A signer with no valid Colorado license may appoint an alternate permit supervisor who is 21 or older and has a valid Colorado license.

The signer may also let you drive with another licensed driver who is 21 or older, but those hours do not count toward the 50 hours. A free practice question asks where a supervising parent must sit.

Do you need driving school lessons in Colorado?

If you are under 16 years and 6 months old, you need at least 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training in the car with an approved 3rd party driving school. From 16 years and 6 months, no behind-the-wheel training is required.

The driving test is a separate step. State driver license offices do not give driving skills tests: you take the test with an approved 3rd party, and you must be at least 16. Our guide to the Colorado driving test at a driving school covers that test.

The 30-mile exemption: 62 hours instead of 6 school hours

The 30-mile exemption: 62 hours instead of 6 school hours
Item	What the DMV and the law say
Who qualifies (DMV)	You live more than 30 miles from an approved full-time driving school.
Who qualifies (law)	No entity offers approved behind-the-wheel training at least 20 hours a week from a permanent location within 30 miles of your residence.
What you do instead	12 additional hours of supervised driving replace the 6 hours at a driving school. The law says a parent, a legal guardian or an alternate permit supervisor directs those 12 hours.
Total logged hours	62 hours instead of 50.
How you upgrade	In person only. Bring a printed map of the route from your home to the nearest full-time driving school.

Upgrade online or in person?

Upgrading online is the easiest option if you have no changes to your name or driving privileges. If you change your name or request the behind-the-wheel exemption, you must upgrade in person.

The rules in this post are for applications until December 31, 2026. From January 1, 2027, all new drivers under 21 must meet new education requirements. Read our guide to the 2027 Colorado driver education requirement and check the date of your application.

Key takeaways

Under 18, hold the instruction permit at least 12 months and log at least 50 hours, 10 at night, before your minor driver's license.
A parent, guardian or other responsible adult signs the log. Hours with other licensed drivers 21 or older do not count toward the 50 hours.
Under 16 years and 6 months, you need 6 hours with an approved driving school, or 12 more logged hours (62 in all) if you live more than 30 miles away and upgrade in person.
If you turn 18 before your permit is a year old, you do not need a driver time log.
Next step: test what you know on our free, English-only Colorado Class R practice test.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a driving log if I turn 18 soon?

If you will turn 18 before you have held your permit for a year, you do not need a driver time log. The 12-month hold also ends on your 18th birthday, and from then you can take the driving test right away. Until that birthday, you cannot get a minor driver's license without the full 12 months and the 50-hour log.

Can I use the RoadReady app instead of paper log sheets?

Yes. The RoadReady mobile app is one of the two accepted ways to log your hours; the other is the Drive Time Log Sheets (DR 2324). For an in-person license appointment, print the log sheet from the app. For an online upgrade under 18, upload a signed driving log sheet.

Do night hours count inside the 50 hours?

Yes. The 10 night hours are part of the 50 hours, not extra hours. Colorado law asks for at least 50 hours of actual driving experience, and at least 10 of them must be at night. With the 30-mile exemption, the total is 62 hours, because 12 extra hours replace the 6 school hours.

I moved to Colorado with a permit. Do my months and hours count?

If you are 16 or 17 with a valid out-of-state permit, time on that permit counts toward the 12-month hold, and hours logged in your previous state can count toward the 50 hours. A parent, guardian or other responsible adult signs the log. You may take the Colorado driving test one time without first getting a Colorado permit, if you meet all the requirements.

Can my driving instructor sign my drive log?

Yes. For applications until December 31, 2026, Colorado law lets the instructor of a driver education course approved by the DMV sign the log. A parent, guardian or responsible adult can sign it too. For a foster child, any person 21 or older with a valid driver's license who instructed the applicant can also sign.