Colorado Occupational Therapist license renewal and CE requirements
Colorado occupational therapists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Colorado State Office of Occupational Therapy Licensure (Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agencies).
Licenses run in two year license periods and are renewed online through the division's licensing system. The state office describes the cycle as a two year license period but does not state the calendar expiration date on any page that could be read, so confirm your own expiration date in the division's online services account or on your license.
Summary
Colorado occupational therapists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Colorado State Office of Occupational Therapy Licensure (Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agencies). Licenses run in two year license periods and are renewed online through the division's licensing system. The state office describes the cycle as a two year license period but does not state the calendar expiration date on any page that could be read, so confirm your own expiration date in the division's online services account or on your license. Hours do not carry over between cycles and the first renewal is exempt.
Colorado Occupational Therapist 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 | Not stated by the board |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 24 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | No |
| First renewal exempt | Yes |
| Other accepted activities | Fieldwork supervision: 1 PDA per Level I student, 1 PDA per week per Level II student, 1 PDA per week per entry level or post-doctoral student; Group study with a regularly meeting professional study group; Independent learning, a structured self-curated experience outside a traditional learning environment (self-paced online courses do not count here); Mentoring, as either the mentor or the protege; Presenting, 2 PDA per clock hour presented when the licensee both prepares and delivers, first delivery only; Publishing, including work that is drafted and submitted but not yet published; Volunteer service that relies on professional knowledge and skill; Deemed status for licensees who satisfy the continuing competency program of an approved entity, currently the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT) and the Colorado Department of Education; Military exemption, pre-approved, for a licensee called to federally funded active duty for at least 120 days |
Colorado runs a continuing professional competency program rather than a plain hour count. A licensee who does not claim deemed status or a military exemption completes the state office's continuing professional development program: a reflective self-assessment tool, a written learning plan, and at least 24 professional development activities per two year license period. One professional development activity equals one clock hour of 60 minutes, so 24 activities is 24 contact hours. The 24 must come from at least two activity categories and no more than 12 will be credited in any single category. Activities must fall within the license period immediately preceding renewal, and excess activities do not carry over. Commuting, travel, scheduling and planning time do not count, and activities that fulfill the duties of the licensee's primary job do not count unless the rules say otherwise. Deemed status is the alternative route: a licensee who meets the competency requirements of an approved entity, currently NBCOT or the Colorado Department of Education, complies without running the state program, provided that program includes a knowledge and skills assessment, at least 24 hours of continuing education or learning activities each two year license period, and proof of completion.
Required CE topics for Colorado occupational therapists
The Colorado State Office of Occupational Therapy Licensure (Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agencies) pages and rules we read do not mandate specific subject areas for this license type. Hours may be in any approved subject.
Documentation and audit
| Proof submitted at renewal | No, attestation only |
|---|---|
| Keep records for | 5 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | The state office does not pre-approve or accredit specific educational providers or programs. Licensees keep their own reflective self-assessment tool, learning plan and activity documentation with their license records rather than sending them in, retain documentation for at least five years, and produce it if selected in the compliance audits conducted after each license period. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Colorado OT need to renew?
- Colorado occupational therapists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Colorado State Office of Occupational Therapy Licensure (Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agencies). Colorado runs a continuing professional competency program rather than a plain hour count. A licensee who does not claim deemed status or a military exemption completes the state office's continuing professional development program: a reflective self-assessment tool, a written learning plan, and at least 24 professional development activities per two year license period. One professional development activity equals one clock hour of 60 minutes, so 24 activities is 24 contact hours. The 24 must come from at least two activity categories and no more than 12 will be credited in any single category. Activities must fall within the license period immediately preceding renewal, and excess activities do not carry over. Commuting, travel, scheduling and planning time do not count, and activities that fulfill the duties of the licensee's primary job do not count unless the rules say otherwise. Deemed status is the alternative route: a licensee who meets the competency requirements of an approved entity, currently NBCOT or the Colorado Department of Education, complies without running the state program, provided that program includes a knowledge and skills assessment, at least 24 hours of continuing education or learning activities each two year license period, and proof of completion.
- How often does a Colorado OT license need to be renewed?
- Occupational Therapist licenses in Colorado renew every two years. Licenses run in two year license periods and are renewed online through the division's licensing system. The state office describes the cycle as a two year license period but does not state the calendar expiration date on any page that could be read, so confirm your own expiration date in the division's online services account or on your license.
- Does Colorado require specific CE topics for occupational therapists?
- The Colorado State Office of Occupational Therapy Licensure (Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agencies) does not list mandated subject areas for OT renewal on the pages we verified; the 24 contact hours may be in any approved subject.
- Do Colorado occupational therapists have to submit CE certificates at renewal?
- Licensees attest to completion at renewal rather than submitting certificates, the board audits a sample of renewals and asks for documentation, and records must be kept for 5 years. The state office does not pre-approve or accredit specific educational providers or programs. Licensees keep their own reflective self-assessment tool, learning plan and activity documentation with their license records rather than sending them in, retain documentation for at least five years, and produce it if selected in the compliance audits conducted after each license period.
- Is the first Colorado OT renewal exempt from CE?
- Yes. Colorado does not require continuing education for a OT's first renewal.
Sources
Last verified September 9, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Colorado Occupational Therapy CPC, Division of Professions and OccupationsState board page, accessed September 9, 2026
- Colorado Occupational Therapy Homepage, Division of Professions and OccupationsState board page, accessed September 9, 2026
- 3 CCR 715-1, Occupational Therapy Rules and Regulations, version list, Colorado Secretary of StateStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 9, 2026
Colorado regulates occupational therapy through its own State Office of Occupational Therapy Licensure inside the Division of Professions and Occupations, a different program from the Colorado State Physical Therapy Board, and it is a director run office rather than a board. Regulation began for occupational therapists in 2008 and for occupational therapy assistants in 2014. The 24 activity requirement, the two year license period, the two category minimum and 12 per category cap, the no carryover rule, the first renewal exemption, the five year documentation retention and the audit after each license period were all read on the division's own continuing professional competency page. Two gaps. First, the calendar expiration date is not stated on any readable division page: the division's occupational therapy licensing services page now returns an access denied message to every client including a browser, and the renewal schedule is not published elsewhere, so renewal basis is recorded as unknown. Second, the rule text of 3 CCR 715-1 is published by the Secretary of State only as PDF and word processing downloads, so it was not opened; the Secretary of State version list was used to confirm the current rule version, effective October 30, 2025. NBCOT matters here in a specific way: current NBCOT certification is not required to renew, but satisfying NBCOT's continuing competency program is one of two approved deemed status routes that substitutes for the state program, so it is recorded under alternatives rather than as an hour total. The state office mandates no subject.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Colorado State Office of Occupational Therapy Licensure (Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agencies) before relying on them for a renewal. Spot something out of date? Tell us and we will fix it.