Your point total isn’t printed on your Colorado license, and it isn’t visible in the DMV’s public-facing tools. To find out how many points are on your license in Colorado, you have to request a copy of your Motor Vehicle Record from the Division of Motor Vehicles. A non-certified copy costs $9.25 and a certified copy costs $10.25.1Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. State DMV Fees Once you have the record, the number that matters is whether your recent point total is approaching the suspension threshold for your age group.
How to Pull Your Motor Vehicle Record
Three ways to get it:
- Online. Request a non-certified record through the DMV website. It’s emailed within 24 hours.
- By mail. Complete Form DR 2559 and send it with a check or money order to the Colorado Department of Revenue, Division of Motor Vehicles, P.O. Box 173350, Denver, CO 80217-3350. Allow five to ten business days after the DMV receives your request.
- In person. Bring a completed DR 2559 to any full-service driver license office. Certified records are issued at the Lakewood office at 3265 S. Wadsworth Blvd.
The form asks for your full legal name, date of birth, driver license number, and the last four digits of your Social Security number.2Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. DR 2559 Permission for Release of Driver Records
The Point Totals That Put Your License at Risk
Colorado doesn’t suspend at a single number. The threshold depends on your age, and for chauffeurs, whether the points came from on-the-job driving. Thresholds run against the date each violation occurred, even though points aren’t added until conviction.3Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes 42-2-127 – Authority to Suspend License
- Adults 21 and older: 12 points in any 12 consecutive months, or 18 points in any 24 consecutive months.
- Drivers 18 to 20: 9 points in 12 months, 12 points in 24 months, or 14 points total for violations after turning 18.
- Drivers under 18: more than 5 points in any 12 consecutive months, or more than 6 points total before turning 18.
- Chauffeurs whose driving is a primary job duty: 16 points in one year, 24 points in two years, or 28 points in four years, all accumulated during employment.
Hit any of those and the DMV schedules a hearing. No suspension takes effect without that hearing, or your failure to appear at one.3Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes 42-2-127 – Authority to Suspend License
Point Values for Common Violations
If your record hasn’t arrived yet, or you want to know what a recent ticket will add, the state assigns points by how dangerous it considers the conduct.
12-Point Violations
DUI and DUI per se each add 12 points, enough on their own to trigger a suspension hearing for an adult. Leaving the scene of an accident, street racing, careless driving that causes a death, and speeding 40 or more mph over the limit all carry 12 points as well.3Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes 42-2-127 – Authority to Suspend License
Mid-Range Violations
Reckless driving and driving while ability impaired (DWAI) each carry 8 points. Failing to stop for a school bus adds 6 points. Following too closely, running a red light or stop sign, and improper passing each add 4 points. Failure to yield right-of-way and improper turns add 3 points each. Most moving violations not specifically named in the statute default to 3 points.3Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes 42-2-127 – Authority to Suspend License
Speeding
Speeding points scale with how far over the limit you were:
- 1 to 4 mph over: 0 points
- 5 to 9 mph over: 1 point
- 10 to 19 mph over: 4 points
- 20 to 39 mph over: 6 points
- 40 or more mph over: 12 points
A ticket for 4 mph over adds nothing. A ticket for 10 mph over already adds 4 points, and a single ticket for 40-plus over is an instant suspension trigger for an adult driver.3Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes 42-2-127 – Authority to Suspend License
How Long Points Count Against You
Points don’t expire on a fixed date. Colorado uses a rolling window, and the DMV asks whether your total inside the most recent 12 or 24 months exceeds the threshold for your age group. Once a conviction’s date falls outside those windows, its points stop counting toward a hearing.3Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes 42-2-127 – Authority to Suspend License
So when you add up the points on your record, only count the ones from violations dated within the last 24 months for adults, or the relevant window for your age. Older convictions still appear on the record itself, and insurance companies and employers who pull the record will see them, but they no longer have the power to suspend your license.
Out-of-State Tickets Don’t Add Points
Colorado belongs to the Driver License Compact, so other states report your traffic convictions back to Colorado’s DMV, and those convictions do appear on your Colorado record. Colorado does not assess points for out-of-state convictions.4Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. 1 CCR 204-30 Rule 2 Driver License Compact If you got a speeding ticket in Wyoming last summer, it’s on your record but not in your point total.
Ignoring an out-of-state ticket is different. The other state can notify Colorado to suspend your license until the matter is resolved, so pay or contest those citations promptly.