What Colorado requires
Colorado's compulsory minimums are 25/50/15 - $25,000 per injured person, $50,000 per accident, $15,000 of property damage - confirmed by the Division of Insurance as the current schedule. There is no PIP mandate and no medical payments requirement, and uninsured motorist coverage is not required either - though Colorado insurers must offer it, and declining it takes a written rejection. Everything beyond the three liability numbers on a Colorado policy is an active choice.
| Coverage | Colorado minimum | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily injury liability | $25,000 / $50,000 | Yes |
| Property damage liability | $15,000 | Yes |
| Uninsured motorist | Offered at liability limits | No - rejectable in writing |
| Personal injury protection | None | No |
| Medical payments | None | No - optional add-on |
The $15,000 property damage floor is among the lowest in the country and ages badly against current vehicle prices - a used sedan can exceed it, an SUV will. Lenders add collision and comprehensive on financed vehicles regardless of state law, while MedPay and UM are the two first-party decisions Colorado drivers control entirely. With mountain driving, hail corridors and long rural response times shaping claims across the Front Range and the plains, the optional layers do real work here.
Colorado fault rules
Colorado applies modified comparative negligence under C.R.S. 13-21-111. Your recovery from another driver shrinks by your percentage of responsibility, and if you were more than half at fault the claim is barred entirely. In a crash with $80,000 in damages where the other driver was 70 percent responsible, you collect $56,000; the same split reversed makes you the payer for their $24,000 share. Fault percentages govern both directions of every claim.
The bar rule makes the uninsured question existential rather than theoretical. When a majority-fault driver has no policy, your own UM coverage - the coverage Colorado lets you reject - decides whether the at-fault share of your medical bills is paid at all. Underinsured situations work similarly: once the other driver's 25/50 limits are consumed by a serious injury, a UIM layer you chose at the quote stage is what continues payments beyond their ceiling.
Penalties and the Affidavit & Notice process
Driving uninsured in Colorado is a class 1 misdemeanor driving offense under C.R.S. 42-4-1409, carrying a $500 minimum fine for a first offense and $1,000 for later violations, up to 40 hours of community service, and four points on the license. The administrative machinery is what catches most drivers: when an officer stops you without proof of insurance, the state issues an Affidavit & Notice of Suspension, and driving privileges suspend on the eighth day unless you produce coverage, file an SR-22, or request a hearing.
| Step | Colorado consequence | Timing |
|---|---|---|
| Stop without proof of insurance | Affidavit & Notice issued | Same day |
| No proof filed | License suspension begins | 8th day |
| Second lapse | Extended suspension | 4 months |
| Third lapse | Extended suspension | 8 months |
| Reinstatement | SR-22 filing required | 3 years |
| Reinstatement fee | State fee due at restoration | $95 |
Colorado backs the process with the Motorist Insurance Identification Database, which compiles insurer filings and flags vehicles with lapsed coverage during registration transactions. The escalation schedule is strict: suspensions lengthen with each repeat, the SR-22 filing requirement lingers for three years after reinstatement, and every step adds fees. Drivers who move to Colorado from out of state should expect their coverage history checked at titling, not merely at their first traffic stop.
Closing the optional-coverage gaps
Colorado's package leaves three gaps open, and each closes cheaply if you do it before a crash rather than after. Medical bills have no PIP or MedPay floor here - they run through your health plan's deductible, optional MedPay, or nothing until a fault determination lands. Vehicle damage beyond the $15,000 property floor is your problem if the other driver's coverage stops there. And uninsured-driver injuries fall to whatever UM coverage your written rejection did or did not remove.
- Raise property damage to at least $50,000; hail-season multi-car claims multiply fast.
- Reconsider any UM rejection on file - Colorado must offer it at liability limits.
- Add $5,000 to $10,000 of MedPay for first-dollar accident medical bills.
- Set comp deductibles you could pay after a hailstorm, not just a fender-bender.
- Price a umbrella policy once mountain-property equity or savings makes you a target.
Shopping a Colorado policy
Territory drives Colorado quotes harder than almost anything else: Front Range density, hail damage history and repair costs push Denver and Boulder garaging well above eastern-plains and mountain towns for identical drivers. Vehicle theft rates and annual mileage add the next layers, and a recent hail claim can follow you across carriers for years. Since every carrier's liability quote starts from the same state floor, the real comparison happens on deductibles, UM decisions and discount stacks.
- Bundle auto with homeowners or renters coverage for the standard multi-policy credit.
- Take defensive driving, low mileage, good student and anti-theft device credits together.
- Price telematics programs; Colorado permits usage-based rating and clean scores cut premiums.
- Review written UM rejections every few years - defaults and paper both drift.
- Escalate claim disputes to the Colorado Division of Insurance consumer services section.
The three-year SR-22 tail
Reinstating a suspended Colorado license rarely ends the enforcement story. After an Affidavit & Notice suspension, most drivers must file an SR-22 - the certificate your insurer sends the state proving liability coverage is active - and the filing stays in place for three years. Your carrier handles the paperwork, but the requirement itself follows you: shop for coverage during the tail and fewer carriers will quote you, those that do price the filing as risk, and a cancellation mid-term restarts the entire clock along with the $95 reinstatement fee.
- Keep the SR-22 policy active for the full three years; a gap resets the requirement.
- The filing is a certificate, not coverage - your limits still start at 25/50/15 unless you raised them.
- Expect fewer quotes while the filing is on file; compare at least three carriers anyway.
- Nonowner SR-22 exists for drivers without a vehicle - it keeps the license valid between cars.
- Ask about dismissal options after a first offense before paying the minimum fine and moving on.
Related pages
- Liability limits: how much you need
- How car insurance works
- Cheapest car insurance rates
- Auto insurance in Arizona
- Auto insurance hub
Frequently Asked Questions
Is car insurance required in Colorado?
Yes. Colorado requires 25/50/15 liability limits. PIP, MedPay and uninsured motorist coverage are not required - UM must be offered at liability limits and can be rejected in writing.
Is Colorado a no-fault state?
No. Colorado is an at-fault state using modified comparative negligence - your recovery is reduced by your share of fault and barred entirely if you were more than half responsible for the crash.
What happens if I get caught without insurance in Colorado?
Driving uninsured is a class 1 misdemeanor traffic offense with a $500 minimum fine first offense ($1,000 later), up to 40 hours community service and four points. An Affidavit & Notice triggers license suspension on the eighth day without proof, with SR-22 filings required for three years after reinstatement.
Is uninsured motorist coverage required in Colorado?
No - but insurers must offer it at your liability limits, and declining requires written rejection. UM pays your bodily injury costs when the at-fault driver carries no insurance, a meaningful decision given Colorado's crash volumes.
What are Colorado's minimum car insurance limits?
25/50/15: $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 per accident, and $15,000 property damage - one of the lowest property damage floors in the country. Most agents recommend raising it well above the state minimum.
Last updated: 2026-10-01