Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death and injury for teenagers due to lack of experience behind the wheel. This is why a quality driver education program aligned with state regulations and requirements — like our program at TopCops — is essential. Colorado has implemented Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Laws to decrease the risk of teen accidents by introducing teenagers to driving in three progressing stages. These phases include:

1. Learner Stage - The supervised stage of learning for young drivers lasts 12 months.

2. Intermediate Stage - The restricted license stage of driving for young drivers lasts 12 months.

3. Full Privilege Stage - The unrestricted stage of driving. 

Click here to visit Colorado's GDL Toolkit website for more information.

Teens can start the 30-Hour Driver Education Course with TopCops at 14 years and six months of age. Following course completion, students can take the Written Permit Test within 30 days of their 15th birthday. At TopCops, we allow your student to come back and take the written exam when they meet the criteria of 30 days before their 15th birthday. Once the student passes their written exam, they can go to the DMV to get their Instruction Permit at 15 years old. FYI - The course completion certificate is valid for 180 days, so it must be taken to the DMV to receive their permit within that 180-day window.

TopCops offers all the courses, lessons, and tests required by the State of Colorado Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Program. For your teen to get their driver's license at 16, they must complete the following steps:

Step 1: Enroll and complete TopCops 30-Hour Driver Education Course. Your teen must be at least 14 years and six months of age.

Step 2: Take and pass the Written Permit Test (offered with our 30-hour course). Your teen must be at least 30 days from their 15th birthday on the test day to take it. 

Step 3: Go to the DMV and get an Instruction Permit, also referred to as Learner's Permit, once your teen turns 15 years old. All teens must hold their permit for one full year.

Step 4: Enroll and complete TopCops 6-Hour Behind-The-Wheel Driver Training within the first six months of holding the permit.

Step 5: Drive with a parent/guardian to log 50 hours of driving over 12 months with a permit. At least ten of those hours must be from driving at night. 

Step 6: Enroll and pass the DMV Driver's Test with TopCops once your teen has held their permit for one year.

Step 7: Go to the DMV to apply for the teen's restricted license at 16 years old.

Once you meet the requirements and are 15, you're ready to schedule an appointment with the DMV to apply for your Instruction Permit! Here's what you will need to bring:

•  State-issued birth certificate or passport
•  Know the minor's social security number (you do not need to bring the card)
•  A parent/guardian that can sign the Affidavit of Liability and Guardianship (DR2460)
•  Cash or check for the applicable fee

TopCops Driving School will enter the completion of the 30-hour course and the written permit test into the DMV system.

For further information on minor permit requirements, click here.
To schedule an appointment at the DMV, click here.

Yes, you will need to schedule your student for the Written Permit Test with TopCops.

The Written Permit Test Schedule will be emailed once the student has completed their 30-Hour Driver Education Course. The Written Permit Test must be taken in person. This is the only written test your student will take in Colorado's Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) process. The Written Permit Test is valid for 180 days (6 months) from the test date.

Once your student takes and passes their Written Permit Test, they will need to go to a DMV location to obtain their Instruction Permit, also referred to as their Learner's Permit.

Visit the Colorado DMV website to make an appointment and select 'First Time CO DL/ID/Permit.' Choose a time at least 24 HOURS AFTER your student's Permit Test date.

At this time, the DMV is not offering the Driving Test. Your teen will need to complete the Driving Test with an approved driver education school, like TopCops!

Our TopCops driving instructors are all trained to administer the Driving Test. They will create a calm atmosphere for your student to feel safe and at ease. Teens can concentrate on their skills and take the test with confidence. The Driving Test will be conducted in your vehicle at either Broomfield or Louisville at one of our Driving Test locations. 

Once you register for your teen's Driving Test appointment, we will reserve a time slot with you. The Driving Test fee is non-refundable; however, please contact our office 72 hours before your test date if you need to reschedule your teen's test. If your teen needs to re-take their test, you will need to purchase a re-test by calling the office.

Once the Behind-The-Wheel Driving Lessons are complete, 50 hours of supervised driving has been logged, and the permit has been held for at least one year from the date of issue (unless the student is 18+ years of age), your student can take the Driving Test. Below is a list of what to bring to the Driving Test: 

•  Permit 
•  Your vehicle (sanitized and free of debris)
•  Current registration for your vehicle
•  Proof of insurance for your vehicle
•  Primary email (for email verification from DMV)
•  If you have a license restriction, such as glasses or interlock, you must bring your interlock vehicle or wear glasses for the test, or we will not be able to perform the test.

*Please Note* Without these items, we will have to cancel the driving test and charge a $50 rescheduling fee.

Visit our Driving Test page for more information on the requirements, items to bring, and how to prepare.

TopCops schedules officers in advance to be off-duty to provide quality driver education and instruction services. In the chance you need to cancel, TopCops will refund money for services (except for the Permit and Driving Test) not rendered minus a $75 processing fee or a $100 processing fee for the Online Classroom Platinum or Premier Package. 

However, once you begin the service, such as attending one classroom portion, completing eight hours of the online classroom, or completing one Behind-The-Wheel driving lesson, we cannot offer a refund for sessions not completed. If you purchased a Platinum or Premier Package and cannot complete all of the steps, the remainder will be forfeited. 

*Please Note* 
•  The Zoom Virtual Classroom and Online Self-Paced 30-Hour Course are not interchangeable. There is a $150 transfer fee from one course to the other.

•  The Permit Test and Driving Test are non-refundable. 

•  We cannot offer refunds after three months. And there are no refunds if we can provide the service, and it just does not work for your schedule. 

•  The agreement to deliver the defined training services expires 18 months after the enrollment date in Colorado.

Yes, TopCops partners with the YMCA of Northern Colorado to offer in-person 30-Hour Driver Education classes. Teach your teen to drive by the experts, Colorado Police Officers! The 30-Hour Driver Education Course is required by the State of Colorado. At TopCops Driving School - Operator #9630, your teen will learn the rules of the road exclusively from POST Academy Certified Driving Instructors, School Resource Officers, and Police Officers who have received honors as the best traffic investigators.

Approved by Colorado DMV, our curriculum focuses on the rules of driving through interactive lectures, group discussions, games, and small group activities. This course covers all state-mandated requirements and prepares students for the Written Permit Test. Students will learn about basic car maintenance, how to change a tire, what to expect and how to react during a traffic stop. TopCops also offers a Parent Orientation on the first day of the course to help you navigate this exciting milestone for your teen and learn how to be a home driving instructor.

Visit our Driver Ed Services page to learn more about this course, its offerings, and upcoming classes.

Our 30-Hour Driver Education Course curriculum covers all of Colorado's requirements through interactive lessons, discussions, games, lectures, and small group activities. We focus on building confidence through a positive approach to the responsibility of driving.

During day 1 we will have a 30-minute Parent Orientation in the morning and then cover signals and roadways markings, basic car control, and making safe driving decisions.

During day 2 we will cover managing risk and SIPDE, effects of driver conditions, alcohol/drugs and driving, and managing distractions.

During day 3 we will cover traffic laws, car control, traffic intersections, sharing the road, adverse driving conditions, and roadway emergencies.

During day 4 we will cover driving in city traffic, driving in rural areas, highway driving, maintaining a vehicle, and students will take the Written Permit Test.*

* Students must be 15 years of age or within 30 days of their 15th birthday to take the written permit test. If they do not meet this requirement on day 4, they can return and take the test when they are of age. 

If your teen wants to get their license at 16, then they must take six hours of Behind-The-Wheel (BTW) Driving Lessons. Otherwise, they must wait till they are at least 16 and a half years old to get their restricted driver's license.

No matter the decision, driving lessons with a certified driving instructor is highly recommended for learning drivers. Our BTW private driving lessons are one-on-one with your student and a Colorado Police Officer as the driving instructor. Each three-hour lesson will cover basic car control, road management, scanning, decision making, hazard management, and highway control. Lessons can also be tailored to the student's needs, such as specific routes and skills.

To learn more about our Behind-The-Wheel Driving Lessons visit our Driver Ed Services page.

TopCops Driving School is designed so that the curriculum taught in the classroom will prepare your teen for their Behind-The-Wheel (BTW) Driving Lessons. We recommend students take their BTW Driving Lessons within the first 3-6 months of receiving their permit. This allows your teen to apply all of the knowledge they gained during the 30-hour course on the road with one of our certified driving instructors - who are also police officers! Starting these lessons early in the permit phase also allows our police officer driving instructors to teach your teen the best driving habits from the start.

The Colorado DMV recommends that your teen completes their BTW Driving Lessons within the first six months of completing the classroom portion so that the training remains consistent and flows from one segment to the next.

To learn more about our Behind-The-Wheel Driving Lessons, check out our Driver Ed Services page.

To schedule your teen's driving lesson times, log into your Student's Account to reserve a time. Select a day of the week that appears in green that works for you, then click 'Register.' Your teen's driving lesson can take place at one of the following high schools: Fairview, Boulder, Monarch, Centaurus, and Broomfield. 

Our Behind-The-Wheel driving lessons are conducted in an unmarked police car with an off-duty police officer instructor. These vehicles are equipped with a secondary brake and mirrors so that our driving instructor can take control of the car if necessary. At TopCops, your teen not only learns how to drive they also receive insights about how to handle emergency situations, road hazards, traffic stops, and other real-life situations that they can't get with any other instructor. The time your teen spends with a TopCops instructor is not just about the training; it is also about building safe and trusting relationships between cops and teens that are positive experiences.

Visit our Driver Education Services page to learn more about our Behind-The-Wheel Driving Lessons.

TopCops charges a late cancellation fee of $90 for any cancellation made with less than 48-hour notice. Our police officers have regular schedules that they need to adhere to, so it is really difficult for us to make last-minute changes. This fee will be collected before the next lesson is scheduled. These are the following reasons that we would have to charge this cancellation fee:

•  If you fail to show up for your scheduled lesson or class without calling to cancel at least 48 hours in advance.

• Forgetting to bring your contract, permit, or insurance to your drive lesson.

• Showing up more than 15 minutes late for your lesson.

• If your permit lists glasses, you must have them to drive.

We live in a beautiful state with ever-changing weather, and we understand that students will need practice in all types of weather conditions and situations. Regarding Behind-The-Wheel Driving Lessons, we will drive when the roads are wet; however, we will not drive when the roads are snow-packed or icy. We obtain real-time information from CDOT about road conditions and local weather forecasts to predict when we should or should not drive. If we deem it unsafe for your student and our instructor to be out on the road, we will cancel the driving lesson and let you know by email or phone as soon as possible and will work with you to reschedule that drive time.

TopCops has magnetic student driver signs that you can safely stick to the back of your vehicle to notify drivers behind you that your student driver is in training. These magnetic signs can be affixed to any metal area on the rear of your car. Take them out and use them when your teen is driving. They are re-usable (since they are magnetic) and can give you and your new driver an added layer of protection. Our TopCops magnetic student driver sign can be purchased for $20 at class (during the 30-Hour Driver Education Course) or at the Written Permit Test.