Driving Tests

Colorado Minor License Rules: Passenger Limits and Midnight Curfew

informational·how to guide·Published May 28, 2026

What are the passenger and curfew rules for a Colorado minor license?

A Colorado minor driver (under 18) may not carry a passenger under 21 who is not immediate family for the first 6 months with a license, and only one such passenger in months 7 to 12. No driving from midnight to 5 a.m. until the license is 1 year old. A parent, guardian or an adult 21 or older licensed for at least 1 year lifts these limits.

Where these rules come from

The passenger limits, curfew, exceptions and penalties come from Colorado law, section 42-4-116 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, Title 42 (2024 edition). The Colorado DMV first-time driver license page and the Colorado Driver Handbook (DR 2337, January 2025) give the same rules in short form. Where a short summary is less exact than the law, this guide follows the law. The seat belt and points rules come from the same Title 42. This guide is current as of 2026. Confirm the rules with the Colorado DMV (dmv.colorado.gov) before you drive.

Minor license limits at a glance

Minor license limits at a glance
Time with your license	Passengers under 21 who are not immediate family	Driving from midnight to 5 a.m.
First 6 months	None	Not allowed, unless an exception applies
Months 7 to 12	No more than one	Not allowed, unless an exception applies
After 1 year, or from age 18	No age limit. The seat belt rules still apply until 18.	Allowed

Who can ride with a minor driver

Colorado law calls any driver under 18 a minor driver. For the first 6 months after you get your minor driver's license, you may not drive with a passenger who is under 21 and is not a member of your immediate family. In months 7 to 12, you may carry no more than one such passenger. The limit counts passengers under 21 only, so adults 21 and older may always ride with you.

The limits end when the license is 1 year old or when you turn 18, whichever comes first. Test yourself with the free question on the first six months passenger rule.

When the passenger limits do not apply

A parent, legal guardian or other responsible adult described in section 42-2-108 is in the car. That is the kind of adult who signs an Affidavit of Liability: a parent, stepparent, foster parent, grandparent with power of attorney, guardian, a spouse 18 or older, or another responsible adult.
An adult 21 or older is in the car who holds a valid driver's license and has held it for at least 1 year.
The passenger under 21 is in the car because of a medical emergency.
Every passenger under 21 is a member of your immediate family, and all of them wear a seat belt.

The midnight to 5 a.m. curfew

A minor driver may not drive between 12 midnight and 5 a.m. until the license has been held for at least 1 year. Turning 17 does not end the curfew, but turning 18 does, because the rule applies only to drivers under 18. The same adults who lift the passenger limits also lift the curfew: a parent, guardian or responsible adult described in section 42-2-108, or an adult 21 or older with a valid license held for at least 1 year.

Check the idea with the free question on the first-year nighttime restriction.

Curfew exceptions: what to carry and when

You drive to school or a school-authorized activity, and the school does not provide adequate transportation

You may drive. Carry a signed statement from a school official that has the date of the activity.

You drive because of your job, and the drive is necessary

You may drive. Carry a signed statement from your employer that verifies your employment.

You drive because of a medical emergency

You may drive. The law lists a medical emergency as an exception.

You are an emancipated minor

The curfew does not apply to you. An emancipated minor is under 18 and has parents or a guardian who gave up parental duties, custody and the right to your care and earnings.

You drive at night for any other reason, with no adult from the list above

No exception applies. Do not drive between midnight and 5 a.m. until your license is 1 year old or you turn 18.

Penalties for passenger and curfew violations

A passenger or curfew violation is a traffic infraction. On conviction, the penalty can be 8 to 24 hours of community service for a first offense, or 16 to 40 hours for a later one. The fine is up to $50 (U.S. dollars) for a first offense, up to $100 for a second and $150 for a later one. The violation also adds 2 license suspension points.

Points from these and other violations can add up toward a suspension, which the guide to teen driver points and suspensions explains.

Seat belt and seat rules for drivers under 18

Everyone in the car must be properly restrained or wear a seat belt.
Only one passenger may sit in the front seat, and back-seat passengers may not be more than the number of seat belts.
These rules apply to every driver under 18, also after the first year with a license.
A seat belt violation can bring 8 to 24 hours of community service for a first offense (16 to 40 hours for a later one), a fine of up to $65, then up to $130 and $195, and 2 license suspension points.
More passengers than seat belts also adds 2 points.

Getting the minor license and when it ends

You must be at least 16 to get a minor license. If you are under 18, you must first hold your instruction permit for at least 12 full months and log at least 50 hours of supervised driving, 10 of them at night. The guide to the 50-hour drive log has the details.

The minor license expires 20 days after your 21st birthday. You can renew it no earlier than your 21st birthday, and you must renew or convert it to an adult license by the expiry date.

Key takeaways

Months 1 to 6: no passengers under 21 who are not immediate family. Months 7 to 12: no more than one.
No driving from midnight to 5 a.m. in the first year. These limits end when the license is 1 year old or at 18, whichever comes first.
A parent, guardian or responsible adult, or an adult 21 or older licensed for at least 1 year, lifts both limits.
Curfew exceptions: school with a dated signed statement, work with a signed employer statement, medical emergency and emancipated minors. A violation can bring community service, a fine and 2 points.
Next step: practice on the free Colorado Class R practice test.

Colorado minor license: common questions

Can I drive my younger brother or sister on a minor license?

Yes. The passenger limits count only passengers under 21 who are not members of your immediate family, and the Driver Handbook names siblings as an exception. If every passenger under 21 in the car is immediate family and all of them wear a seat belt, the limits do not apply. A friend in the same car still counts toward the limit.

Can one friend who is 17 ride with me after 6 months?

Yes. From month 7 until your license is 1 year old, one passenger under 21 who is not immediate family may ride with you. A second friend under 21 is allowed only when a parent, guardian, responsible adult or an adult 21 or older licensed for at least 1 year is in the car, or in a medical emergency.

Can a friend who is 21 ride with me during the first 6 months?

Yes. A friend who is 21 is not under 21, so the passenger limit does not count that friend. If that friend holds a valid license and has held it for at least 1 year, the friend also lifts the passenger limits and the curfew while riding with you.

Do the minor license limits end when I turn 17 or 18?

Turning 17 does not end them. The passenger limits and the curfew end when you have held your license for 1 year or when you turn 18, whichever comes first. A driver licensed at 16 years and 2 months is under the curfew until 17 years and 2 months. A driver licensed at 17 years and 9 months is free of these limits at 18.

How many friends can ride with me if my parent is in the car?

With a parent, guardian or other qualifying adult in the car, the passenger age limits do not apply. The seat rules for drivers under 18 still apply: only one passenger in the front seat, no more back-seat passengers than seat belts, and everyone belted. More passengers than seat belts can add 2 points.

Can a police officer stop me only for breaking the passenger or curfew rule?

No. Colorado law says a driver may be cited for this section only if an officer stopped the driver for another alleged traffic violation. Once you are stopped for another reason, the officer can also cite you for the passenger or curfew violation.