Four points on your license in Colorado is a meaningful hit, not a minor one. For a driver 21 or older, a single four-point ticket eats a third of the 12-point annual suspension allowance. For a driver under 18, it almost exhausts the yearly limit on its own. And the points are only the start: a four-point conviction typically raises your insurance for three to five years, can trigger CDL disqualification if you drive commercially, and stays visible on your record long after it stops counting toward a suspension.
How Close Four Points Puts You to a Suspension
Colorado sets suspension thresholds by age, and four points lands differently depending on which bracket you fall into.1Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 42 Section 42-2-127
Drivers 21 and Older
Adults face suspension after 12 points in any 12 consecutive months or 18 points in any 24 consecutive months. A single four-point ticket leaves you 8 points of room for the year. Two four-point violations in the same 12 months and one more mid-range ticket can push you over.
Drivers 18 to 20
This group hits suspension at 9 points in 12 months, 12 points in 24 months, or 14 points total from violations after turning 18. A four-point ticket is already nearly half the annual limit. A second one in the same year puts you at 8 points, where even a one-point speeding citation (5 to 9 mph over) can trigger the process.
Drivers Under 18
Minors operate under the tightest limits: more than 5 points in any 12 consecutive months, or more than 6 points total before turning 18, triggers a suspension. A single four-point violation puts a minor one point away from the annual threshold. Picking up a three-point failure to yield after that would exceed both limits.
Which Violations Carry Four Points
The four-point tier under C.R.S. 42-2-127 covers violations the state treats as moderately serious. Speeding 10 to 19 mph over the limit is the most common one. Also in this group: following too closely, careless driving, improper passing, and driving on the wrong side of the road.1Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 42 Section 42-2-127
Several pedestrian-related offenses are four points as well: failing to yield to a pedestrian at a crosswalk, at a walk signal, or when pulling out of an alley or driveway. Failing to yield to an emergency vehicle and failing to obey a traffic signal or sign are also four points. One that surprises people: failing to maintain or show proof of insurance is a four-point violation, not just a paperwork problem.1Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 42 Section 42-2-127
What Happens if You Hit the Threshold
Once your point total crosses the line for your age group, the Colorado Department of Revenue schedules a hearing. The hearing officer starts from a six-month base suspension and reviews your record for factors that could lengthen or shorten it, up to a maximum of one year.2Colorado Department of Revenue. Point Suspensions The suspension itself is mandatory. The only questions are how long and whether you qualify for a probationary license.
Probationary License
The hearing officer may grant a probationary license, sometimes called a “red license,” that lets you drive for specific purposes such as work or school. It isn’t guaranteed, and getting a second one is harder because a prior probationary license counts as an aggravating factor. The restrictions are strict: law enforcement can stop you to verify the drive is for an approved reason, the license isn’t valid outside Colorado, and any moving violation immediately cancels it. A cancellation also triggers a three-year SR-22 insurance requirement at reinstatement.2Colorado Department of Revenue. Point Suspensions
Reinstatement
When the suspension ends, you can’t just drive again. Reinstatement requires proof of current liability insurance in your name and a $95 fee to the Department of Revenue, even if you had a probationary license during the suspension period.3Department of Revenue – Motor Vehicle. Process to Reinstate Driving Privilege
What a Four-Point Ticket Costs in Insurance
Insurers treat a four-point violation as evidence you’re more likely to file a claim, and they raise your premium at the next renewal after the conviction posts to your record. A 2024 study cited by AAA found that a minor speeding ticket (29 mph over or less) increased premiums by an average of 25% to 34%, depending on insurer and location.4AAA. How Does a Speeding Ticket Affect Your Car Insurance
That surcharge doesn’t lift after one renewal. In most states a speeding ticket stays on your record for insurance purposes for three to five years, and typical insurers review the prior 36 months when setting rates.4AAA. How Does a Speeding Ticket Affect Your Car Insurance A 25% surcharge on a $2,000 annual policy over three years adds $1,500. The ticket’s fine is the small part of what the violation costs you.
Extra Risk for CDL Holders
If you drive commercially, four-point violations hit harder. Federal regulations classify certain offenses as “serious traffic violations” for commercial drivers, and two common four-point Colorado offenses qualify: speeding 15 mph or more over the limit, and following too closely. One conviction is a warning. A second serious traffic violation within three years triggers a mandatory 60-day CDL disqualification. A third within the same three-year window extends that to 120 days.
These disqualifications apply even when the violations happened in your personal vehicle, as long as the conviction resulted in suspension or revocation of your driving privileges. If your paycheck depends on your CDL, a four-point ticket is not something to pay and forget.
Why the Violation Outlives the Points
Points stop counting toward suspension once the violation falls outside the rolling 12- or 24-month window. The violation itself does not. It stays on your permanent driving record, and insurance companies and employers pulling motor vehicle records will still see it.
Employers that require driving routinely check records at hiring and periodically afterward. Many fleet and commercial employers use internal point systems that mirror or exceed state thresholds, and crossing their internal cutoff can mean reassignment, loss of driving privileges on the job, or termination. Even outside commercial driving, some employers treat traffic convictions as a judgment issue when reviewing candidates.
What You Can Do About It
Contest the Ticket
You can plead not guilty and contest any Colorado traffic citation. Even when an outright dismissal is unlikely, many drivers negotiate a plea to a lesser offense with fewer points. Dropping a four-point careless driving charge to a two-point infraction can be the difference between staying under a threshold and losing your license.
Ask About a Driving Course
Colorado has no statewide program that automatically reduces points for completing a defensive driving course. Some courts in some counties will accept course completion as grounds to reduce fines or points, but this is discretionary and varies widely. Ask the court handling your case before assuming it’s an option.
Hire a Traffic Attorney
For a four-point ticket that puts you near a suspension threshold or threatens a CDL, a traffic attorney is often worth the fee. Lawyers who work regularly in Colorado traffic court know which charges can realistically be negotiated down. The flat fee for a mid-range moving violation typically runs a few hundred dollars, which is small compared to the multi-year insurance surcharge a four-point conviction locks in.