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Driving in Colorado

The rules foreign visitors most often get wrong — with the official source for every fact. Always verify directly before you drive.

Key rules

Max rural interstate speed
75 mph [1]

Rural I-70 sections

Right turn on red
Permitted after full stop (unless signed otherwise) [1]
Seatbelt enforcement (front)
Secondary enforcement [2]

Primary for under-16

Handheld phone
Banned for all drivers [3] (as of 2025-01-01)
Texting while driving
Banned [3]
Min liability — bodily injury per person
$25,000 [4]
Min liability — bodily injury per accident
$50,000 [4]
Min liability — property damage
$15,000 [4]
Motorcycle helmet
Required for some riders (see notes) [5]

Under 18 only

Move-over law
Yes — required to move over / slow for emergency vehicles [6]
Studded tires
unverified See notes — verify with the state authority.

Allowed seasonally; exact rule needs direct verification from CDOT

Marijuana in vehicle
Open container / consumption in vehicle illegal [7]

CRS §42-4-1305.5 — open marijuana container in passenger area prohibited

Primary resources for Colorado

Sources

Every claim above links to its numbered source here. If a link is broken, or you believe a fact is outdated, please let us know.

  1. [1] CDOT — I-70 Deer Trail East Project — CDOT · accessed 2026-04-23
  2. [2] CDOT — Primary Seatbelt Laws — CDOT · accessed 2026-04-23
  3. [3] Colorado Hands-Free Law (SB24-065, eff. 2025-01-01) — CDOT · accessed 2026-04-23
  4. [4] Colorado DORA — Auto Insurance — CO DOI · accessed 2026-04-23
  5. [5] CDOT — Motorcycle Laws — CDOT · accessed 2026-04-23
  6. [6] NHTSA — Move Over, It's the Law — NHTSA · accessed 2026-04-23
  7. [7] CRS §42-4-1305.5 — Marijuana Open Container in Vehicle — Colorado Legislature · accessed 2026-04-23