How to File Colorado Form DR 2870: Application for Reinstatement

The Colorado DR 2870 form is the application you file with the Department of Revenue to reinstate a suspended, revoked, canceled, or denied driver’s license. You submit it online through the myDMV portal or by mail to the department’s Denver processing center, with a $95 reinstatement fee and any supporting documents your case requires. Once approved, the department mails you a Letter of Clearance, and you take that to a driver’s license office for your new license.¹

When You Can File

File the DR 2870 only after you have fully served your restraint period and cleared every condition tied to it.¹ For a revocation, the general rule is at least one year from the date the revocation took effect, though several statutes shorten or extend that window depending on the offense.²

You also have to clear every outstanding citation, court judgment, or administrative hold that fed into the loss of your license. Colorado shares suspension and revocation data with all 50 states, so an active hold anywhere else will block your reinstatement here.¹

Log in to mydmv.colorado.gov to see your specific eligibility date and the exact requirements the department has on file for you.¹

What the Form Itself Asks

The DR 2870 is a short application. It asks for your first, middle, and last name, your date of birth, and your Colorado driver’s license or ID number if you have it.³ It does not request a Social Security number. Enter your name exactly as it appears in state records; a mismatch slows processing while a technician hunts for the right file.

You can download a blank copy from the Department of Revenue website or pick one up at any state driver’s license office.

Documents You May Need to Attach

The form alone is rarely enough. Depending on why you lost your license, the department expects proof of insurance, proof of an installed ignition interlock, and proof of alcohol or drug education.

SR-22 Insurance

If your offense triggered an SR-22 requirement, the department will not process your reinstatement without it on file.⁴ An SR-22 is not a policy. It’s a form your insurer sends the DMV certifying that you carry at least the minimum required liability coverage and obligating the insurer to notify the DMV if your policy lapses.

Colorado generally requires the SR-22 on file for three years, and certain offenses stretch that to five. If the policy lapses or is canceled during the filing period, the DMV suspends your license again and the clock restarts. Drivers who do not own a vehicle can buy a non-owner policy and have the insurer file the SR-22 against it.

Ignition Interlock Lease

Many DUI-related reinstatements require you to install an approved ignition interlock device in every vehicle registered in your name and any other vehicle you drive.⁵ To reinstate under this requirement, submit an affidavit showing you have signed a lease agreement for a device at your own expense.² Installation runs roughly $70 to $100, with a similar monthly monitoring fee for the length of the requirement.

The length of the interlock period and how early you can reinstate depend on the offense, the BAC involved, and whether the arrest occurred before or on or after January 1, 2023. Check your myDMV requirements screen for the exact period that applies to you.⁵

Alcohol or Drug Education Proof

Certain DUI-related reinstatements require completion of a Level II alcohol and drug education program, including convictions of two alcohol-related violations within five years, three or more in a lifetime, a revocation for a BAC of .15 or higher, revocations for multiple BAC tests of .08 or more, or a revocation for refusing a chemical test.⁶

If you are eligible to reinstate but have not finished the program yet, file a DR 2643 Affidavit of Enrollment, completed by your treatment agency, showing you are currently enrolled in an approved program. The department will reinstate on the condition you complete it. Once you finish, get the DUI/DWAI Referral Summary (DRS form) from the agency and submit it to the DMV online, by email, or in person.⁶

How to Submit the Form

You can file the DR 2870 online or by mail. Online is faster because documents enter the system immediately instead of waiting on mail delivery and manual entry.

Online

Log in to mydmv.colorado.gov, review your reinstatement requirements, upload the DR 2870 along with any supporting documents (SR-22 certificate, interlock lease affidavit, enrollment affidavit), and pay the fee electronically.¹

By Mail

Send the completed DR 2870, a check or money order for the reinstatement fee payable to “Department of Revenue,” and all required documents to:³

Colorado Department of Revenue
Driver Control Reinstatement
P.O. Box 173345
Denver, CO 80217-3345

Do not mail cash. Use a check or money order so you have a payment record.

Fees

Every reinstatement application costs $95.⁷ If you are reinstating from a DUI or DWAI, add a $25 DUI/DWAI restoration fee, for a total of $120.³ These fees are non-refundable and must accompany the application; the department will not begin reviewing your file until payment clears.

Expect additional costs outside the reinstatement fee. Insurers typically charge a filing fee (often around $25) for the SR-22 on top of any premium increase. Interlock installation and monthly monitoring add up over the required period. And once you are reinstated, the driver’s license office charges a separate fee to issue the physical card.

Processing and the Letter of Clearance

After the department receives your application and fee, allow up to 20 business days for processing.³ Technicians verify your payment, confirm you have served your restraint period, and check that every requirement on your file is satisfied.

Submitting the form does not restore your driving privilege. You are not legally reinstated until the department mails you a Letter of Clearance confirming the suspension or revocation has been cleared.¹ If you drive before that letter arrives, you are still driving on a suspended or revoked license, even if you have paid the fee and believe your paperwork is in order.

Getting the New License

Once you have the Letter of Clearance, you may need to apply for a new driver’s license at a full-service driver’s license office. The department will tell you whether written and road tests are required, based on the type and length of your restraint.³ Bring the Letter of Clearance, acceptable identification, and payment for the issuance fee. If your reinstatement carries an interlock restriction, the new license will show that condition until the interlock period ends.

1
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Process to Reinstate Driving Privilege
2
Justia. Colorado Code 42-2-132 – Period of Suspension or Revocation
3
Colorado Department of Revenue. Application for Reinstatement
4
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. SR-22 and Insurance Information
5
Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Ignition Interlock Program
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Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Alcohol and Drug Education Treatment
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Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. State DMV Fees