Colorado traffic law provides numerous ways a driver can lose their privilege to drive in Colorado through a suspension of the driving privilege.

One of the primary and most common sanctions under Colorado traffic law is a suspension based upon the accumulation of too many penalty points within a set period of time. A Colorado driver starts out with a clean record with no points. If the driver accumulates too many points against their driving record, within a certain period of time as provided by statute, their driver's license is suspended.

Each time an individual is convicted of a Denver traffic violation, or a traffic violation in any other area of Colorado , the applicable county or municipal court notifies the Colorado Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle Division of that conviction, and the specified number of points are posted to the driving record of the individual. A conviction occurs when a person pleads guilty, acknowledges guilt by paying a ticket, accepts a conviction as a result of a plea agreement, or, in some circumstances, by default judgment upon failure to appear in Court or pay a sum due.

Each type of conviction causes a certain number of points to be placed on a Colorado traffic record. Generally, the more serious the violation the greater number of points associated with it.

Points assessed against a Colorado traffic record are not erased when an individual obtains a new license or gets reinstated. Though points that are older may no longer have any significance in relation to a potential point suspension, points are not removed from a Colorado driver's record upon the passage of time.

The number of point accumulated within designated time periods, which cause a suspension of a Colorado driver's license, are as follows:

MINOR DRIVER UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE: 6 points in any 12 consecutive months. 7 points for the period of the license. MINOR DRIVER BETWEEN 18 AND 21: 9 points in any 12 consecutive months. 12 points in any 24 consecutive months. 14 points in the period of the license.

ADULT DRIVER: 12 points in any 12 consecutive months. 18 points in any 24 consecutive months. CHAUFFEUR POINTS: 16 points in any 12 consecutive months. 24 points in any 24 consecutive months. 28 points in any 48 consecutive months.

All chauffeur violations must have been received by a driver operating a motor vehicle in use as a public or common carrier of persons or property for the Chauffeur schedule of points to be applicable. If not entirely all the points are received by the driver while he or she is operating a motor vehicle then in use as a public or common carrier of persons or property, the applicable point totals for a non-chauffer driver apply.

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