Colorado Nurse Practitioner license renewal and CE requirements
Colorado nurse practitioners must complete 2 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Colorado State Board of Nursing (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations).
A Colorado nurse practitioner holds a professional nurse (RN) license, an advanced practice registered nurse registration on the Advanced Practice Registry (shown as APN), and, if the nurse prescribes, prescriptive authority (shown as RXN). All three renew together: Board Rule 1.14 states that renewal of an APRN's registration on the registry is required at the time of the Colorado professional nurse license renewal. The board's own homepage shows the current RN, APN and RXN licenses expiring on September 30, 2026, with the renewal window staying open through November 30, 2026.
Summary
Colorado nurse practitioners must complete 2 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Colorado State Board of Nursing (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations). A Colorado nurse practitioner holds a professional nurse (RN) license, an advanced practice registered nurse registration on the Advanced Practice Registry (shown as APN), and, if the nurse prescribes, prescriptive authority (shown as RXN). All three renew together: Board Rule 1.14 states that renewal of an APRN's registration on the registry is required at the time of the Colorado professional nurse license renewal. The board's own homepage shows the current RN, APN and RXN licenses expiring on September 30, 2026, with the renewal window staying open through November 30, 2026. Colorado also mandates specific subjects. Substance use prevention training: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (advanced practice registered nurses with prescriptive authority).
Colorado Nurse Practitioner renewal and continuing education rules
"Not stated" means the board's pages and rules we read do not address it. We do not fill in typical values.
| Renewal cycle | Two-year (24 months) |
|---|---|
| Renewal deadline | Same date for every licensee, 09/30 each cycle |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 2 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Continuing education courses; Self study of scholarly materials; Peer review proceedings involving opioid prescribing; Volunteer service; Conference attendance; Teaching a course or giving a relevant presentation |
Colorado is a low hour state with a narrow mandate, and the layers work differently from most states. There is no continuing education hour requirement for the underlying professional nurse license. The advanced practice registration renews on evidence of maintained active national certification in the role and population focus rather than on state hours, so the certifying body's recertification requirement is the practical continuing education driver. The one state hour count is Board Rule 1.23, which requires every advanced practice registered nurse with prescriptive authority to complete at least two hours of substance use prevention training per renewal period. A nurse practitioner who does not hold prescriptive authority owes the state no hours at all. The two hours can be met through several activity types, not only formal coursework, and the board may audit compliance. Prescriptive authority itself is earned through graduate coursework in pathophysiology, pharmacology and physical assessment plus a 750 hour mentorship, not through recurring pharmacology hours.
Required CE topics for Colorado nurse practitioners
State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Applies to | Citation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Substance use prevention trainingAt least two hours per renewal period demonstrating competency in preventing substance abuse or in treating patients with substance use disorders, also required on reactivation and reinstatement. The board exempts applicants who qualify under C.R.S. 12-30-114(1)(b). Applicants attest to compliance or exemption at renewal and the board may audit and request documentation. Board Rule 1.15 cross references this obligation for prescriptive authority holders. | 2 contact hours | Every renewal | advanced practice registered nurses with prescriptive authority | 3 CCR 716-1, Rule 1.23; C.R.S. 12-30-114 |
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | Not stated |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Colorado NP need to renew?
- Colorado nurse practitioners must complete 2 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Colorado State Board of Nursing (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations). Colorado is a low hour state with a narrow mandate, and the layers work differently from most states. There is no continuing education hour requirement for the underlying professional nurse license. The advanced practice registration renews on evidence of maintained active national certification in the role and population focus rather than on state hours, so the certifying body's recertification requirement is the practical continuing education driver. The one state hour count is Board Rule 1.23, which requires every advanced practice registered nurse with prescriptive authority to complete at least two hours of substance use prevention training per renewal period. A nurse practitioner who does not hold prescriptive authority owes the state no hours at all. The two hours can be met through several activity types, not only formal coursework, and the board may audit compliance. Prescriptive authority itself is earned through graduate coursework in pathophysiology, pharmacology and physical assessment plus a 750 hour mentorship, not through recurring pharmacology hours.
- How often does a Colorado NP license need to be renewed?
- Nurse Practitioner licenses in Colorado renew every two years. A Colorado nurse practitioner holds a professional nurse (RN) license, an advanced practice registered nurse registration on the Advanced Practice Registry (shown as APN), and, if the nurse prescribes, prescriptive authority (shown as RXN). All three renew together: Board Rule 1.14 states that renewal of an APRN's registration on the registry is required at the time of the Colorado professional nurse license renewal. The board's own homepage shows the current RN, APN and RXN licenses expiring on September 30, 2026, with the renewal window staying open through November 30, 2026.
- What specific CE topics are required for Colorado nurse practitioners?
- Substance use prevention training: 2 contact hours every renewal cycle (advanced practice registered nurses with prescriptive authority). Citations: substance use prevention training (3 CCR 716-1, Rule 1.23; C.R.S. 12-30-114).
- Do Colorado nurse practitioners have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates and the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation.
Sources
Last verified September 8, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Colorado Nursing Homepage, Division of Professions and OccupationsState board page, accessed September 8, 2026
- 3 CCR 716-1, Rule 1.14, Rules to register professional nurses qualified to engage in advanced practice registered nursing (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- 3 CCR 716-1, Rule 1.15, Prescriptive authority for advanced practice registered nurses (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- 3 CCR 716-1, Rule 1.23, Substance use prevention training (Cornell LII mirror)Third-party summary, accessed September 8, 2026
- 3 CCR 716-1 Nursing Rules and Regulations, official Code of Colorado Regulations PDF effective 03/17/2026, Rule 1.23 Substance Use Prevention TrainingStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026
The September 30 expiration and the joint RN, APN and RXN renewal were read on the board's own homepage, which returns 403 to automated fetchers but renders in a browser. The rules were read through the Cornell LII mirror because the Code of Colorado Regulations is published as generated PDFs, which the no download rule excludes. Rule 1.15 points to the substance use prevention training in Section (C) of Rule 1.25, but the current Rule 1.25 on the mirror is the electronic prescribing rule; the two hour training text is at Rule 1.23, so that is the citation used here. A licensee should expect the rule number to move between rule revisions. The two year cycle is supported by Rule 1.14's statement that compact license holders renew every two years together with the board's published expiration and renewal window. Rule 1.14 is the shared advanced practice rule covering the nurse practitioner, nurse midwife, nurse anesthetist and clinical nurse specialist roles, not a nurse practitioner specific rule, and Rule 1.23 reaches certified midwives with prescriptive authority as well. Retention period and any approved provider rule were not stated in the sources read. Reviewed against the official Code of Colorado Regulations text of 3 CCR 716-1 on the Secretary of State site, which carries Rule 1.23: every advanced practice registered nurse with prescriptive authority, and every certified midwife with prescriptive authority, completes at least two hours of substance use prevention training per renewal period. That confirms the figure on an official host rather than only on a mirror.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Colorado State Board of Nursing (Department of Regulatory Agencies, Division of Professions and Occupations) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.