Colorado Pharmacist license renewal and CE requirements
Colorado pharmacists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy (Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agencies).
All pharmacy individual licenses, including pharmacist licenses, expire on October 31 of odd numbered years and renew for two years. Renewal opens about four to five weeks before the expiration date in the DPO Online Services account. A new applicant licensed within 120 days of the upcoming expiration date is given a license carrying the next expiration date instead. Pharmacy business registrations expire October 31 of even numbered years, the opposite cycle.
Summary
Colorado pharmacists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy (Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agencies). All pharmacy individual licenses, including pharmacist licenses, expire on October 31 of odd numbered years and renew for two years. Renewal opens about four to five weeks before the expiration date in the DPO Online Services account. A new applicant licensed within 120 days of the upcoming expiration date is given a license carrying the next expiration date instead. Pharmacy business registrations expire October 31 of even numbered years, the opposite cycle.
Colorado Pharmacist 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, 10/31 each cycleFirst renewal is prorated. |
| Continuing education required | Yes |
| Hours per cycle | 24 contact hours |
| Self-study or online cap | No cap stated |
| Carryover to next cycle | Not stated |
| First renewal exempt | Not stated |
| Other accepted activities | Postgraduate studies, institutes, seminars, lectures, conferences, workshops, correspondence courses, programmed learning courses, audiovisual programs, internet programs and any other accredited form of presentation |
Pharmacists complete at least 24 hours of continuing pharmaceutical education during each two year license period, and the requirement starts immediately on licensure. The one carve out is the first renewal: the board may renew the license for the first renewal period after original issuance without any CE if the pharmacist was licensed within one year after completing their pharmaceutical education, so the exemption is conditional rather than automatic. Any aspect of the practice of pharmacy may be the subject. Up to 6 of the 24 hours may be pharmacy related CE approved by the ACCME rather than ACPE. Hours completed in residencies that are not ACPE approved are not accepted. The board offers a hardship exception and a six month compliance extension on written request, and a military exemption from both fees and CE. Colorado states no live or in person minimum, no cap on home study, and no carryover provision. Pharmacy technicians are handled differently: they must maintain active certification with a board approved national certifying organization (PTCB or the National Healthcareer Association) and meet that organization's CE rules, not a Colorado hour count.
Required CE topics for Colorado pharmacists
The Colorado State Board of Pharmacy (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 | 4 years |
| Board audits compliance | Yes |
| Approved providers | A program must be currently approved by the Accreditation Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) or an equivalent accrediting body as determined by the board; up to six hours may instead be pharmacy related CE approved by the ACCME. Licensees keep their own records for at least four years, as a certificate of completion, transcript or written notice from the provider showing the licensee's name, the program dates, hours attended, the course title, the sponsor and an indication of ACPE accreditation. Documentation is not sent to the board unless specifically requested. The board states that compliance audits are conducted after each license period. Colorado does not require reporting through NABP CPE Monitor. |
Common questions
- How many CE hours does a Colorado RPh/PharmD need to renew?
- Colorado pharmacists must complete 24 contact hours of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy (Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agencies). Pharmacists complete at least 24 hours of continuing pharmaceutical education during each two year license period, and the requirement starts immediately on licensure. The one carve out is the first renewal: the board may renew the license for the first renewal period after original issuance without any CE if the pharmacist was licensed within one year after completing their pharmaceutical education, so the exemption is conditional rather than automatic. Any aspect of the practice of pharmacy may be the subject. Up to 6 of the 24 hours may be pharmacy related CE approved by the ACCME rather than ACPE. Hours completed in residencies that are not ACPE approved are not accepted. The board offers a hardship exception and a six month compliance extension on written request, and a military exemption from both fees and CE. Colorado states no live or in person minimum, no cap on home study, and no carryover provision. Pharmacy technicians are handled differently: they must maintain active certification with a board approved national certifying organization (PTCB or the National Healthcareer Association) and meet that organization's CE rules, not a Colorado hour count.
- How often does a Colorado RPh/PharmD license need to be renewed?
- Pharmacist licenses in Colorado renew every two years. All pharmacy individual licenses, including pharmacist licenses, expire on October 31 of odd numbered years and renew for two years. Renewal opens about four to five weeks before the expiration date in the DPO Online Services account. A new applicant licensed within 120 days of the upcoming expiration date is given a license carrying the next expiration date instead. Pharmacy business registrations expire October 31 of even numbered years, the opposite cycle.
- Does Colorado require specific CE topics for pharmacists?
- The Colorado State Board of Pharmacy (Division of Professions and Occupations, Department of Regulatory Agencies) does not list mandated subject areas for RPh/PharmD renewal on the pages we verified; the 24 contact hours may be in any approved subject.
- Do Colorado pharmacists 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 4 years. A program must be currently approved by the Accreditation Council on Pharmaceutical Education (ACPE) or an equivalent accrediting body as determined by the board; up to six hours may instead be pharmacy related CE approved by the ACCME. Licensees keep their own records for at least four years, as a certificate of completion, transcript or written notice from the provider showing the licensee's name, the program dates, hours attended, the course title, the sponsor and an indication of ACPE accreditation. Documentation is not sent to the board unless specifically requested. The board states that compliance audits are conducted after each license period. Colorado does not require reporting through NABP CPE Monitor.
Sources
Last verified September 10, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.
- Pharmacy Continuing Education, Colorado Division of Professions and OccupationsState board page, accessed September 10, 2026
- Colorado Pharmacy Homepage, State Board of PharmacyState board page, accessed September 10, 2026
- Pharmacy Applications and Forms, including license renewal information and expiration datesState board page, accessed September 10, 2026
- Colorado Pharmacy Collaborative Agreements and Statewide ProtocolsState board page, accessed September 10, 2026
The 24 hour requirement, the ACPE and ACCME provider rules, the four year retention, the post period compliance audits and the exception options were read on the board's own continuing education page, and the October 31 odd year expiration and 120 day bump period on the board's applications page. The board rules themselves, 3 CCR 719-1, are published by the Secretary of State only as PDF and Word files and were not downloaded, so rule level detail such as a carryover provision or an explicit audit rule could not be checked; nothing on the board pages suggests one exists. Colorado imposes no subject specific CE mandate on pharmacists: no jurisprudence, opioid, human trafficking or implicit bias hours appear on the CE page, so mandatory_topics is empty. The statewide protocols for hormonal contraception, smoking cessation, HIV prophylaxis, statin therapy and medications for opioid use disorder are practice authorities rather than CE requirements, and the protocol documents themselves are PDFs that were not read. Colorado issues a separate Pharmacist MOUD license with its own application and renewal; any CE attached to it is not stated on the pharmacy CE page and is not reflected here.
Provided for general reference. Requirements change through legislative sessions and rulemaking, so confirm with the Colorado State Board of Pharmacy (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.