Colorado Driver's License Issue Date: Where to Find ISS and What It Means
Every Colorado driver's license carries a field labeled ISS on its face. That's your issue date, the date the Division of Motor Vehicles printed the card you're currently holding, and it's what most forms actually want when they ask "date issued."
Where to find the issue date on a Colorado driver's license
The Colorado DMV's current card design puts ISS on the front, near DOB and EXP. It reflects whenever your card was last printed, whether that's your original license or a renewal. Your license number carries over between renewals; ISS does not.
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Date fields on a Colorado driver's license
Colorado licenses show three dates:
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- ISS: Issue date. When the DMV printed your current card.
- DOB: Date of birth. For identity and age checks.
- EXP: Expiration date. Colorado runs a 5-year cycle for most adult licenses.
A form that says "license issue date" wants ISS. One that says "date of birth" wants DOB. Read the label carefully since they sit near each other on the card.
What does DD mean on a Colorado driver's license?
DD is short for Document Discriminator, a serial number specific to the physical card you're holding. It resets with every new card, independent of your license number. Rental companies and financial institutions check it to make sure the card hasn't been forged or altered.
Whenever a form separately asks for a "document number," that's the DD, not your license number.
Restrictions on a Colorado driver's license
Restrictions print on the back of Colorado licenses. A card with no restrictions will say so explicitly. Common ones include a corrective-lenses requirement or a daylight-driving-only limit. Colorado's exact restriction codes are listed on the card itself; treat any code you see there as authoritative rather than assuming it matches another state's list.
Ignoring a restriction printed on your Colorado license is a traffic violation.
Colorado REAL ID: the gold star
Colorado offers REAL ID licenses alongside standard ones. The REAL ID version carries a star; since May 7, 2025, you need it (or another accepted federal document) for domestic flights and entry to certain federal facilities. A non-REAL-ID Colorado license remains valid for driving and most everyday ID purposes. Upgrading requires an in-person DMV visit with identity proof, your Social Security number, and two documents showing your Colorado address.
Colorado dropped its age cap on online renewal
Until a 2021 law change (HB21-1139), Colorado only allowed drivers 21 to 65 to renew their license electronically, and only for two renewal cycles in a row before an in-person visit was required. HB21-1139 removed both limits: drivers of any age can now renew online repeatedly, as long as the photo on file still meets federal standards. The one age-based catch that remains is the eye exam attestation: drivers under 80 self-certify they've had a vision exam in the past year, while drivers 80 and older need a signed statement from an optometrist or ophthalmologist dated within the past six months.
How to renew a Colorado driver's license
Most Colorado drivers, at any age now, can renew through the DMV's online system without a branch visit. In-person renewal is still required for a first-time REAL ID, a new photo, or a CDL. You can start the process before your EXP date arrives.
- ISS is when the DMV printed the card you're holding right now.
- It's not your DOB and not your EXP: check the label before entering a date on any form.
- A renewal moves ISS forward to the new print date, your license number stays put.
- DD identifies the physical card, not a date. Never enter it as an issue date.
Finding your original Colorado licensing date
ISS only tells you about your current card, not when you first got licensed in Colorado. For insurance, employment, or a CDL application, pull your official driving record from the DMV. It covers your complete licensing history, including your original issue date.
Common mistakes with a Colorado license issue date
- Enter the date next to ISS whenever a form asks for "license issue date" or "date issued"
- Check what date format the form wants: MM/DD/YYYY and YYYY-MM-DD both appear
- Use your current card's ISS if you've renewed, not the date of your first-ever license
- Renew online if you're eligible: Colorado no longer caps this option by age
- Have your vision exam documentation ready if you're 80 or older and renewing
- Update your address with the DMV soon after a move
- Don't confuse DOB with ISS. They're printed close together but track different things
- Don't submit your EXP date when a form wants the issue date
- Don't use an old card's ISS if you're holding a current one
- Don't enter the DD serial number as a date anywhere
- Don't assume you still need an in-person visit at 65: that requirement is gone
- Don't assume ISS matches your birthday. It doesn't, even though EXP typically does
