A Colorado driver’s license costs $34 for a standard card or $32 for a REAL ID-compliant card, and that gap is the answer to how much a driver’s license costs in Colorado for most first-time applicants and renewals.1Colorado Revised Statute § 42-2-114.5 The amount you actually pay depends on which card you pick, whether you also need a permit or endorsement, and whether you’re replacing a lost card or retaking a test.
Fees by Card Type
Colorado issues two versions of a driver’s license. The REAL ID version, marked with a gold star in the upper-right corner, costs less than the standard card:
- REAL ID driver’s license (new or renewal): $32.00
- Standard driver’s license: $34.00
- REAL ID instruction permit (includes motorcycle): $19.00
- Standard instruction permit: $21.50
- REAL ID identification card, under 60: $13.00
- REAL ID identification card, 60 or older: free
- Standard identification card: $13.30
These amounts are set under Colorado Revised Statute § 42-2-114.5, which lets the Department of Revenue adjust them by up to five percent per year. Revenue flows into the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account.
Commercial License Fees
A commercial driver’s license runs on its own schedule:
- Commercial driver’s license: $17.50
- CDL instruction permit: $19.00
- Motorcycle endorsement: $2.00 added to the base license fee
The $17.50 covers the license itself. Endorsements for hazardous materials, tankers, or passenger vehicles add more. CDL holders driving in interstate commerce also need a current Medical Examiner’s Certificate on file; letting it lapse downgrades your commercial privileges until you update it.
Replacements and Retest Fees
If you lose or damage your card, a first duplicate costs $12.30. A second replacement before your next renewal costs $16.40. Both fees apply to REAL ID and standard cards alike.
Colorado doesn’t charge separately for your first knowledge test or driving skills test when you apply. Retakes do carry a fee: $11.50 for a written retest and $15.40 for a driving skills retest.
Why REAL ID Costs Less
The REAL ID card is $2 cheaper than the standard license, which flips the usual assumption that the federal-compliant version costs more. It also does more. As of May 7, 2025, you need a REAL ID-compliant license, U.S. passport, or another federally accepted ID to board domestic flights and enter federal facilities. Showing up at a TSA checkpoint with only a standard Colorado license triggers a $45 fee.
The temporary paper license the DMV hands you at the counter isn’t accepted at TSA checkpoints, so if you’re traveling, time your appointment around when the physical card will actually arrive in the mail.
Renewal Cost
A standard Colorado driver’s license is valid for three years from the date of issue. A REAL ID renewal costs $32.00, the same as a new REAL ID. The DMV adds a small convenience fee for online transactions on top of the base price.
You can renew online if you’re at least 21, have a photo on file less than 10 years old, hold a license that hasn’t been expired more than a year, and have no active restrictions, name changes, or DUI convictions in the past five years. Drivers 80 and older can renew online but must upload a form signed by an eye doctor confirming an exam within the previous six months. Everyone else renews in person by appointment.
Minor licenses expire either three years after issue or 20 days after the holder’s 21st birthday, whichever comes first.
What Minors Pay Beyond the DMV Fee
For applicants under 18, the DMV fee is only part of the cost. Colorado ties permit eligibility to driver education, and those courses are run by private schools and priced by the provider, not the state:
- Ages 15 to 15½: a 30-hour driver education course is required before getting a permit.
- Ages 15½ to 16: either a 4-hour driver awareness program or the full 30-hour course.
- Under 16½ with a permit: 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training with an approved driving school. If you live more than 30 miles from an approved school, 12 hours of supervised driving with a parent or guardian substitutes.
- 16½ or older with a permit: the driving school requirement is waived, though logged practice with a supervising driver is still expected.
The instruction permit itself is $19.00 for a REAL ID permit or $21.50 for a standard permit, the same amounts adult applicants pay. A first-time minor applicant must be accompanied by a responsible adult at the DMV.
Paying at the Office
Colorado DMV offices accept cash, checks made payable to DOR, and Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. You’ll walk out with a temporary paper license the same day, and the permanent card arrives by mail within 30 days. If it doesn’t show up in that window, contact the state’s driver services help desk.