Colorado residents will face several new state laws taking effect on January 1, including changes to driving habits, gun storage, and the treatment of children in vehicles.
Starting in 2025, drivers in Colorado can no longer use their cellphones while driving, with penalties starting at $75 for a first offense. However, hands-free use is still allowed, and exceptions are made for emergencies and first responders.
Gun owners must now lock firearms in their vehicles unless they are stored in a secure container hidden from view. Violators could face civil penalties of up to $1,000.
The state’s child passenger safety law is also changing, with new requirements for car seats and booster seats. Children will need to stay in rear-facing seats until 2 years old and weigh 40 pounds, and toddlers must use a booster seat until they reach that age.
Colorado eggs are no longer subject to caged egg sales, and farmers keeping over 3,000 chickens must now confine their hens in cage-free housing systems with at least one square foot of usable floor space per hen. This change could lead to higher egg prices for consumers.
The minimum wage is also increasing by 39 cents an hour, from $14.42 to $14.81, and tipped workers will see a similar increase. Individual cities and counties can set their own higher minimum wages.
Finally, delivery drivers will have more protections under new laws requiring transparency in pay and tip disclosure.
Source: https://krdo.com/news/2025/01/01/from-gun-storage-to-cage-free-eggs-heres-a-look-at-the-colorado-laws-taking-effect-in-the-new-year