One of the undeniable milestones of being an American teenager is getting a driver’s license. The process to get one, however, isn’t always as clear as dreams of being behind the wheel. Let’s break down how to get a basic driver’s license in the state of Colorado if you are under 21.

Before you can get a driver’s license, you need to hold a driver’s permit, and to hold a driver’s permit, you have to pass the Driving Knowledge written test given by the DMV. The test covers the Colorado Driver Handbook, and if you are over 16 when applying for your permit, you just have to study the book really well before taking the written test. If you are between 15 and 16, however, you must complete a 30-hour driver education course.

Step One: Head to Driver’s Ed

Driver’s education can be completed either in person at a state-certified driving school or online. The in-person version is typically eight hours a day for four days (sometimes five if they also are administering your driver’s tests). Locally, teens can sign up for driver’s ed at Mountain States Drivers Education in Longmont or Top Cops in Lafeyette (where teens get taught how to drive from current and former Colorado police officers). To sign up for driver’s ed, teens must be at least 14 years, 6 months old.

If teens choose to do the course online, they are able to do it on their own time and complete it at their own pace. While in-person makes the process go faster, taking driver’s ed online is more convenient for many teens—just make sure whatever course you sign up for is approved by the state of Colorado.

While taking a driver’s ed course is only required for those under 16, it is still very beneficial for other minor drivers as well. While boring at times, the class provides necessary information for new drivers in a more practical and engaging way than just reading a rules-of-the-road book. Most car insurance companies also provide a discount to minor drivers if they have taken a driver’s ed course.

Step Two: Rock the Written Test

After mastering the road rules, you need to take the Driving Knowledge written test. Before someone under 16 years old can take the written test, they need to preregister for their permit by making an appointment at their local DMV. This is to make sure that they can pass a vision exam and know what paperwork to bring to the permit test (like their proof of identity and proof that they’ve completed the classroom segment of a driver’s education course). Those that preregister will receive a test ID number that will allow them to take the written test. Preregistration costs $9.

The Driving Knowledge written test consists of 25 questions out of a bank of at least 60 known possible questions. To pass, you must correctly answer at least 20 questions (80%). The Colorado DMV has a practice quiz to help get ready for the test. The test takes 60 minutes and is offered in both English and Spanish.

Some but not all driver’s education courses administer the written test as part of their class. While someone can take a diver’s education course at 14 years, 6 months in Colorado, they cannot take the test until 15, even at a driving school. Those under 16 that are testing at their driving school will still have to preregister with the DMV.

If your driving school doesn’t administer the written test, you can make an appointment at the DMV to take it there for free (though second and third attempts cost $11.15). The closest DMV to Frederick High is the Weld County Southwest office at 4209 County Road 24 1/2 in Del Camino. If you fail, you have to wait at least a day before your next attempt.

You can also take the written test online. The first attempt at the test will cost $6.50, and subsequent attempts will cost $17.65. To take the online test, you need a working webcam and a proxy watching you while you test if you are under 19. This is to ensure you aren’t cheating, as the webcam takes several photos of you and screenshots of your device randomly during the test. You only get two attempts at the online test per day.

Step Three: Purchase a Permit

Once they pass the written test, the new driver will need to make an appointment at the DMV to get their permit. Sometimes, you can take the written test and get your permit with the same visit if the DMV is not very busy; otherwise, you have to wait one business day between passing the written test and getting your permit. You will need your proof of identity, proof of residency, and proof of a passed Driving Knowledge test (those under 16 years, 6 months also need proof they took their driver’s ed course).

You will receive a paper permit that day, and your actual card will come in the mail within 10 business days. Permits cost $21 to get and $12 to replace. Permits last three years, which means you have three years from the time you get your permit to earn your full driver’s license. However, Colorado drivers cannot apply for a full license until they have been driving with a permit for at least one full year.

Minor drivers with a permit may only drive if there is a licensed driver over the age of 21 in the vehicle and ONLY that one person with them (with the exception of parents and guardians, who can both be in the car). If you violate this rule, you can receive a $50 fine, your parents can receive a $100 fine, you can receive up to 24 hours of community service, and you will get two suspension points—your permit will be taken after 6 points over 12 months or at 7 total points before turning 18. Your parents can also ask the DMV to revoke your permit at any time before you turn 18.

Step Four: Log Some Driving Hours

Once teens get their permit, they must have 50 required hours of driving time before they can take their driving test to get their license if they are under 18. Ten of these 50 hours must be done at night, and all hours must be recorded on the official DMV driving log, the log of a state-certified driving school, or the RoadReady mobile app.

Additionally, at least 6 of the logged hours must be “behind-the-wheel training” by a driving instructor from a DMV-approved school. If there isn’t a driving school that offers behind-the-wheel training within 30 miles of where you live, you may be allowed to have a parent or guardian give you behind-the-wheel training. There is a downside to this, though: while the 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training with an instructor CAN count toward your total 50 hours, fulfilling this requirement with a parent or guardian requires 12 hours of behind-the-wheel training that CANNOT be counted toward your total 50 hours.

Step Five: Ace the Road Test

Anyone over 16 who has had their permit for a full year can take their Driving Skills road test. Those over 18 don’t need to provide logged hours, but those under 18 must have their 50 logged hours before they can take the driver’s test. The Colorado DMV doesn’t administer the Driving Skills road test–someone that wants to take the test must sign up with a local driving school.

Try to make your appointment as early as possible because, before your test, the driving instructor will do a safety inspection of your car. This includes checking the registration, insurance, speedometer, doors, lights, and tires. If one of these parts fails the inspection or a warning light appears on the dash, you cannot take your test until you’ve fixed the problem. Arriving early means that, in most cases, you can get the problem fixed and still take the test on the same day. The test usually takes between 60 and 90 minutes.

While every driving instructor does their test differently, you’ll definitely be expected to change lanes safely, follow another car at a safe distance, and make both left and right turns. You will be graded on smooth and safe accelerations, decelerations, stops, and lane shifts; maintaining a constant and safe speed; checking mirrors and blind spots for hazards consistently; following all posted road signs; and general driver behavior, like how much you pay attention and if you engage in distracted driving. Every time you violate a rule of the road or engage in unsafe behavior, you lose a point. At 15 points lost, you’ve failed the test.

To avoid failing the test, here are some general guidelines to follow:

• Always steer with two hands and turn by going hand over hand
• Don’t go over the speed limit, and if you don’t know the speed limit, go 25 mph
• Fully stop when you need to–no rolling through
• Always use your turn signal, even in the parking lot and especially in roundabouts
• Don’t leave your turn signal on after you’ve finished changing lanes
• Check your mirrors both before and after changing lanes, turning, and going through intersections
• When you stop, make sure you are behind the crosswalk markings
• Hit the correct lane when turning: turn left into the leftmost lane and right into the rightmost lane
• Watch out for school zones–speeding in a school zone is an automatic fail
• Never let your tires slip, spin, or slide, as this will be often be an automatic fail–weather will never be allowed as an excuse

If you fail the Driving Skills Road test, different driving schools will have different policies on how long you have to wait to take the test again and how much your test fees will be.

Step Six: Landing a License

After you pass your Driving Skills road test, you can get your driver’s license. You can either make an appointment at the DMV or use the DMV’s online portal. Either way, your initial driver’s license costs $33 and will come in the mail within 10 business days. If you ever lose your license, a replacement will cost $12.

If you are under 18 when you get your license, then you cannot have any passengers under 21 until you’ve had your license for at least six months with the exception of immediate family (so you can pick up little siblings from elementary and middle school). After six months, you can only have one passenger under 21 that isn’t in your immediate family until you’ve had your license for a full year. The one exception is in the case of an emergency where you are transporting someone under 21 to get medical treatment.

If you break these rules, you will receive a $50–$150 fine, up to 40 hours of community service, and two suspension points. You will also receive these punishments if you violate the state curfew law within the first year of having your license: a driver under 18 cannot drive between midnight and 5:00 a.m. unless with a parent, dealing with a medical emergency, going to or from school, or going to or from work. Minor drivers also receive higher penalties for other road infractions, so avoid speeding, always buckle up, and don’t use your cell phone while driving.