Preparing for the Colorado Driving Knowledge Test

Before you study: who has to take it

Age makes no difference here: a first time permit applicant of 15 and one of 45 both sit the same Class D written exam. Which class a teen completes first varies with age and with the 2027 cutoff, yet nobody escapes the written exam.

Teens moving in with a valid permit from another state usually skip the written test. Adults who have never been licensed take the same test as teens and then face no waiting period on the permit.

While you study: what the test covers

All questions are drawn from the current handbook, which covers road signs, traffic rules, safe habits, and driving while impaired. The DMV's permit page lists no question count and no passing score, so cover the whole book.

Some rules are particular to Colorado and catch beginners out: leaving three feet when overtaking a bicycle, the Safety Stop law under which a cyclist may roll a stop sign as if it were a yield, and the passenger, curfew and phone limits on minors. Under 21, the alcohol and drug limits are tighter than an adult's, so read that chapter twice.

A simple plan for a teen: read two handbook chapters a night for a week, take the official practice quiz on the weekend, reread whatever was guessed, and repeat the quiz until scores are comfortable several days running.

While you study: official practice

Two official sources exist: the handbook quiz on the DMV's education page and the quizzes inside the myColorado phone app.

Use the quiz to find weak spots, then go back to those pages. Once your teen is passing it easily day after day, booking the real thing makes sense.

On test day at home: the @Home rules

Colorado's home exam is hosted by KnowTo Drive at coathometesting.com and is open to residents once they reach 14 years and 11 months. For anyone younger than 19, an adult parent or guardian (a Colorado resident, at least 19) sets up the registration and handles the identity questions.

Each try costs $6.50, the clock gives you an hour, and your registration stays active for 30 days. Use a computer, not a phone or tablet, with a webcam, a physical keyboard and mouse, good light, and a room where no one else will wander into view.

Disqualification comes from letting the pointer stray past the red frame, from a later photo that does not match the first, or from anyone else showing on screen. Fail honestly and you can go again tomorrow; get disqualified and you wait a week.

On test day in person: offices and schools

The office route has one advantage: pass, and the permit is issued on the spot. Pre-register, reserve a time, and get there early, because written testing ends shortly before the doors close.

Private driving schools can give it as well, and their pass certificates are accepted. Their testing price is separate from anything the state collects.

If you need language help or accommodations

Spanish and English are the only versions, and the DMV says there are no others at present. Speakers of other languages may bring a translator of their own to interpret aloud.

Headphones that plug in let the test station read each question out loud. Sign language interpreting and further disability accommodations are available too; ask for them when booking.

If you fail: retakes and what it costs

There is no limit on total attempts, but no more than two in a single day. Every retake carries the $11.50 state fee, on top of whatever the @Home platform or a school charges.

The permit itself, per the DMV fee schedule as of October 2026, is $20.00 for REAL ID and $23.00 for standard. Fee tables change, so confirm the figure for your card type at the appointment.

• Each @Home attempt: $6.50
• Each retake, state fee: $11.50
• The permit: $20.00 or $23.00 depending on the card
• A school's test: whatever it charges