There are three good reasons to take a defensive driving course in Colorado. The first is because a traffic school certificate can be used to dismiss a ticket from your record. The second is because completing a driving training course can reduce your insurance costs. The third is because defensive driving online makes completing a traffic safety program easy and accessible.

If you are interested in a Colorado traffic school, your first action should be to check which providers are licensed in your county. El Paso county and Denver county approved separate providers, and you must verify that the school you wish to attend is approved by your DMV. If you look for online courses, you will most likely find that most are approved in almost every Colorado County. For example, Idrivesafely.com is fully approved in Colorado in almost every county.


Who can attend traffic school in Colorado?

There are two ways to be eligible for defensive driving school in Colorado. You can volunteer for a course or you can be referred to a safe driving class by the Colorado Traffic court. A traffic court judge will be required to approve your request to attend traffic school in order for you to be truly eligible. However, the standard requirements are:

Types of Defensive Driving Courses in Colorado

The kind of driver improvement course you will need in Colorado is dependent on the demands of your referring court or insurance company. While a standard responsible driving course should be enough to earn discounts, the course recommendation may be more specific from a traffic court. Each Colorado county has its own set of approved courses, but some common programs are:

  • Aggressive driving courses.
  • Advanced defensive driving courses.
  • Standard responsible driving courses.
  • Teen defensive driving course.
  • Senior defensive driving course.

Classroom vs. Online Traffic School in Colorado

Most busy people will likely find taking a defensive driving course online to be more convenient to their schedule than an in-person course. However, there are some benefits to both.

For example, an in-person class has a level of interactivity that is not possible online. The key differences between the course types are:

Classroom Traffic School Online Traffic School
Completed in one day Completed on your timeline
Primarily video and voice instruction Available as text and audio
Eight hours Not timed
Must be scheduled in advance Instant enrollment

How to Enroll in a Colorado Defensive Driving School

To enroll in a traffic school for speeding tickets or insurance discounts, you need the approval of your local traffic court or insurance provider. Once you have approval to take a course, you may select your preferred course and complete your enrollment. Most courses, especially the defensive driving schools online, prefer students to enroll through the company website. However, some classroom courses still take enrollment by phone.

When enrolling in driver improvement school, you will be required to input your legal name, address and contact information. You should also have your ticket or court case data on-hand. Further, online courses require you to create a website username and password so that you may log into your course.

Note: AAA card-holders can claim discounts on Colorado Traffic School Online from iDriveSafely. Be sure to enter your membership number to claim a 10 percent discount on your enrollment.

Benefits of Completing Traffic School in Colorado

  • Dismiss a traffic ticket.
  • Avoid points on your record.
  • Avoid increases on your auto insurance premiums.
  • Obtain a car insurance discount.
  • Learn safe driving skills.

Dismiss a Traffic Ticket

Some drivers are eligible to attend driving school for speeding tickets. In Colorado, it is possible for drivers to dismiss their traffic ticket if they apply for permission to take a traffic school course. Whether or not a driver may dismiss a ticket is decided by the local court on a case-by-case basis.

Avoid Points on Your Driving Record

To attend driving classes to remove points from a record, you must admit guilt to your ticket. By doing so, the Colorado traffic courts will immediately reduce the point amount that goes on your license. Further, attending traffic courses may get the ticket dismissed entirely.

Avoid Increases on Your Auto Insurance Premiums

Even if you cannot dismiss the ticket entirely, an online driving course for tickets may still help you avoid insurance increases. Any traffic violation, no matter how minor, typically results in an increase of your auto insurance costs. Take a traffic school course to get the ticket dismissed so that your insurance company never sees it, or take a course to get the ticket reduced enough to avoid steep increases to your insurance premiums.

Obtain a Car Insurance Discount

If you are attending a Colorado insurance reduction course voluntarily, your insurance provider may agree to grant you a discount on your current policy. The value of the discount and who is eligible is determined by each insurance provider.

Learn Safe Driving Knowledge and Skills

The key benefit of taking a traffic school for tickets is that it will make you a better driver. While tickets are inconvenient and insurance can be expensive, there is no value you can place on your own safety while you drive.

Colorado Defensive Driving Class Curriculum Details

There is no state-mandated driving safety course curriculum in the state of Colorado. Part of this is because each individual county approves certain courses as defensive driving training, and that exact same course may not be approved in another county.

However, there is a set of common standards for what will be included in a traffic course. These include:

  • The Colorado state laws on driving and safe driving habits.
  • Vehicle maintenance and how to navigate emergencies.
  • Good driving manners and the danger of driving under the influence.
  • A final course exam that students must pass to complete the course.

Some DMV traffic schools are more specialized for aggressive drivers or seniors, and the curriculum of those classes will be adapted to reflect more niche interests. Additionally, while a quiz is required to pass, idrivesafely.com offers unlimited retakes so that students are guaranteed to pass.

Colorado Defensive Driving Certificates

The Colorado defensive driving certificate is an official verification issued by the traffic school once the student completed his or her course. Each traffic school company has their own certificate that is available to students after they pass the class’s final exam.

While some driver improvement programs send emails, iDriveSafely delivers a paper certificate for free through USPS. Additionally, other in-person and online courses also mail the completion form or offer it as a downloadable file. Once they have their certificate, drivers must report their course completion to the traffic court in their county.

Colorado Traffic School vs. Drivers Education

When enrolling in a DMV-approved traffic school, it is important to distinguish driver improvement classes from drivers education. Where drivers ed is intended for new drivers to prepare them for their first license, traffic school is intended for drivers who hold a valid Colorado license. The information covered in these two kinds of driving schools is widely varied, and attending a drivers education course does not provide any of the benefits available from a speeding ticket class or similar defensive driving course.

Colorado Defensive Driving Course Fees

Drivers will have to shop around their county to find the lowest price traffic school. Each county in Colorado approves a set of third-party traffic school providers who offer their courses as products. As such, prices vary widely.

Last updated on Wednesday, October 14 2020.