Colorado suspends your license when you accumulate 12 points within 12 months, 18 points within 24 months, or 24 points within 36 months
Colorado's Department of Revenue uses a point accumulation system tied to traffic violations. Every moving violation you receive adds points to your driving record. Once you hit certain thresholds within specific time windows, the state automatically suspends your license. The exact threshold depends on how many months have passed since your oldest violation.
This is not a warning system — suspension is mandatory once you cross the point limit for your timeframe. You cannot negotiate around it, and the suspension takes effect whether or not you receive a formal notice in the mail. The state sends notice, but the suspension date is determined by the date the violation was recorded, not the date you receive the letter.
Understanding which violations carry how many points, and tracking your own record, is the only way to know how close you are to suspension before it happens.
Key Takeaways
- Colorado suspends your license automatically at 12 points in 12 months, 18 points in 24 months, or 24 points in 36 months — whichever threshold you hit first.
- A single speeding ticket is typically 1 point, but reckless driving, DUI, and at-fault accidents carry 4, 8, or 4 points respectively.
- You can check your current point total free of charge through the Colorado DMV website or by requesting a certified driving record.
- Once suspended, you must wait the full suspension period and pay a reinstatement fee before you can drive legally again.
How Colorado's Point Thresholds Work
Colorado tracks points in three separate time windows. The state looks at your record every time a new violation is added and checks whether you have crossed any of the three limits. If you have, suspension is triggered when ready — even if you were below the limit the day before.
The three thresholds are:
- 12 points within 12 months — the most common trigger for first-time suspensions
- 18 points within 24 months — applies if your violations span a longer period
- 24 points within 36 months — the longest lookback window
The state uses the date each violation was recorded, not the date you paid the fine or went to court. If you received a ticket on January 15 and another on January 20 of the same year, both count toward your 12-month window even if you did not pay either fine until March.
Point Values for Common Colorado Violations
Not all violations carry the same point weight. Minor infractions like parking tickets do not add points at all. Moving violations — anything involving the vehicle in motion — do. Here are the most common point assignments:
| Violation Type | Points |
|---|---|
| Speeding (1–10 mph over limit) | 1 |
| Speeding (11–20 mph over limit) | 4 |
| Speeding (21+ mph over limit) | 8 |
| Reckless driving | 8 |
| Careless driving | 4 |
| Failure to obey traffic signal | 4 |
| Improper lane change | 4 |
| At-fault accident (no citation) | 4 |
| DUI or DWAI | 8 |
| Driving with suspended license | 6 |
A single speeding ticket for going 25 mph over the limit (8 points) plus two careless driving citations (4 points each) puts you at 16 points. If all three violations occurred within 24 months, you exceed the 18-point threshold and your license is suspended.
How to Check Your Current Point Total
You can view your driving record and point balance through the Colorado Department of Revenue's online system at dmv.colorado.gov. You will need your driver's license number and date of birth. The online record updates within one to two business days of a violation being recorded.
If you prefer a physical copy or need a certified driving record for court or insurance purposes, you can request one by mail or in person at any Colorado DMV office. There is no charge for viewing your own record online. A certified copy costs a small fee (typically $10 to $15, though this varies by county).
Your insurance company may also provide a copy of your record, though their version may not be identical to the state's official record. Always use the Colorado DMV's version as your source of truth for point calculations.
Suspension Length and Reinstatement Requirements
The length of your suspension depends on whether this is your first suspension and how many points triggered it. A first suspension for reaching 12 points typically lasts one month. Reaching 18 points usually results in a three-month suspension. Reaching 24 points or more results in a six-month suspension.
Second and subsequent suspensions carry longer periods. A second suspension within five years is typically doubled — so a 12-point suspension becomes two months, an 18-point becomes six months, and a 24-point becomes one year.
Before you can drive again after suspension, you must pay a reinstatement fee to the Colorado DMV. This fee is separate from any fines you owe for the violations themselves. Reinstatement fees vary but typically range from $100 to $150. You cannot legally drive until both the suspension period has ended and the fee has been paid and processed.
What Happens When Your License Is Suspended
Driving with a suspended license in Colorado is a separate criminal offense. If you are caught driving during your suspension period, you face additional charges, fines, and an extended suspension. A first offense for driving with a suspended license adds 6 points to your record — which can trigger another suspension on top of the one already in place.
Your insurance company will be notified of the suspension. Your rates will increase significantly, and some insurers may drop you entirely. When you explore for new insurance after reinstatement, you will pay higher premiums for at least three to five years.
You cannot legally operate any motor vehicle during the suspension period, including motorcycles and commercial vehicles. The suspension applies to your driving privileges statewide and is reported to other states through the National Driver Register.
How to Avoid Suspension Before It Happens
Check your point total every three months if you have received any violations in the past year. If you are within 6 points of a threshold, you are in the danger zone. A single careless driving citation (4 points) could push you over the limit.
If you receive a ticket, you have the right to contest it in traffic court. If you win, the violation is dismissed and no points are added. If you lose or plead guilty, the points are recorded when ready — not after you pay the fine. Some violations can be reduced to non-moving violations (which carry no points) through plea agreements, but this requires going to court or hiring a traffic attorney.
Colorado also offers a Driver Improvement Program course. Completing an approved course can reduce your point total by up to 4 points, but only once every 12 months and only if you have not taken the course in the past 12 months. This is not a way to erase violations — it is a one-time reduction tool.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do points ever expire or fall off my record?
Points do not disappear from your record, but they stop counting toward suspension once they age out of the relevant time window. A violation from 13 months ago no longer counts toward your 12-month threshold, but it remains on your permanent driving record. Insurance companies can see violations from the past three to five years.
If I get a ticket dismissed in court, do the points still count?
No. If the violation is dismissed, acquitted, or reduced to a non-moving violation, no points are added to your record. The key is the final court outcome, not the original charge. Points are recorded only after the case is resolved.
Can I get my license back early if I pay a larger reinstatement fee?
No. The suspension period is fixed by law and cannot be shortened by paying extra money. You must wait the full suspension period, then pay the standard reinstatement fee. There is no expedited reinstatement option.
What if I get suspended while I am out of state?
Colorado's suspension is reported to the National Driver Register and recognized by all 50 states. You cannot legally drive in any state during your Colorado suspension period. If you are caught driving in another state on a suspended Colorado license, you face charges in that state as well.
Does a Driver Improvement course reduce points I already have, or just prevent future points?
It reduces points you already have. Completing an approved course removes up to 4 points from your current total. You can use this once every 12 months, but only if you have not used it in the past 12 months. It does not prevent future violations from adding points.