2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 42 - VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC (§§ 42-1-101 — 42-21-106) › DRIVERS LICENSES (§§ 42-2-101 — 42-2-604) › Article 2 - DRIVERS' LICENSES (§§ 42-2-101 — 42-2-604) › Part 2 - HABITUAL OFFENDERS (§§ 42-2-201 — 42-2-208) › Section 42-2-202 - Habitual offenders - frequency and type of violations

(1)
An habitual offender is any person, resident or nonresident, who has accumulated convictions for separate and distinct offenses described in subsection (2) of this section committed during a seven-year period or committed during a five-year period for separate and distinct offenses described in subsection (3) of this section; except that, where more than one included offense is committed within a one-day period, such multiple offenses shall be treated for the purposes of this part 2 as one offense. The record as maintained in the office of the department shall be considered prima facie evidence of the said convictions.
(2)
(a)
An habitual offender is a person having three or more convictions of any of the following separate and distinct offenses arising out of separate acts committed within a period of seven years:
(I)
DUI, DUI per se, or DWAI;
(II)
Driving a motor vehicle in a reckless manner, in violation of section
42-4-1401
;
(III)
Driving a motor vehicle upon a highway while such person's license or privilege to drive a motor vehicle has been denied, suspended, or revoked, in violation of section
42-2-138 (1)
;
(IV)
Knowingly making any false affidavit or swearing or affirming falsely to any matter or thing required by the motor vehicle laws or as to information required in the administration of such laws;
(V)
Vehicular assault or vehicular homicide, or manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide which results from the operation of a motor vehicle, or motor vehicle theft, as such offenses are described in title 18;
(VI)
Conviction of the driver of a motor vehicle involved in any accident involving death or personal injuries for failure to perform the duties required of such person under section
42-4-1601
.
(b)
The offenses included in subparagraphs (I), (II), (III), and (V) of paragraph (a) of this subsection (2) shall be deemed to include convictions under any federal law, any law of another state, or any ordinance of a municipality that substantially conforms to the statutory provisions of this state regulating the operation of motor vehicles. For purposes of this paragraph (b), the term "municipality" means any home rule or statutory city or town, a territorial charter city, or a city and county.
(3)
A person is also an habitual offender if such person has ten or more convictions of separate and distinct offenses arising out of separate acts committed within a period of five years involving moving violations which provide for an assessment of four or more points each or eighteen or more convictions of separate and distinct offenses arising out of separate acts committed within a period of five years involving moving violations which provide for an assessment of three or less points each in the operation of a motor vehicle, which convictions are required to be reported to the department and result in the assessment of points under section
42-2-127
, including any violations specified in subsection (2) of this section.
(4)
For the purpose of this section, the term "conviction" has the meaning specified in section
42-2-127 (6)
and includes entry of judgment for commission of a traffic infraction as set forth in section
42-4-1701
.
Amended by 2023 Ch. 309,§ 5, eff. 7/1/2023.
Amended by 2017 Ch. 208, § 3, eff. 8/9/2017.
L. 94: Entire title amended with relocations, p. 2158, § 1, effective 1/1/1995. L. 97: (2)(a)(I) amended, p. 1466, § 9, effective July 1. L. 2008: (2)(a)(I) amended, p. 251, § 15, effective July 1. L. 2013: (2)(a)(I) amended, (HB 13-1325), ch. 331, p. 1883, § 12, effective May 28. L. 2017: (2)(a)(III) amended, (HB 17-1162), ch. 208, p. 811, § 3, effective August 9.
For collateral attacks of traffic convictions, see §§ 42-4-1702 and 42-4-1708 .