Colorado left turn laws require you to approach from the farthest left lane going your direction, signal before you turn, yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians, and obey any sign or signal that controls the intersection. Break one of those rules and you’re looking at a class A traffic infraction, 3 or 4 points on your record, and a fine that starts at $15 to $100 before court costs stack on top.1Justia. Colorado Code 42-4-1701 – Traffic Offenses and Infractions Classified The consequences grow fast if you hold a CDL, already have points, or cause a crash.
Lane Position and Yielding
Two statutes do most of the work. C.R.S. § 42-4-901 says you have to approach a left turn from the extreme left-hand lane available for your direction, and you should finish the turn in the extreme left-hand lane of the road you’re entering, passing to the left of the intersection’s center whenever that’s practical.2Justia. Colorado Code 42-4-901 – Required Position and Method of Turning
C.R.S. § 42-4-702 then requires you to yield to any vehicle coming from the opposite direction that’s already in the intersection or close enough to be an immediate hazard. The statute doesn’t define “immediate hazard” with a formula. You’re expected to judge the speed and distance of oncoming traffic, and if you guess wrong, the violation is yours.3Justia. Colorado Code 42-4-702 – Vehicle Turning Left Most left-turn crashes happen right here.
A green arrow lets you enter the intersection to turn, but you still have to yield to pedestrians lawfully in the crosswalk and to any traffic already using the intersection.4Justia. Colorado Code 42-4-604 – Traffic Control Signal Legend
Turn Signal Timing
Failure to signal is a separate violation from an improper turn, so one bad maneuver can draw both tickets. Under C.R.S. § 42-4-903, your signal has to run continuously for at least the last 100 feet before the turn in urban or metropolitan areas. On four-lane highways or any road where the speed limit is over 40 mph, that distance jumps to 200 feet. Weather doesn’t change the requirement.5Justia. Colorado Code 42-4-903 – Turning Movements and Required Signals
Signs, Signals, and Flashing Yellow Arrows
Disobeying any official traffic control device at a turn — a no-left-turn sign, a “Left Turn Yield on Green” sign, a lane-use arrow on the pavement, or a signal — is a class A infraction under C.R.S. § 42-4-603.6Justia. Colorado Code 42-4-603 – Obedience to Official Traffic Control Devices That one carries 4 points on your record instead of 3, because the state treats ignoring a posted device as a more serious lapse than a positioning error.7Justia. Colorado Code 42-2-127 – Authority to Suspend or Deny License
Flashing yellow left-turn arrows show up more and more at Colorado intersections. A flashing yellow arrow means you may turn, but you have to yield to oncoming traffic and pedestrians first. It is not a protected phase the way a solid green arrow is. Treat it as an unprotected left turn with a reminder to check for conflicts.
If a signal has clearly malfunctioned or a sign is obscured, that may serve as a defense to a citation for disobeying the device. You’re still expected to use reasonable caution, though. Driving blindly through an obviously broken signal won’t shield you if a crash results.
If an Emergency Vehicle Approaches Mid-Turn
When an authorized emergency vehicle approaches with lights and sirens, the normal turn rules give way to one duty: yield. Colorado law tells you to clear the far-left lane, move parallel to and as close as possible to the right-hand curb, and stop until the emergency vehicle passes.8Justia. Colorado Code 42-4-705 – Operation of Vehicle Approached by Emergency Vehicle If you’re already partway through a turn, finish clearing the intersection before pulling over. Stopping mid-turn blocks the exact lane the emergency vehicle needs.
Points and Fines
Colorado assigns points by the kind of violation, not by the maneuver:
- Improper turn: 3 points
- Failure to yield right-of-way: 3 points
- Failure to observe a traffic sign or signal: 4 points
One left turn can produce more than one citation. Running a no-left-turn sign and failing to yield to oncoming traffic in the same move could total 7 points.7Justia. Colorado Code 42-2-127 – Authority to Suspend or Deny License
The base fine for a class A traffic infraction runs $15 to $100.1Justia. Colorado Code 42-4-1701 – Traffic Offenses and Infractions Classified That’s just the starting figure. Court costs, surcharges, and fees routinely push the amount you actually pay well above the base. If the turn causes an accident or injury, you can face civil liability for damages, and in cases involving reckless driving or serious negligence, criminal charges are a separate possibility.
When Points Trigger a License Suspension
Left-turn points count toward Colorado’s cumulative suspension thresholds. The Department of Revenue suspends your license when points reach these levels:
- Adults 21 and older: 12 points in any 12-month period, or 18 points in any 24-month period
- Drivers ages 18 to 20: 9 points in 12 months, or 12 points in 24 months
- Drivers under 18: 6 points in 12 months, or 7 points at any time while under 18
The under-18 numbers are unforgiving. A single incident that produces both an improper-turn ticket (3 points) and a failure-to-yield ticket (3 points) puts a 17-year-old at 6 points, which hits the threshold. Reinstatement after a points suspension requires proof of insurance and a $95 fee.
Commercial Drivers Face Extra Penalties
CDL holders carry a second layer of consequences. Federal law treats improper or erratic lane changes as a “serious traffic violation” for commercial drivers, and disqualifications escalate:
- Second serious violation within 3 years: at least a 60-day CDL disqualification
- Third serious violation within 3 years: at least 120 days
Under 49 CFR § 383.51, those same disqualifications apply whether you were driving a commercial vehicle or your personal car when the violation occurred, as long as the conviction leads to action against your license.11eCFR. 49 CFR 383.51 – Disqualification of Drivers If your paycheck depends on a CDL, a routine left-turn ticket is worth contesting.
Insurance Impact
Colorado insurers use your driving record when they price your policy. A left-turn violation that puts points on your record signals higher risk, and premiums usually rise at the next renewal. The size of the increase depends on the insurer, your prior history, and whether the violation involved a crash. Drivers who already have infractions tend to see steeper hikes because the new points compound. Even after points age off your state record, the underlying conviction can remain visible to insurers for several years.
Removing 3 Points With a Defensive Driving Course
Colorado lets you knock 3 points off your record by completing an approved defensive driving course, once every 12 months. The course doesn’t erase the conviction. The violation still shows on your record. But the 3-point reduction can keep you below a suspension threshold or soften an insurance renewal.
This matters most after an improper-turn conviction, which carries exactly 3 points. Taking the course zeroes out the point hit from that violation. If you’re already sitting at 9 or 10 points, the course buys breathing room, but only once in any 12-month window, so when you use it matters.