Every CE requirement verified against official state nursing board sources. How RenewRN verifies the data →
Every CE requirement verified against official state nursing board sources. How RenewRN verifies the data →
Field guide · License renewal
Colorado Board of Nursing · 2-year renewal cycle
Verified against the Colorado Board of Nursing · Last reviewed · How RenewRN verifies its data
Built by Keegan, a travel RN · verified against official board sources
As of 2026, Colorado requires no continuing-education hours for RN renewal. The RN renewal fee is $108 every 2 years.
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| Renewal cycle | Every 2 years |
| Renewal deadline | September 30, every 2 years (RN/APRN); August 31 (LPN) |
| Total CE hours (RN) | No fixed CE-hour mandate |
| Renewal fee (RN) | $108 |
| Compact state (NLC) | Yes, NLC member · check your eligibility |
| License types | RN, APRN, LPN |
| Typical pay | See Colorado nurse salaries |
Colorado does not require continuing education hours to renew an RN or LPN license, and routine renewal has no competency attestation either. Continued competency, usually a refresher course, comes into play only when reinstating or reactivating a license after two years without active practice. APRNs with prescriptive authority must complete at least 2 hours of training per renewal period on opioid prescribing and substance use disorder topics under Board Rule 1.23. Colorado is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) member state, so nurses with a multistate license can practice across all compact states.
Verified against the Colorado Board of Nursing, last checked 2026-09-04. Found something off? Let me know.
Colorado CE Audit Response Guide
Response deadline, retention rules, board address, and the rejections that get nurses dinged.
Read the full Colorado RN License Renewal Guide
Step-by-step walkthrough, common mistakes, and tips for a smooth renewal
Visit the Colorado Board of Nursing website for the official renewal portal.
Turn these steps into a checklist you can track.
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Track your renewal steps with ProYou attest to your CE when you renew and keep your certificates; you only submit documents if the board audits you.
A Colorado RN does NOTHING with CE proof at renewal, because Colorado requires no CE hours to renew an RN license at all. The nurse logs in to DPO Online Services (apps2.colorado.gov/dora/licensing), selects the RN license, completes the online renewal application (answering disclosure questions, e.g. pending discipline in another state), and pays the fee, there is no CE certificate upload, no CE Broker reporting, and no CE field in the renewal. The only competency mechanics kick in OUTSIDE ordinary renewal: a nurse who has not worked on an active license in the last two years must demonstrate continued competency (via a Board-recognized refresher course) when applying for endorsement, reinstatement, or reactivation, that documentation goes in with that application, not with a routine renewal.
Where it happens: DPO Online Services (Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations Online Services system; the board also calls it the "DPO Online Service System")
apps2.colorado.gov/dora/licensingNo CE audit program exists for Colorado RN renewal, because there is no CE requirement to audit, the board's FAQ, homepage, and Applications pages contain no mention of any CE/competency audit, selection, notification, or response deadline for renewing RNs. (Third-party sites' "retain records 4 years for audit" claims could not be corroborated on any board page.) The only competency verification the board describes is document-based and up-front, not an audit: nurses who have not practiced in the last two years must show completion of a Board-recognized refresher course when applying for endorsement/reinstatement/reactivation.
Verified 2026-07-03 against dpo.colorado.gov · dpo.colorado.gov · dpo.colorado.gov. Always confirm with the board before relying on it.
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| Type | CE hours | Renewal fee |
|---|---|---|
| RN | 0 / 2 yrs | $108 |
| APRN | 0 / 2 yrs | $108 |
| LPN | 0 / 2 yrs | $108 |
APRN renewal in Colorado. Renewal deadlines here differ by license type; see Important Deadlines below. The board is only one clock: your national certification and any DEA registration renew on their own cycles. Full Colorado APRN renewal guide
| Category | Hours | Required | Types | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Continuing Competency | 0 | Required | RNLPNAPRNFNPCRNACNMPMHNP | No continuing education hours and no competency attestation are required for routine RN or LPN renewal (Board FAQ, verified September 4, 2026). Continued competency, typically a Board-recognized refresher course, is required only for endorsement, reinstatement, or reactivation after two years without an active license. |
| APRN Substance Use Prevention | 2 | Required | APRNFNPCRNACNMPMHNP | APRNs and certified midwives with prescriptive authority (RXN) must complete at least 2 hours of training per renewal period on the C.R.S. 12-30-114 topics: opioid prescribing best practices, benzodiazepine prescribing, recognizing and referring substance use disorders, and use of the prescription drug monitoring program. Compliance is attested at renewal and the Board may audit it (Board Rule 1.23, 3 CCR 716-1, effective June 14, 2025). Exempt if national board certification requires equivalent training or the prescriber attests to not prescribing opioids. |
Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs): Colorado CNA renewal is handled by the state nurse-aide registry, not the Board of Nursing, and follows a work-hours / in-service model rather than the CE above. Check your state nurse-aide registry for CNA requirements.
Find free Colorado CE. Verified, accredited and state-approved courses. No upsells. Browse free Colorado nursing CE courses
Missed your Colorado renewal deadline?
60-day grace period after expiration under C.R.S. 12-20-202: you can renew late with a delinquency fee, and the statute bars the Board from imposing a disciplinary sanction for practicing on the expired license during those 60 days (for the 2026 cycle the Board lists RN/APN renewal open through November 30). After the 60 days the license is treated as expired and reinstatement is required.
What to do if your Colorado license lapsedApproved CE Providers
Late Renewal Fees
Reinstatement Fees
Already lapsed? The Colorado re-entry guide covers refresher rules, costs by lapse length, and the path back.
Applies to new RN licensure by examination. Verified against the Colorado Board of Nursing.
CE Audit Information
Colorado does not require continuing education for RN or LPN renewal, so there is no CE audit for ordinary renewal. Continued competency documentation applies to reinstatement and reactivation.
Colorado Board of Nursing
https://dpo.colorado.gov/NursingThese Colorado renewal figures are free to cite, quote, or republish with attribution and a link (CC BY 4.0). Suggested citation:
RenewRN, “Colorado Nursing License Renewal Requirements” (September 2026), renewrn.net/states/colorado, verified against the Colorado Board of Nursing.
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