Learn to Drive with Montrose Drivers EducAtion

From a student's first permit to their driver's license, Montrose Driving Education (MDE) is here to help guide families every step of the way. Below is a simple roadmap of Colorado's teen driving process to be permitted at 15 and licensed at 16.

1. Complete a 30-Hour Course✅

Students must complete a 30-hour course to be eligible to get a learner's permit issued on their 15th birthday. Both online and classroom courses are accepted.  Note, all 30-hour Drive Education programs will expire if not used to obtain an instruction permit within six (6) months from completion per state statute. 

2. Pass the Written Permit Test✅

All MDE students are eligible to take the written permit test at the drive school when students are within one (1) month of their 15th birthday. 

For those students who are not eligible to permit test on the last day of class or immediately upon completing the online program, please call 970-249-8891 when the student is within one month of their 15th birthday to schedule an appointment. 

Students can also choose to take the written permit test directly at the DMV on or after the 15th birthday —either way, students are required to visit the DMV to get the permit issued. 

3. Schedule a DMV Appointment for First-Time Permit✅

Schedule an appointment from the drop-down menu at www.dmv.colorado.gov/drivereducation to get the permit issued on or after the 15th birthday. 

This appointment is where students will take their photo, pay the DMV fee, turn in the required documents to prove who they are and proof of residency, i.e., birth certificate, utility bill, bank statement, etc. 

The permit issue date will be the anniversary date of when the student is eligible to upgrade to a driver's license next year.

If you haven't already, please review the Colorado Graduated Driver Licensing Laws (GDL) https://www.codot.gov/safety/colorado-teen-drivers

4. Start Logging 50+ Hours of Driving✅

Complete the required driving log with a licensed driver 21+ using the Road Ready App or Colorado Form DR 2324. 

Students are required to log 50+ hours of drive time during the year they hold their permit. Ten (10) of those hours need to be at nighttime. Instruction hours in Step 5 can be applied to the student's driving log.

5. Complete the Required Six (6) Hours Behind-the-Wheel (BTW) Instruction✅

This step is required if students want their license before turning 16 1/2 and live within 30 miles of an approved drive school. Lessons will be completed at MDE during the year your student holds their permit. 

Students may begin BTW instruction after completing at least 10 hours of supervised driving and becoming comfortable in busy Montrose traffic. Lessons book quickly, so families are responsible for planning ahead and scheduling early. Students have up to one year to complete this step; failure to schedule in time does not guarantee lesson availability.

To ensure fair access for all students, MDE reserves the right to limit, adjust, or cancel appointments that are scheduled too closely together, booked before the student is adequately prepared, or otherwise prevent reasonable access for other students. BTW lessons should be spaced to allow time for supervised practice between sessions.

Please visit www.schedule2drive.com to register for an online scheduling account. Our school code is 9745 for registering purposes. There is a $10 registration fee to create an account and this fee is paid by every student.  

If students attended an in-person class, BTW instruction was paid in advance. MDE online students will receive a $50 loyalty discount off current posted rates. Money will be collected at the first lesson. 

6. Schedule a Road Test & DMV Appointment✅

The DMV does NOT do any road testing to upgrade to a license. Your student will be testing with us at 32 N. Selig Avenue and MDE students will receive a discount on the required test. To be eligible to test, students under 18 must have held their permit for 12 months or more on test day. Testing before the one-year anniversary is not allowed. 

Please call 970-249-8891 to schedule a road test — online scheduling is not available.

Once your road test is booked, be sure to schedule a DMV appointment for a "first-time license" at www.dmv.colorado.gov to officially upgrade to a license after successfully passing the road test.  

7. Pass the Road Test✅

Come prepared to your appointment at 32 N. Selig Avenue.  BTW students have the option to test in our vehicle at no additional charge as a courtesy. 

If students test in their own vehicle, vehicles need to be street legal with current registration, insurance, front and back license plates attached, working blinkers and brake lights, no big windshield cracks, and the front windows must roll up and down.

8. Upgrade to a License at the DMV✅

Students will present their signed drive log, proof of residency, take a new photo, and of course, pay the DMV fee. Your student is not licensed until this step is completed!  Note, the road test will expire if not used to obtain a license within six (6) months from completion per state statute.  

Thank you for choosing Montrose Driving Education! For questions down the road, you know where to find us. We're just a turn signal away!