Colorado State Patrol Launches Holiday DUI Enforcement Campaign Through New Year’s Day

Description: Colorado State Patrol will increase DUI enforcement from Oct. 1 through New Year’s Day with patrols, task force operations, checkpoints and public education...

Colorado State Patrol Focused on DUI Drivers for the Holidays

DUI lasts longer than....

(COLORADO)—The final three months of the calendar year bring a sequence of celebrations, from Oktoberfest to the New Year. As the event calendar picks up, imagine what it would be like to no longer have a driver's license. Getting to that pumpkin patch, Thanksgiving gathering or even work would depend on public transit or a ride from a friend.

A first-time DUI in Colorado comes with a license suspension of nine months, and Colorado State Troopers want you to avoid nine months of headaches by taking a moment to plan for one sober ride per celebration outside of your residence.

"The time spent on arranging a ride-share, making a plan to stay over at the location of the party or finding a designated driver is nothing when you compare it to the impact a DUI could have," explains Col. Matthew C. Packard, chief of the Colorado State Patrol. "Impaired drivers account for 30% of Colorado's traffic fatalities. The penalties are steep because they deserve to be."

The Colorado State Patrol will launch a three-month holiday campaign called "DUI Lasts Longer Than...," running from October 1 through New Year's Day. The public can expect a no-tolerance approach to impaired driving through daily enforcement patrols, monthly DUI Task Force Operations, DUI checkpoints and a statewide education campaign.

According to 2025 Colorado State Patrol crash investigation statistics, Troopers arrested 4,438 drivers for impaired driving last year and investigated 631 injury or fatal crashes involving an impaired driver. Looking at the entire year, the top five counties where DUI arrests by troopers occurred in 2025 were:

1. El Paso
2. Adams
3. Jefferson
4. Larimer
5. Pueblo

In addition to a no-tolerance approach to enforcing DUI laws, the Colorado State Patrol is highlighting the consequences an average Colorado driver faces after a DUI arrest as part of its "DUI Lasts Longer Than..." campaign during the holiday season (October 1 through New Year's Day). Don't Underestimate Impairment. Making a good decision "in the moment" while already intoxicated is unlikely. Don't underestimate the consequences of this choice, and plan ahead for a sober ride.

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