Colorado Osteopathic Physician (DO) license renewal and CE requirements

Summary

Colorado osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 30 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Colorado Medical Board. All Colorado physician licenses expire on April 30 of odd numbered years, so every physician renews on the same date on a two year cycle no matter when the license was first issued. A physician licensed part way through a cycle still renews on the next April 30 of an odd numbered year and owes a prorated number of CME hours for that shorter first period. Colorado also mandates specific subjects. Substance use prevention training (competency in preventing substance abuse or treating patients with substance use disorders): 2 CME credits every renewal cycle (every physician and physician assistant renewing, reactivating, or reinstating a license, except those who qualify for an exemption under C.R.S. 12-30-114(1)(b)). Hours do not carry over between cycles.

Colorado Osteopathic Physician (DO) 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.

At least 30 hours of CME during each two year license period, for physicians and for compact physicians holding an active Colorado license. The requirement starts immediately on initial licensure and also has to be met to reactivate or reinstate a license. The board accepts four kinds of CME: programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education that qualify for AMA PRA Category 1 credit, programs qualified for prescribed credit from the American Academy of Family Physicians, programs accredited by the American Osteopathic Association that qualify for AOA Category 1-A credits, and programs required to maintain national board certification. Because the board defines the acceptable pool that way rather than setting a Category 1 floor underneath a larger total, category_1_minimum is left null. One CME credit hour means one hour of credit awarded for one clock hour. Physicians choose their own topics; the board does not pre-approve providers or courses. There is no limit on how many hours may be completed online, so max_self_study_or_online is null meaning no cap. Hours above 30 may not be carried into the next period. A physician licensed less than 24 months before the expiration date owes a prorated total: 22 hours if licensed 18 to 20 months before expiration, 15 hours if 12 to 18 months, 10 hours if 6 to 12 months, 5 hours if 4 to 6 months, and no additional hours if licensed up to 4 months before expiration. A licensee who cannot meet the requirement because of health or undue hardship may petition the board in writing for a waiver, and should send the petition to dora_medicalboard@state.co.us at least three months before expiration; if the waiver is denied the physician may be allowed to renew once and must then document 60 hours by the end of the following period. A military exemption from renewal fees and CME is available through the division's military license renewal exemptions program.

Required CE topics for Colorado osteopathic physician (do)s

State-specific subject mandates. Where a mandate applies only to some licensees, the scope is listed.

Documentation and audit

Common questions

How many CE hours does a Colorado DO need to renew?

Colorado osteopathic physicians (DO) must complete 30 CME credits of continuing education every two years to renew their license with the Colorado Medical Board. At least 30 hours of CME during each two year license period, for physicians and for compact physicians holding an active Colorado license. The requirement starts immediately on initial licensure and also has to be met to reactivate or reinstate a license. The board accepts four kinds of CME: programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education that qualify for AMA PRA Category 1 credit, programs qualified for prescribed credit from the American Academy of Family Physicians, programs accredited by the American Osteopathic Association that qualify for AOA Category 1-A credits, and programs required to maintain national board certification. Because the board defines the acceptable pool that way rather than setting a Category 1 floor underneath a larger total, category_1_minimum is left null. One CME credit hour means one hour of credit awarded for one clock hour. Physicians choose their own topics; the board does not pre-approve providers or courses. There is no limit on how many hours may be completed online, so max_self_study_or_online is null meaning no cap. Hours above 30 may not be carried into the next period. A physician licensed less than 24 months before the expiration date owes a prorated total: 22 hours if licensed 18 to 20 months before expiration, 15 hours if 12 to 18 months, 10 hours if 6 to 12 months, 5 hours if 4 to 6 months, and no additional hours if licensed up to 4 months before expiration. A licensee who cannot meet the requirement because of health or undue hardship may petition the board in writing for a waiver, and should send the petition to dora_medicalboard@state.co.us at least three months before expiration; if the waiver is denied the physician may be allowed to renew once and must then document 60 hours by the end of the following period. A military exemption from renewal fees and CME is available through the division's military license renewal exemptions program.

How often does a Colorado DO license need to be renewed?

Osteopathic Physician (DO) licenses in Colorado renew every two years. All Colorado physician licenses expire on April 30 of odd numbered years, so every physician renews on the same date on a two year cycle no matter when the license was first issued. A physician licensed part way through a cycle still renews on the next April 30 of an odd numbered year and owes a prorated number of CME hours for that shorter first period.

What specific CE topics are required for Colorado osteopathic physicians (DO)?

Substance use prevention training (competency in preventing substance abuse or treating patients with substance use disorders): 2 CME credits every renewal cycle (every physician and physician assistant renewing, reactivating, or reinstating a license, except those who qualify for an exemption under C.R.S. 12-30-114(1)(b)). Citations: substance use prevention training (competency in preventing substance abuse or treating patients with substance use disorders) (3 CCR 713-1.29; C.R.S. 12-30-114).

Do Colorado osteopathic physicians (DO) 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. The board does not pre-approve specific CME providers or courses; the CME simply has to fall into one of the four accepted kinds (ACCME accredited programs qualifying for AMA PRA Category 1 credit, AAFP prescribed credit, AOA accredited programs qualifying for AOA Category 1-A credit, or programs required to maintain national board certification). Licensees keep their own records for at least four years. Documentation should be a certificate of completion, transcript, or written notice from the CME provider showing the licensee's name, the dates of the program, hours in attendance, a synopsis of the course content or course title, and the identity of the sponsor or provider. Documentation is not sent to the board unless the board asks for it, and the board says compliance audits are conducted after each license period.

Is the first Colorado DO renewal exempt from CE?

No. Colorado applies the continuing education requirement to the first renewal as well.

Sources

Last verified September 7, 2026. Every value above was read from one of these.

• Colorado Physician CME, Division of Professions and Occupations, Colorado Medical BoardState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
• Colorado Medical Homepage, Division of Professions and OccupationsState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
• Colorado Physician Licensing Requirements, Division of Professions and OccupationsState board page, accessed September 7, 2026
• 3 CCR 713-1.29, Regarding Substance Use Prevention Training for License Renewal, Reactivation, or Reinstatement (Cornell LII mirror of the Code of Colorado Regulations)Third-party summary, accessed September 7, 2026
• Colorado Senate Bill 26-138, Reducing Administrative Burdens on Health Care, Colorado General AssemblyStatute or administrative rule, accessed September 7, 2026

Colorado has no separate osteopathic board. The Colorado Medical Board licenses and renews both MDs and DOs under the Colorado Medical Practice Act, its CME page accepts AOA Category 1-A credit alongside AMA PRA Category 1 credit, its licensing requirements page handles COMLEX-USA alongside the USMLE, and DOs sit on the board, so co-physician_md and co-physician_do cite the same sources and carry the same values. The 30 hour total, the two year period, the accepted CME categories, the proration table, the no carryover rule, the four year retention, the audit after each license period and the waiver process were read on the board's own Colorado Physician CME page. The April 30 odd numbered year expiration was read on the board's Physician Licensing Requirements page. The two hour substance use prevention training was read in Board Rule 1.29 on the Cornell LII mirror of the Code of Colorado Regulations. The Colorado Secretary of State publishes 3 CCR 713-1 only as a PDF or Word file, which was not downloaded, so the board's newer Rule 1.33 on continuing medical education could not be read in full and the hour figures here come from the board's own CME page rather than from the rule text. The board's August 2026 rulemaking notice, read on the Colorado Medical homepage, says the board is repealing the Rule 1.29 substance use requirements as required by Senate Bill 26-138, clarifying which licensees are subject to Rule 1.33, and implementing House Bill 26-1044. House Bill 26-1044 only requires the board to consider a future CME requirement on cultural competence and equity in maternal care, so no maternal health mandate is recorded. The board states physicians self select their CME topics, so apart from the substance use training there are no subject mandates inside the 30 hours. No live or interactive minimum is stated anywhere in the sources read.