CO Code § 24-60-1101 (2021)
2021 Colorado Code|Title 24 - Government - State|Article 60 - Interstate Compacts and Agreements|Part 11 - Driver License Compact|§ 24-60-1101. Compact Approved and Ratified

 The general assembly hereby approves and ratifies and the governor shall enter into a compact on behalf of the state of Colorado with any of the United States or other jurisdictions legally joining therein in the form substantially as follows:   ARTICLE I   Findings and Declaration of Policy    The party states find that:   The safety of their streets and highways is materially affected by the degree of compliance with state laws and local ordinances relating to the operation of motor vehicles.    Violation of such a law or ordinance is evidence that the violator engages in conduct which is likely to endanger the safety of persons and property.    The continuance in force of a license to drive is predicated upon compliance with laws and ordinances relating to the operation of motor vehicles, in whichever jurisdiction the vehicle is operated.       It is the policy of each of the party states to:   Promote compliance with the laws, ordinances, and administrative rules and regulations relating to the operation of motor vehicles by their operators in each of the jurisdictions where such operators drive motor vehicles.    Make the reciprocal recognition of licenses to drive and eligibility therefor more just and equitable by considering the over-all compliance with motor vehicle laws, ordinances and administrative rules and regulations as a condition precedent to the continuance or issuance of any license by reason of which the licensee is authorized or permitted to operate a motor vehicle in any of the party states.       "Conviction" means a conviction of any offense related to the use or operation of a motor vehicle which is prohibited by state law, municipal ordinance or administrative rule or regulation, or a forfeiture of bail, bond or other security deposited to secure appearance by a person charged with having committed any such offense, and which conviction or forfeiture is required to be reported to the licensing authority.   Manslaughter or negligent homicide resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle;    Driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or a narcotic drug or under the influence of any other drug to a degree which renders the driver incapable of safely driving a motor vehicle;    Any felony in the commission of which a motor vehicle is used;    Failure to stop and render aid in the event of a motor vehicle accident resulting in the death or personal injury of another.        ARTICLE II   Definitions   As used in this compact:   (a) "State" means a state, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.   (b) "Home state" means the state which has issued and has the power to suspend or revoke the use of the license or permit to operate a motor vehicle.   ARTICLE III   Reports of Conviction   The licensing authority of a party state shall report each conviction of a person from another party state occurring within its jurisdiction to the licensing authority of the home state of the licensee. Such report shall clearly identify the person convicted; describe the violation specifying the section of the statute, code or ordinance violated; identify the court in which action was taken; indicate whether a plea of guilty or not guilty was entered, or the conviction was a result of the forfeiture of bail, bond or other security; and shall include any special findings made in connection therewith.   ARTICLE IV   Effect of Conviction   (a) The licensing authority in the home state, for the purposes of suspension, revocation or limitation of the license to operate a motor vehicle, shall give the same effect to the offense reported, pursuant to Article III of this compact, as it would if such offense had occurred in the home state, in the case of convictions for:   (b) As to other convictions, reported pursuant to Article III, the licensing authority in the home state shall give such effect to the offense as is provided by the laws of the home state.   (c) If the laws of a party state do not provide for offenses or violations denominated or described in precisely the words employed in subdivision (a) of this article, such party state shall construe the denominations and descriptions appearing in subdivision (a) hereof as being applicable to and identifying those offenses or violations of a substantially similar nature, and the laws of such party state shall contain such provisions as may be necessary to ensure that full force and effect is given to this article.   ARTICLE V   Applications for New Licenses   Upon application for a license to drive, the licensing authority in a party state shall ascertain whether the applicant has ever held, or is the holder of a license to drive issued by any other party state. The licensing authority in the state where application is made shall not issue a license to drive to the applicant if:   (1) The applicant has held such a license, but the same has been suspended by reason, in whole or in part, of a conviction for a violation and if such suspension period has not terminated.   (2) The applicant has held such a license, but the same has been revoked by reason, in whole or in part, of a conviction for a violation and if such revocation has not terminated, except that after the expiration of one year from the date the license was revoked, such person may make application for a new license if permitted by Colorado law. The licensing authority may refuse to issue a license to any such applicant if, after investigation, the licensing authority determines that it will not be safe to grant to such person the privilege of driving a motor vehicle on the public highways.   (3) The applicant is the holder of a license to drive issued by another party state and currently in force unless the applicant surrenders such license.   ARTICLE VI   Applicability of Other Laws   Except as expressly required by provisions of this compact, nothing contained herein shall be construed to affect the right of any party to apply any of its other laws relating to licenses to drive to any person or circumstance, nor to invalidate or prevent any driver license agreement or other cooperative arrangement between a party state and a nonparty state.   ARTICLE VII   Compact Administrator and Interchange of Information   (a) The head of the licensing authority of each party state shall be the administrator of this compact for his state. The administrators, acting jointly, shall have the power to formulate all necessary and proper procedures for the exchange of information under this compact.   (b) The administrator of each party state shall furnish to the administrator of each other party state any information or documents reasonably necessary to facilitate the administration of this compact.   ARTICLE VIII   Entry Into Force and Withdrawal   (a) This compact shall enter into force and become effective as to any state when it has enacted the same into law.   (b) Any party state may withdraw from this compact by enacting a statute repealing the same, but no such withdrawal shall take effect until six months after the executive head of the withdrawing state has given notice of the withdrawal to the executive heads of all other party states. No withdrawal shall affect the validity or applicability by the licensing authorities of states remaining party to the compact of any report of conviction occurring prior to the withdrawal.   ARTICLE IX   Construction and Severability   This compact shall be liberally construed so as to effectuate the purposes thereof. The provisions of this compact shall be severable and if any phrase, clause, sentence or provision of this compact is declared to be contrary to the constitution of any party state or of the United States or the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person or circumstance is held invalid, the validity of the remainder of this compact and the applicability thereof to any government, agency, person or circumstance shall not be affected thereby. If this compact shall be held contrary to the constitution of any state party thereto, the compact shall remain in full force and effect as to the remaining states and in full force and effect as to the state affected as to all severable matters.   Source: L. 65: p. 795, § 1. C.R.S. 1963: § 74-12-1 .   ANNOTATION   The compact is to be liberally construed so as to effectuate its purposes. Kramer v. Colo. Dept. of Rev., 964 P.2d 629 (Colo. App. 1998).   Under the compact, party states are required to report convictions of persons from another state to the home state of the licensee. Kramer v. Colo. Dept. of Rev., 964 P.2d 629 (Colo. App. 1998).   Article IV(a) requires only that a home state give a conviction under this standard the same effect as if the offense had occurred in the home state. It does not state that only those out-of-state convictions meeting this standard can be considered for purposes of revocation. Kramer v. Colo. Dept. of Rev., 964 P.2d 629 (Colo. App. 1998).   The intent of the compact is to encompass plaintiff's Idaho convictions even if those convictions are equivalent to Colorado driving while ability impaired convictions. Such an interpretation is consistent with the purposes of the compact as expressed in article I(b). Idaho convictions can also be given effect under article IV(b). Under this provision, Colorado is required to give such effect to the Idaho convictions as provided by Colorado law. Kramer v. Colo. Dept. of Rev., 964 P.2d 629 (Colo. App. 1998).