Colorado is an at-fault (tort) state with 25/50/15 minimum liability. Here's exactly what the law demands, what it costs to ignore it, and how SR-22 filings work — with statutes cited.
| Coverage CO law requires | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability — per person | $25,000 |
| Bodily injury liability — per accident | $50,000 |
| Property damage liability | $15,000 |
First offense: Minimum mandatory $500 fine (courts may suspend up to half if insurance is later obtained), 4 license points, up to 40 hours of community service, and license suspension until proof of insurance (SR-22) is filed.
Repeat offenses: Second or subsequent offense within 5 years carries a minimum $1,000 fine that cannot be suspended, possible jail up to 1 year, and a longer license suspension.
License impact: 4 points per conviction; license suspended until an SR-22 certificate is filed with the Colorado DMV. (source: Colorado Department of Revenue DMV; Shouse Law Group (C.R.S. § 42-4-1409))
Colorado DMV requires an SR-22 filing to reinstate after insurance-related and DUI suspensions, typically maintained for 3 years; a lapse restarts the suspension. Non-owner SR-22 policies are available.
Typically required after: driving uninsured, DUI, license suspension. Filing period: 3 years in most cases. Non-owner option: available — you can file without owning a car.
Need one filed? Our SR-22 service page explains the process; a licensed professional at (866) 370-6395 can usually file the same day.
Colorado repealed its no-fault system in July 2003 and returned to tort; PIP is not sold. Insurers must instead offer $5,000 medical payments coverage, which is included unless the buyer declines it.
Colorado switched from no-fault to a tort system on July 1, 2003.
Insurers must offer UM/UIM coverage equal to liability limits, which buyers may reject in writing.
License and registration consequences: 4 points per conviction; license suspended until an SR-22 certificate is filed with the Colorado DMV.
| City | Population | Median income | 30+ min commute | No-vehicle households |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver | 718,877 | $94,718 | 37.1% | 10.3% |
| Colorado Springs | 487,887 | $84,818 | 25.3% | 4.4% |
| Aurora | 394,432 | $88,368 | 45.2% | 6.6% |
| Fort Collins | 170,229 | $85,070 | 18.4% | 4.1% |
| Lakewood | 156,583 | $89,792 | 39.0% | 6.1% |
| Thornton | 144,187 | $103,088 | 49.5% | 3.0% |
| Arvada | 122,634 | $117,348 | 38.9% | 3.3% |
| Westminster | 115,484 | $100,272 | 42.0% | 4.9% |
| Pueblo | 111,561 | $56,664 | 18.4% | 8.6% |
| Greeley | 110,806 | $69,881 | 30.7% | 5.6% |
Source: US Census Bureau, ACS 5-year estimates.
Front Range driving is I-25 from Castle Rock to Longmont, the I-70 mountain corridor's ski-weekend crawls, US-36 into Boulder, and the choice between free congestion and E-470 or C-470 tolls. But the coverage conversation in Denver, Aurora, and Greeley always comes back to hail — this is hail alley, and a spring cell can dimple every car parked outside from Thornton to Centennial. That makes comprehensive coverage and your glass deductible genuinely local questions, along with whether you park in a garage or on the street. Add deer and elk on foothills roads near Loveland and sudden freeze-thaw ice, and local advice earns its keep.
Western Slope driving is nothing like the Front Range. Grand Junction sits on I-70 between two canyon gauntlets — De Beque Canyon toward Rifle and, farther east, Glenwood Canyon, where rockfall and mudslide closures can sever the state's main artery. US-50 toward Delta and Montrose and Highway 141 through Unaweep Canyon run long and lonely. Mule deer and elk are the region's biggest collision risk, especially at dawn and dusk near the Bookcliffs and Colorado National Monument, making animal-strike comprehensive coverage a local staple. Winters bring ice on the grades and sudden squalls; summers bring thunderstorm cells off the mesas. Distances between towns are real, so towing and roadside coverage earn their place on a Western Slope policy.
Colorado Springs drivers live on I-25 through downtown, Powers Boulevard's endless signals, and Academy's stop-and-go, with Fort Carson and Peterson gate traffic setting the morning tempo in Fountain and the southeast side. Monument Hill can flip from dry pavement to snow-packed in a single climb, and the I-25 run south to Pueblo has its own wind and weather personality. This is hail country, full stop: late-spring storms along the Front Range are the region's defining comprehensive claim, and your deductible choice matters more here than in most of America. Add deer on the wooded west-side roads and sudden freeze-thaw ice, and it's worth sitting down with an agent who knows Front Range weather firsthand.
718,877 residents
487,887 residents
394,432 residents
170,229 residents
156,583 residents
144,187 residents
122,634 residents
115,484 residents
111,561 residents
110,806 residents
108,201 residents
106,433 residents
102,257 residents
99,406 residents
79,123 residents
78,410 residents
76,304 residents
68,142 residents
66,445 residents
61,783 residents
44,710 residents
42,059 residents
38,014 residents
37,914 residents
Every legal claim on this page traces to:
Laws change. We refresh state pages on a rolling schedule and date-stamp every change; verify with your state before acting.