RBC | A number of new laws are officially in effect as of Jan. 1, 2025. Here are a few to be aware of:
Distracted Driving
The existing ban on texting while driving has been expanded to include a ban on the use of cell phones and other handheld electronics while driving. Drivers are not allowed to use their phones while driving, including at stoplights. The use of hands-free accessories is permitted. Exceptions include people reporting emergencies, utility workers, code enforcement officers, animal protection officers and first responders. Commercial vehicles are also excluded. You can’t be pulled over just for using your phone, but a ticket can be added on if you’re stopped for something else.
Firearm Storage in Vehicles
Guns left in cars must be locked in a hard-sided container secured out of view, or locked in the car’s trunk or glove compartment. Non-handgun firearms can be stored in a soft-sided container with a locking device on the gun. Exceptions include antique firearms, non-handguns in farm/ranch vehicles, people who live in their cars or RVs, and law enforcement officers.
Child Car Seats
The state’s car seat requirements have been updated to increase the age for requiring use of a car seat from under 8 to under 9 years old, and requires rear-facing car seats in the backseat for children under two years old and under 40 pounds. Children 2 and over can use a rear or forward-facing car seat.
Cage Free Eggs
Colorado joins Arizona, California, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington and Utah with a cage-free egg law that requires poultry farms with more than 3,000 egg-laying hens to provide cage-free enclosure systems and prohibts grocery stores from selling eggs from cage-confined hens. The law was passed in 2020 and went into effect Jan. 1, 2025.
Minimum Wage
The new minimum wage, based on the consumer price index, is increasing from $14.42 per hour to $14.81 per hour. Minimum wage for tipped workers increases to $11.79 per hour.
Family Affordability Tax Credit
Depending on household income and children’s ages, Colorado’s Family Affordability Tax Credit is worth up to $3,200 per child. About 370,000 households are expected to qualify for the refundable tax credit.
