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Colorado

Clinician license renewal in Colorado

Renewal cycles, fees, CE requirements, and compact membership for nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and physicians in Colorado. Sourced from state boards and the official compact registries; we surface the citation next to every claim and never invent a rule we can’t verify.

Last reviewed 05/08/2026.

Compact membership

Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC)

Full member

Source: nursecompact.com, as of 05/05/2026

Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC)

Member

Source: imlcc.com, as of 05/05/2026

APRN / nurse practitioner license

Renewal cycle
Biennial. The APRN's registration on the Advanced Practice Registry (APR) renews at the time of the RN license renewal. Compact-licensed RNs renew the APR registration every two years on a Board-set expiration date.
regulations.justia.com, as of 05/08/2026
Renewal fee
Colorado's APR renewal fee is set by the DORA Board's fee schedule (not by 3 CCR 716-1.14 itself); 3 CCR 716-1.14(H)(2) directs reinstatement applicants to pay 'the current application fee' without fixing a dollar figure here. Confirm the current APR renewal fee with the Colorado Board of Nursing at 303-894-2430 or dpo.colorado.gov/Nursing before relying on it. The underlying RN license renewal is paid separately on the same cycle.
regulations.justia.com, as of 05/08/2026
Continuing education
Colorado does NOT mandate a statewide CE hour total for APR (Advanced Practice Registry) renewal. APRN continued competency is demonstrated by maintaining national certification through a Board-approved Certifying Body, or by petitioning the Board with an alternative method of establishing competency. Total CE for advanced-practice maintenance is set by the certifying body (ANCC, AANP, AACN, AMCB, NBCRNA, PNCB, NCC, etc.), not the Colorado Board of Nursing.
regulations.justia.com, as of 05/08/2026
Online renewal available
Confirm with Colorado State Board of Nursing

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Physician assistant license

Renewal cycle
Biennial. All Colorado PA licenses expire on January 31 of even-numbered years per the DPO PA Licensing Requirements page.
dpo.colorado.gov, as of 05/08/2026
Renewal fee
Colorado PA license renewal fees are set annually by DPO and reviewed each July 1; the current biennial fee is published on the active renewal application. C.R.S. 12-240-130 directs the Board to set fees consistent with division operating costs. Confirm the dollar amount at the time of renewal with the Colorado Medical Board.
colorado.public.law, as of 05/08/2026
Continuing education
100 hours of continuing education every 2 years at license renewal, including at least 50 hours of AMA PRA Category 1 Credit CME and at least 2 hours of substance use disorder training. C.R.S. 12-240-130 itself does not mandate CE for relicensure beyond what the Board directs to correct deficiencies; the 100/50/2 framework lives in the Colorado Medical Board's CE guidance and the 2024 legislative refresh (HB24-1153 backbone, applied to PAs through DPO guidance).
medschool.cuanschutz.edu, as of 05/08/2026
Online renewal available
Confirm with Colorado Medical Board

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MD / DO license

Renewal cycle
Confirm with Colorado Medical Board
Renewal fee
Confirm with Colorado Medical Board
Continuing education
Confirm with Colorado Medical Board
Online renewal available
Confirm with Colorado Medical Board

We’re still verifying Colorado Medical Board’s MD/DO- specific renewal details. The most accurate source is the board itself — visit Colorado Medical Board.

Track this credential automatically with Larch’s License tracking.

State controlled-substance registration

Some states layer a state-level controlled-substance registration (CSR or CDS) on top of the federal DEA; others rely on the DEA alone. Where Coloradorequires one, it carries its own number, fee, and renewal clock — independent of the DEA cycle.

Required in this state
Confirm with Colorado controlled-substances regulator

We’re still verifying Colorado’s state CSR rules. Confirm with the Coloradocontrolled-substances regulator (often the Board of Pharmacy or a Department of Health office) before assuming you do or don’t need a state CSR alongside your DEA.

Track DEA + state CSR together with Larch’s DEA + CSR tracker.

Federal DEA registration

DEA registration is federal, not state-issued. DEA practitioner registrations renew on a three-year cycle and are tied to a specific practice address — multi-site clinicians typically hold one DEA per practice location, each with its own number and clock. The first renewal on or after June 27, 2023 also required a one-time MATE Act 8-hour training attestation; once attested, the credit carries forward.

See Larch’s DEA tracking page for details on the federal cycle, multi-site rules, and the MATE Act attestation requirements.

Common questions about Colorado renewals

Is Colorado a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) state?
Yes — Colorado is a full NLC member. Nurses who hold an active multistate license issued by another compact state may practice in Colorado without applying separately, and Colorado residents may apply for a multistate license through the Colorado Board of Nursing if they meet the NCSBN's Uniform Licensure Requirements. Note that nurses changing their primary state of residence to or from a compact state generally must apply in the new home state within 60 days. Source: NCSBN compact map.
Does the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact (IMLC) work for physicians in Colorado?
Yes — Colorado participates in the IMLC. Eligible physicians can use the compact's expedited pathway to obtain medical licenses in additional member states. Whether Colorado serves as a physician's State of Principal License or only as a license-issuing state varies; check the IMLCC for current specifics. Source: IMLCC.
Does the federal DEA renewal cycle differ in Colorado?
No. DEA practitioner registrations are federal and renew on a three-year cycle regardless of state. Registrations are tied to a specific practice address — not to the holder personally — so multi-site clinicians typically hold one DEA per practice location. Colorado's state-level controlled-substance registration, if it requires one, is separate from the federal DEA.
How does Larch keep Colorado's rules current?
A drift-detection job re-fetches each cited source on a weekly cadence and flags pages where the source content has changed since our last review. Where we don't have a verified detail, we surface "Confirm with [Board]" with a link to the issuing board — never a guess.

Track every CO credential on one calendar.

Larch keeps a clean clock on every license, DEA, state CSR, board cert, and CE hour. Smart renewal alerts on the schedule you set. Encrypted document vault. License tracker is $5/month or $49/year — bundle with Collaboration + CE for $119/year.

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Sources for Colorado

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