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Colorado and Denver Traffic Law Authority
In Colorado, traffic laws are usually governed by municipal codes, that is, laws that are specific to the city or town that the traffic ticket was received in. There are over 271 incorporated municipalities in Colorado, each with their own ability to regulate traffic violations in their specific jurisdiction. Municipalities are delegated the authority to regulate traffic within its jurisdiction by the laws of the state of Colorado and Article V, Section 1, Clause 9 of the Colorado Constitution. Despite there being over 271 different municipalities with each being able to establish their own traffic code, many municipalities simply adopt the Model Traffic Code for Colorado, a suggested standardized traffic code authored by the Colorado Department of Transportation that municipalities may adopt at their own discretion. The Model Traffic Code covers both traffic infractions and violations and regulates a broad scope of traffic related areas. Some examples of areas the Model Traffic Code regulates include size, weight, and load of vehicles; traffic control signals; rights-of way; speed regulations; and penalties for violating the code. Broadly speaking, if one receives a traffic ticket, it will likely be for a violation of the Model Traffic Code.
The Colorado state legislature has also codified traffic regulation laws in the Colorado Revised Statutes (“C.R.S.”) § 42-4-101, et seq. These codified laws mirror the Model Traffic Code and were adopted to promote uniformity for traffic regulations between municipalities.