Colorado is one of the lightest states for nursing license renewal: no continuing education hours are required for RN or LPN renewal, and routine renewal has no competency attestation either. What the state does have is a fixed deadline, a real 60-day grace period written into statute, and one training rule for APRNs who prescribe. Everything below was checked against the Board of Nursing's own pages and the Colorado Revised Statutes on September 4, 2026.
Colorado RN License Renewal Requirements Overview
The Colorado State Board of Nursing does not require continuing education hours for RN or LPN license renewal. Its FAQ says so in one line: continuing education hours are not currently required in order to renew a Registered Nurse, Practical Nurse, Nurse Aide, or Psychiatric Technician license. Continued competency comes into play only when you are reinstating or reactivating a license after two years without active practice, and then it usually means a Board-recognized refresher course.
Colorado is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member state, so nurses with a multistate license can practice across all compact states without obtaining additional licenses.
Renewal Dates
- RN, APRN, and prescriptive authority (RXN): September 30 of even-numbered years. For the 2026 cycle the Board lists these licenses as expiring on 9/30/26 and renewable through 11/30/26.
- LPN: August 31 of even-numbered years. For 2026, expiring 8/31/26 and renewable through 10/31/26.
If you hold both an RN and an LPN license, you have two renewals a month apart in the same year, each with its own fee.
Step-by-Step: How to Renew Your Colorado Nursing License
- Know your deadline. September 30 for RN and APRN, August 31 for LPN, in even-numbered years.
- Log in to DPO Online Services. The Division of Professions and Occupations portal handles initial licenses, renewals, reinstatements, and contact updates in one account.
- Select the license and choose Renew. Each license you hold renews separately.
- Update your contact and employment information. Colorado requires a current address on file.
- Answer the application questions. These cover professional conduct and any changes since your last renewal. APRNs with prescriptive authority also attest to the training described below.
- Pay the renewal fee. The RN renewal fee is $108 as last verified. The Board does not publish fee amounts on its site; the FAQ says to check the current fee on the application itself, and the amount shows in the portal before you submit.
- Save the confirmation. Your license status updates in the portal and in Nursys once the renewal processes.
The 60-Day Grace Period
Colorado's late window is a true grace period, not just a late-fee window. Under C.R.S. 12-20-202, a licensee has a sixty-day grace period after expiration to renew, and the statute says that renewal within the grace period happens without the imposition of a disciplinary sanction by the regulator for practicing on an expired license. A delinquency fee applies to any renewal inside the window.
Two practical cautions. First, your license still shows as expired in the portal and in Nursys until you renew, and most employers act on the status, not the statute. Second, the protection ends with the window: once the 60 days pass, the license is treated as expired and you cannot practice until it is reinstated.
Reinstatement After the Grace Period
Past the 60 days, renewal is no longer available. The Board's applications page lists a separate Reinstatement of an Expired License application and a reinstatement checklist in DPO Online Services. Expect a higher total cost than a timely renewal.
The two-year rule matters here. If you have not worked on an active nursing license in the last two years, the Board requires you to demonstrate continued competency, and the accepted route is successful completion of a Board-recognized refresher course. The list of recognized courses sits under Nursing Education Resources on the Board site.
The APRN Prescriptive Authority Training Rule
APRNs and certified midwives with prescriptive authority have one renewal-time requirement of their own. Board Rule 1.23, effective June 14, 2025, implements C.R.S. 12-30-114 and requires at least 2 hours of training per renewal period on opioid prescribing best practices, benzodiazepine prescribing, recognizing and referring substance use disorders, and the prescription drug monitoring program.
- What counts: relevant CE courses, self-study of relevant guidelines or policies, peer review proceedings involving opioid prescribing, relevant volunteer service, or attendance at a relevant conference.
- How it is checked: you attest to compliance in the renewal application, and the rule says the Board may audit it. Keep the certificate or a record of the activity.
- Exemptions: prescribers whose national board certification already requires equivalent training, or who attest that they do not prescribe opioids.
The Board FAQ's line that APRNs have no continuing education beyond what their national certification requires does not mention this rule. The rule governs.
Inactive and Retired Status Still Renew
Per the FAQ, inactive and retired status licenses must be renewed each renewal cycle. Moving to inactive status changes what you can do, not whether you renew.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Assuming renewal is automatic. No CE does not mean no renewal. You must complete the application online by the deadline.
- Treating the grace period as a plan. It protects you from Board discipline for 60 days. It does not stop your employer from benching a nurse whose license reads Expired.
- Forgetting the APRN training. If you hold prescriptive authority, the 2 hours under Rule 1.23 are attested at renewal. RN and LPN renewal has no equivalent.
- Letting an inactive license lapse. Inactive and retired licenses have the same renewal cycle.
- Not updating your address. Renewal notices go to the contact information on file.
Tips for a Smooth Renewal
- Renew early in the window. The portal opens well before the deadline; the Board announced the 2026 RN and APRN window as open at the start of September.
- Take advantage of NLC benefits. A Colorado multistate license lets you practice in other NLC states without extra licenses, and it renews on the same schedule.
- Track your license status with RenewRN. With no CE to track, the only way to miss a Colorado renewal is to forget the date. RenewRN watches it for you.
Colorado RN Renewal FAQ
Are CE hours really not required for RN/LPN renewal? Correct. The Board FAQ states that continuing education hours are not currently required to renew an RN or LPN license. Your employer or a national certification body may still require CE; the state does not.
Can I work during the 60-day grace period? Under C.R.S. 12-20-202 the Board cannot impose a disciplinary sanction for practicing on the expired license during the grace period, provided you renew within it. Your employer may still require an active status before you work. Renew first and the question goes away.
Is there a CE audit? Not for RN or LPN renewal, because there is nothing to audit. The one auditable item is the APRN prescriptive authority training, which Rule 1.23 says the Board may audit.
What does reinstatement require after two years away? Demonstrated continued competency, which the Board accepts through a recognized refresher course, plus the reinstatement application and fees.
Are there exemptions for military service? The FAQ says exemptions from renewal fees and from competency requirements are possible when the requirements in C.R.S. 12-70-102 are met and documented. Details are on the DPO Military and Veterans page.
Track Your Colorado License with RenewRN
Colorado's simple renewal process means the biggest risk is simply forgetting your deadline. RenewRN sends Pro email reminders at 90, 60, 30, 7, and 1 day before your license expires so you never lapse.