Skip to content
ImNotAnAttorney logo

Colorado DUI Laws

DUI Defense in Colorado

Statutes, Penalties, and Defense Strategies

What you are facing, the deadlines that bind you, and the questions an attorney needs to answer — under Colorado (CO) DUI law.

BAC Limit

0.08 (DUI) / 0.05 (DWAI)

Enhanced BAC

0.15

Higher penalties above this

Lookback Period

Lifetime

Prior offenses count within

⚠

7 days-Day DMV Hearing Deadline

Colorado gives you 7 days days from the arrest to ask for a DMV hearing. This is the

administrative hearing

Plain language

A DMV review of the license suspension — separate from the criminal court case, with its own paperwork and deadline.

that decides the license suspension. Miss the deadline and the suspension starts on its own, even if the criminal case ends in dismissal later.

First Offense Penalties in Colorado

Jail Time5 days to 1 year
Fines$600 – $1,000
License Suspension9 months
Ignition Interlock

Plain language

A breath-tester wired into the car ignition. The car will not start without a clean sample.

Required for 8 months (BAC 0.15+: 2 years)

Implied Consent and Test Refusal

Colorado has an

implied consent law

Plain language

By driving on the state's roads, you have already agreed to a chemical test if an officer has probable cause to think you are impaired.

like every state. The test can be breath, blood, or urine. Refusing carries its own penalty, listed below.

Refusal Penalty

1-year license revocation

Colorado-Specific Detail

Colorado has a two-tier system: DWAI (0.05-0.079) is a lesser charge with lower penalties, but still goes on your record. Colorado uses a lifetime lookback, every prior DUI counts, no matter how old.

Is your Colorado DUI defense on track?

The Defense Report Card checks 10 critical defense behaviors specific to DUI cases. Takes 2 minutes. Instant results.

Take the Free Defense Score

DUI Defense Playbook — $127

26 questions that change how your next attorney meeting goes, a case stage roadmap, red flag checklist, and a case progress scorecard. Instant PDF download — calibrated for Colorado DUI defendants.

Get the DUI Playbook — $127Read the Free DUI Guide

Other Colorado defense topics

Facing a different charge in Colorado? Penalty ranges, enhancements, and defense questions for related crimes:

Drug Possession in ColoradoDrug Trafficking in ColoradoAssault in ColoradoDomestic Violence in Colorado

Important: This page provides general legal information about Colorado DUI laws as of the date of publication. Laws change frequently. This is not legal advice. For guidance specific to your case, speaking with a Colorado-licensed attorney is one option, or take the free Defense Report Card to see where your case stands.

Questions people ask

What will happen if charged of dui in NC 29 years ago and just got another in CO

In Colorado, whether a decades-old out-of-state DUI counts against a new charge generally depends on how Colorado law treats prior alcohol-related driving convictions, and Colorado has at times counted qualifying priors regardless of how old they are or which state they came from, though how an old North Carolina case is classified can vary by county and by the specific facts. Because the age of the prior, the exact NC charge, and how it maps onto Colorado's categories can all affect whether it enhances a current case, that is worth raising with an attorney who can look at both records. How any of this plays out under Colorado law is not automatic and often turns on details in the paperwork. General information only; not legal advice.