Before you start

A valid visa or other admission category
An electronic I-94 record from the CBP website
Work authorisation from DHS for a Social Security number
A Colorado address for the DMV and most account applications

Step-by-step

1
Download your I-94 in the first few days
It records your admission class and 'admit until' date, and it is what employers, the DMV and SSA will ask for. Retrieved electronically from the CBP website.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Wait about ten days, then apply for a Social Security number
SSA verifies your status against DHS systems that lag entry by one to two weeks. File Form SS-5 in person with your passport, visa and I-94. There is no fee.
In personWho: YouFrom ~day 10Free
3
If you cannot get an SSN, file for an ITIN
IRS Form W-7 produces an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number for tax filing, accepted by many banks. It grants no right to work.
OnlineWho: You
4
Book a Colorado DMV appointment immediately
All applicants must make an appointment; walk-ins are not accepted. Denver metro offices book out, and you have 30 days from becoming a resident. Book the week you arrive.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
5
Check whether Colorado has an arrangement with your country
Colorado maintains reciprocity with a small number of countries whose licence holders skip the written and driving tests. If yours is one, the requirements are specific — Japanese nationals, for example, need an original Verification Certificate issued by the Consul General in Denver within the previous three months.
OnlineWho: You
6
Ask for a REAL ID
Since 7 May 2025 a standard state licence cannot board a domestic flight. Colorado's CR-CSA document for residents without lawful status is not REAL ID. Your passport also works.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Passport with valid visa
I-94 admission record from the CBP website
Form SS-5 for a Social Security number, or IRS Form W-7 for an ITIN
Certified English translations of any non-English documents
Proof of Colorado residence

Things most newcomers don’t know

There are no walk-in DMV visits in Colorado.

Every driver licence office visit requires an advance appointment. This is unlike most states, where queuing is unpleasant but possible. It converts the 30-day deadline into a booking deadline, and newcomers who plan to 'go down to the DMV one afternoon' find they cannot.

Source: Colorado DMV — required identification documents

Colorado has country-specific reciprocity, and the paperwork is specific too.

A short list of countries have arrangements that skip the written and driving tests. The Japanese route requires an original Verification Certificate of Driver License from the Consul General of Japan in Denver, issued within three months of your appointment. If this applies to you it saves weeks — but the document has an expiry, so sequence it against the appointment.

Source: Colorado DMV — getting a Colorado driver licence from another country

All documents must be in English or accompanied by a translation.

Colorado applies this strictly to identity, residency and licence documents. A birth certificate or foreign licence in another script needs a certified translation, which takes time to obtain. Sort it before the appointment, because there are no walk-ins to come back to.

Source: Colorado DMV — required identification documents

The visa sticker's expiry is not your permission to stay.

A visa authorises travel to a port of entry; the officer there decides how long you may remain and records it on the I-94.

Source: US Customs and Border Protection — I-94 record

Common mistakes to avoid

Planning to walk into a Colorado DMV office — appointments are mandatory.
Missing the 30-day deadline because appointments were booked out.
Arriving without certified translations of non-English documents.
Obtaining a consular verification certificate too early and letting it expire before the appointment.
Visiting a Social Security office before DHS records have synced.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.