Travel the Correct Colorado Route—from License Lookup to Renewal
A Colorado nursing-license search usually begins with a real task: an employer needs current proof, a nurse cannot see the renewal link, an applicant is waiting on fingerprints, or an APN needs to know whether the RN, APN and prescriptive-authority records renew separately.
Colorado places public verification, renewal, applications, document uploads and healthcare profiles inside DPO Online Services. This guide explains what the system should show, what to prepare and what to do when the expected link or status is missing.
Use Verify a Colorado License for public status and disciplinary records. Use your existing DPO Online Services account to renew, apply, reinstate, update contact details, print a license and review incomplete application items.
Verify a Colorado nurse
Check status, expiration, credential type, profile and public discipline.
Renew RN, LPN or APN
Check the expiration date, renewal window, related credentials and current portal fee.
Check application progress
Review a new, endorsement, reinstatement, reactivation or renewal application.
Apply by endorsement
Check compact residence, verification, fingerprints and recent practice.
Verify a nursing program
Check an approved RN, LPN or nurse aide education program and testing results.
Colorado nursing-license facts that change your next action
September 30 does not automatically mean September 30, 2026. Colorado RN licenses expire in odd or even years depending on issuance. Check the individual DORA record or online account for the exact year.
RN expiration follows an assigned parity
Colorado lists September 30 as the RN expiration date, with the odd or even renewal year determined by the license record.
APN and RXN renew separately
Advanced-practice registration and prescriptive authority mirror the RN expiration but require independent renewal transactions.
No routine RN/LPN CE total
Colorado currently does not require general continuing-education hours for RN or practical-nurse renewal.
Use a laptop or desktop
DPO states that Online Services is not compatible with mobile devices and recommends current Chrome or Edge.
Profile completion can be part of renewal
Active nurses must maintain a Healthcare Professions Profile and update reportable changes within 30 days.
New-license bump period
A new license issued within 120 days of the upcoming renewal date receives the next expiration date.
2026 identification rule: beginning June 1, 2026, qualifying healthcare advertising and hospital name displays identifying a practitioner must also identify the type of state-issued license, certificate or registration held.
How to verify a Colorado nursing license
Use Colorado DPO’s individual License Verification system for a current RN, LPN, APN, prescriptive-authority or CNA record. The Colorado Information Marketplace is intended for bulk data, not one-person credentialing.
Open Verify a Colorado License
Use the DORA system instead of a copied wallet card or commercial directory.
Open Official License SearchSelect Nursing or enter the prefix and number
Common prefixes include RN, PN, APN, RXN, C-APN, C-RXN and NA.
Start with the name when the number is unknown
DPO recommends initially entering only the first and last name. Add more filters only when too many records appear.
Open Credential Detail
Match the legal name, credential prefix, number, status, issue date, expiration and public disciplinary documents.
Open the healthcare profile
For participating healthcare professionals, select View Profile for practice location, discipline, criminal-conviction and malpractice-settlement disclosures.
Record the verification date
Employers should retain the live source, result and date checked under their credentialing process.
| Record shown | What to confirm | Correct next action |
|---|---|---|
| Active RN or PN | Status, expiration, single-state or multistate details and public discipline. | Record the lookup date and confirm the role matches the position. |
| APN | Population focus and matching RN or compact-RN authority. | Check prescriptive authority separately when the role includes prescribing. |
| RXN or C-RXN | Current prescriptive authority and the underlying RN/APN credential. | Do not treat RXN as a stand-alone nursing license. |
| Expired | The expiration date and whether an online reinstatement is available. | Do not practise until the credential is reinstated and active. |
| Inactive or retired | The status limitations and next renewal date. | Reactivate before active practice; inactive and retired records still require cycle renewal. |
| Discipline or restriction | The complete final action and any current conditions. | Read the public document before making a credentialing decision. |
Search results depend on the information entered. If no result appears, remove city, ZIP or other optional fields before assuming the person is unlicensed.
No matching record?
Renew a Colorado RN, LPN or advanced-practice credential
DPO renewal normally opens about 4–6 weeks before the expiration date. The “Complete License Renewal” link will not appear when the credential is outside its renewal period.
Verify expiration
Check the exact credential and renewal year instead of assuming every nurse renews in 2026.
Check linked credentials
RN, APN and RXN transactions may need to be completed separately.
Update HPPP
Review and submit the healthcare profile associated with each active license.
Submit and print
Pay the displayed amount, retain the email receipt and print the updated license.
Confirm the exact expiration date
Use public License Verification or the Online Services account. RN expiration is September 30 in the assigned odd or even year.
Check ExpirationUse a desktop or laptop
DPO warns that the portal is not compatible with phones or tablets. Use current Chrome or Edge and prepare files for upload.
Sign in to the existing DPO account
Recover the original User ID or password rather than registering another profile.
Open Online ServicesSelect Complete License Renewal
The link appears only during the credential’s renewal period. Follow every prompt and disclosure question.
Update the Healthcare Professions Profile
Select Create/Update a Healthcare Professions Profile, open the correct profile and submit the completed update.
HPPP Update StepsRenew related APN or RXN credentials
APN, RXN, C-APN and C-RXN records do not renew merely because the RN transaction was completed.
Save the receipt and print the license
The system emails the payment receipt. DPO does not provide duplicate receipt copies. An updated license can normally be printed within one business day after final approval.
Print My LicenseDo not practise after expiration. All Colorado licenses, certifications and registrations must be renewed to continue practising. An expired credential requires reinstatement rather than ordinary renewal.
Why the renewal link may be missing
Does Colorado require CE for nursing renewal?
Colorado’s current Nursing FAQ says routine continuing-education hours are not required to renew an RN, practical-nurse, nurse-aide or psychiatric-technician credential.
| Credential or situation | Current education rule | What still matters |
|---|---|---|
| RN renewal | No general CE-hour requirement. | Complete the renewal transaction, profile update and required disclosures. |
| LPN renewal | No general CE-hour requirement. | Renew by the individual expiration date and maintain current contact information. |
| APN renewal | No additional Colorado CE beyond education required to maintain professional certification. | Maintain certification and renew the APN and any RXN credential separately. |
| CNA renewal | No general CE-hour requirement. | Complete at least eight hours of paid CNA service during the renewal cycle. |
| Endorsement, reinstatement or reactivation after no active practice for two years | Continued competency must be demonstrated. | A Board-recognized refresher course may be required. |
| Clinical portion of a refresher course | Active authority is needed for clinical practice. | Obtain a refresher-course-only license before beginning the clinical portion when no active Colorado authority exists. |
Do not purchase a generic “Colorado RN renewal CE package” assuming it is required. Routine RN and LPN renewal currently has no state CE-hour mandate.
Recent practice determines competency review
An endorsement, reinstatement or reactivation applicant who has not worked on an active nursing license during the previous two years may need to demonstrate competency.
Do not begin clinical refresher work unlicensed
Request the refresher-course-only authority before completing the clinical portion when an active nursing license is unavailable.
Colorado nursing fees: where to find the exact amount
Colorado DPO states that nursing fees change and differ by transaction. A reliable static public fee table is not currently provided; the exact non-refundable amount appears in the online application or renewal selected.
| Transaction | Where the current fee appears | Separate cost to expect |
|---|---|---|
| RN or LPN renewal | Inside Complete License Renewal after signing in. | Payment-processing amount, if displayed by the system. |
| APN or RXN renewal | Inside each separate APN or prescriptive-authority renewal. | More than one credential may require payment. |
| Endorsement or examination | Inside the selected DPO new-license application. | Fingerprints, Nursys, NCLEX or credentials-evaluation charges. |
| Reinstatement | Inside Reinstate an Expired License. | Competency or refresher-course expenses may apply. |
| Nursys verification | Nursys License Verification checkout. | $30 per license type for each receiving board. |
| Fingerprint background check | Approved vendor registration or appointment checkout. | Vendor price varies by service and location. |
Before paying, confirm the credential prefix and transaction. Online payments are sent to the email on file, and DPO states that duplicate payment receipts are not available from the Division.
Check a Colorado nursing application or renewal status
DPO Online Services tracks new, endorsement, reinstatement, reactivation and renewal applications in the licensee’s account.
Sign in to the original account
Use the User ID connected to the application. Recover access instead of creating a duplicate account.
Open DPO AccountSelect My License/Application Information
This tab lists new, renewal, reinstatement and reactivation transactions associated with the account.
Choose Review Application Progress
Open the link beside the correct application to see received, incomplete or requested items.
Read the submission instructions
Use the identified upload, email or direct-sender route rather than sending every document to the general Board inbox.
Monitor the email on file
DPO identifies email as its primary communication method for application status and requests.
| Pending item | What to confirm | Best next action |
|---|---|---|
| Fingerprint results | Both CBI and FBI checks were completed for the Colorado nursing application. | Keep the vendor receipt and avoid repeating fingerprints without instruction. |
| License verification | Nursys or the non-participating original board sent the required verification. | Order the missing verification through the correct service. |
| Transcript or education | The official record shows graduation and the required nursing education. | Ask the school for the date and method of direct delivery. |
| Continued competency | Whether the applicant practised on an active nursing license during the previous two years. | Complete the requested competency form or refresher route. |
| Board review | Whether criminal, disciplinary, education or other facts require formal Board consideration. | Respond promptly to the emailed request; minimum review time is generally three weeks. |
| Final Board correspondence | Whether the matter was presented at a monthly Board meeting. | Allow up to 14 days after the Board meeting for final email correspondence. |
“I am contacting Colorado DPO about my _____ nursing application. I submitted it on _____. My application reference is _____. Review Application Progress currently shows _____ for the item named _____. The document was sent by _____ on _____ through _____. Please confirm whether further action is needed.”
A pending application does not authorize practice. Colorado’s Nursing FAQ states that an applicant may not provide nursing services until the license has been issued.
Colorado multistate RN and PN license rules
Colorado participates in the Enhanced Nurse Licensure Compact. A qualifying Colorado resident can hold one multistate RN or PN license for practice in other compact states.
Primary state of residence controls
Multistate authority is connected to the nurse’s legal primary residence, not simply the location of an employer.
Colorado-specific fingerprints are required
Federal rules do not allow an earlier background check to be reused for a Colorado compact application.
The RN compact does not create APN authority
An out-of-state compact RN needs the appropriate Colorado compact-APN registration before advanced-practice work.
| Situation | Correct route | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado is the primary residence | Apply for Colorado RN or PN licensure and multistate eligibility. | Residency, uniform requirements and Colorado fingerprints. |
| Another compact state is the primary residence | Use that home-state multistate license in Colorado. | Current home-state license and Colorado practice-law requirements. |
| Moving permanently to Colorado | Apply for Colorado home-state licensure under current NLC timing rules. | Residency evidence, verification and fingerprint completion. |
| APN working on an outside compact RN | Apply for C-APN and C-RXN as applicable. | The compact RN remains active with multistate privileges. |
C-APN and C-RXN credentials expire on the assigned September 30 cycle and can renew only while the underlying compact RN remains active with multistate privileges.
Colorado nursing fingerprint requirements
Colorado compact nursing applicants must complete a state and national fingerprint-based criminal-history check. DPO must receive both CBI and FBI results before issuing the license.
Both CBI and FBI results matter
A state-only or employer-only fingerprint check does not complete the Colorado licensing requirement.
Use an approved vendor
Colorado identifies IdentoGO and American BioIdentity–Colorado Fingerprinting for electronic transmission.
Use the correct nursing code
The published service code for Registered Nurse/Licensed Practical Nurse processing is 5948NUCI.
Read the nursing application instructions
Confirm that fingerprints apply to the selected examination, endorsement, compact or reinstatement transaction.
Register with an approved vendor
Use the nursing service code and ensure the name and identifying information match the application.
Open Fingerprint InstructionsChoose resident or non-resident processing
Applicants outside Colorado can follow the vendor’s out-of-state card-processing instructions.
Keep the order and appointment receipt
Retain proof until Review Application Progress shows that the background-check requirement is satisfied.
A previous fingerprint check cannot be reused for a Colorado compact RN or PN application. The background check must be completed specifically for the Colorado application.
Colorado nursing licensure by endorsement
The DPO account offers RN and LPN Initial License by Endorsement or Telehealth Method. Check compact residence before applying for a Colorado single-state or multistate license.
Choose endorsement or compact practice
If another compact state remains your primary residence, verify whether that multistate license already authorizes Colorado practice.
Submit the online endorsement application
Select RN or LPN Initial License by Endorsement or Telehealth Method and review the current fee before final submission.
Start Online ApplicationComplete Colorado fingerprint processing
Use an approved vendor and the correct nursing service code when the application requires the CBC.
Order original-license verification
Use Nursys for participating states. Submit the Colorado original-verification form when the original state does not participate.
Check recent active practice
An applicant who has not worked on an active nursing license during the previous two years may need a competency form or refresher course.
Monitor Review Application Progress
Respond to DPO emails promptly and avoid sending duplicate documents unless requested.
Foreign-educated applicants need an equivalency evaluation from an accepted credentialing service and may also need evidence of English proficiency.
Colorado’s Nursing FAQ states that applicants may not practise while an application is pending. Graduation, an NCLEX pass or an active license from another non-compact state does not by itself create Colorado authority.
Reinstate or reactivate a Colorado nursing license
An expired credential uses Reinstate an Expired License. An inactive credential uses the profession-specific reactivation form and cannot be treated as an ordinary renewal.
| Current status | Correct route | Likely requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Expired RN or LPN | Reinstate an Expired License in Online Services. | Application, current portal fee, disclosures, fingerprints or competency as instructed. |
| Inactive RN or LPN | Download and submit Reactivate Inactive License. | Practice history and competency evidence may be required. |
| No active practice for two years | Competency-to-Practice or Board-recognized refresher route. | Refresher-course-only license before clinical refresher work. |
| Expired APN or RXN | Separate APN or prescriptive-authority reinstatement. | Active qualifying RN authority and current certification where applicable. |
| Retired | Maintain retirement-cycle renewal or use the appropriate status-change route. | Retired status does not authorize ordinary active practice. |
Inactive and retired Colorado licenses still have to be renewed during each renewal cycle. Paying a status-maintenance renewal does not automatically restore active practice authority.
Colorado DORA lookup or Nursys—which service do you need?
| Your task | Correct service | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Check a Colorado nurse for employment | DORA License Verification | Free public Colorado credential and disciplinary information. |
| Review the healthcare professional’s profile | DORA credential detail, then View Profile | Practice location and reportable professional disclosures. |
| Check a compact RN or PN privilege | Nursys QuickConfirm | Home-state license, discipline and multistate practice privilege. |
| Send Colorado verification to another board | Nursys License Verification | Immediate electronic verification for $30 per license type per receiving board. |
| Original state does not participate in Nursys | Colorado original-verification form | Direct verification route identified on the Nursing Applications page. |
Update or read a Colorado nurse’s public profile
Colorado’s Healthcare Professions Profile Program adds information beyond basic license status, including practice location, discipline, criminal convictions, business interests and malpractice settlements where reportable.
Consumers can read the profile
Open the nurse’s License Details page and select View Profile at the bottom of the record.
Licensees update changes within 30 days
Reportable profile information must be updated within 30 days of the effective change.
Each active credential needs a profile
The program requires creation and maintenance of a profile for each active participating license held.
Sign in to DPO Online Services
Use the same account used for renewal and licensing activity.
Select Create/Update a Healthcare Professions Profile
Choose Start/Continue beside the relevant active credential.
Answer every profile question
Some “Yes” answers require final documentation to be provided to HPPP.
Select Submit Profile
Saving answers without submission does not complete the profile update.
HPPP help: (303) 894-5942 or dora_dpo_hppp@state.co.us, Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Mountain Time.
Check a Colorado-approved nursing education program
Colorado’s Nursing Education page separates professional RN, practical-nursing, direct-entry master’s, psychiatric-technician and nurse-aide programs and provides program-specific testing information.
Open Nursing Education Resources
Use the Board page instead of relying only on a college advertisement.
Open Education ResourcesSelect the correct program type
Choose RN associate, RN baccalaureate, direct-entry MSN, practical nursing or nurse-aide training.
Match the exact campus
Confirm that the location and degree in the enrollment agreement match the approved listing.
Review NCLEX pass rates
Compare the appropriate associate, baccalaureate or practical-nursing results across several years.
Verify accreditation separately
Board approval and national nursing accreditation are different checks with different effects.
Colorado nurse-aide training programs retain graduate records for only two years. Graduates should keep the original training certificate.
Colorado CNA verification, renewal and testing
Colorado CNA certification is regulated through the State Board of Nursing. Public verification and endorsement, reinstatement and renewal transactions use DPO systems; Credentia handles the initial examination route.
Verify through DORA
Select Nursing and the NA prefix in Colorado License Verification to review certification status.
Paid service is required
A CNA must complete at least eight hours of paid service as a CNA during each renewal cycle.
Credentia handles initial examination
Register with Colorado’s authorized NNAAP examination administrator for the examination pathway.
Completing a training program does not itself create active CNA authority. The candidate must complete the required examination and certification process before working as a Colorado CNA.
Recover your DPO account, update details and print a license
Forgot the User ID
Use the official Forgot User ID link on the Online Services login page and check the email associated with the existing account.
Forgot the password
Use Forgot Password rather than registering a duplicate account with modified personal information.
Contact information changed
Sign in and update the mailing address, email and other contact details so DPO notices reach the correct account.
Need a printable license
Select Print Your License. A current license can be printed at any time and a newly approved update is normally available within one business day.
Print License InstructionsNot receiving DPO emails
Verify the email on file and review spam or filtered folders. Email is DPO’s primary application-communication method.
Unexpected payment demand
Verify the credential and contact DPO through the official number before paying or disclosing login information.
DPO Online Services is not designed for smartphones or tablets. A laptop or desktop with current Chrome or Edge is recommended for applications, renewals and document uploads.
Review a Colorado nursing action or file a complaint
Open public disciplinary documents
Available final actions and disciplinary records can be viewed from the nurse’s credential detail or profile.
File a complaint against an individual
The Board has jurisdiction over nurses, nurse aides and psychiatric technicians—not hospitals or urgent-care facilities.
Peer Assistance Services
Colorado’s nursing peer-assistance route supports eligible professionals affected by substance-use or mental-health concerns.
Peer Assistance Services: (303) 369-0039, toll-free (866) 369-0039, or info@peerassist.org.
Complaints remain confidential unless the Board takes public disciplinary action. A complaint allegation is not the same as a final Board finding.
Colorado Board of Nursing phone, email and address
Prepare the credential type, license or application number, transaction date, DPO account email and exact incomplete item before calling.
Applications, renewal, reinstatement, account access and general licensing help.
General DPO licensing and Online Services questions.
Board-specific nursing questions, policies and program matters.
Use fax only when the form or DPO instruction specifically permits it.
Do not fax application records without checking the submission instruction first.
Public healthcare profiles and required profile-document questions.
“I am contacting Colorado DPO about my _____ nursing license or application. My license or application number is _____. I submitted _____ on _____. Review Application Progress currently shows _____. Please identify the exact next action and confirm how the requested document must be submitted.”
Office and mailing address
Colorado State Board of Nursing
Division of Professions and Occupations
1560 Broadway, Suite 1350
Denver, CO 80202
Before travelling
Call first. Visiting the office does not guarantee immediate application review, license issuance, document matching or renewal processing.
Colorado Board of Nursing FAQ
How do I verify a Colorado nursing license?
Use DORA Verify a Colorado License. Search by license number or legal name, choose Nursing and open the complete credential detail.
When does Colorado nursing renewal open?
DPO renewal normally opens approximately four to six weeks before the individual license expiration date.
When does a Colorado RN license expire?
Colorado RN licenses expire on September 30 of an odd or even-numbered year determined by the license record and issuance date.
Do all Colorado nurses renew in 2026?
No. The exact expiration year depends on the individual credential. Check License Verification or the DPO account before assuming the license expires in 2026.
Does Colorado require CE hours for RN renewal?
No. Colorado’s current Nursing FAQ states that general continuing-education hours are not required for routine RN renewal.
Does Colorado require CE hours for LPN renewal?
No. General continuing-education hours are not currently required for routine practical-nurse renewal.
Does a Colorado APN have a separate CE requirement?
Colorado states that there is no additional APN CE requirement beyond the education required to maintain professional certification.
Why is the Complete License Renewal link missing?
The license may be outside its four-to-six-week renewal period, attached to another account, expired, inactive or assigned to the other renewal-parity year.
Do APN and prescriptive authority renew with the RN automatically?
No. APN and RXN authorities mirror the RN expiration but must be renewed independently along with the RN license.
How do I check a Colorado nursing application?
Sign in to DPO Online Services, select My License/Application Information and click Review Application Progress beside the correct transaction.
How long does a Colorado nursing Board review take?
When an application requires formal Board review, the Nursing FAQ states that the review process normally takes a minimum of three weeks. Final correspondence is sent within 14 days after the Board meeting.
Can I work while a Colorado nursing application is pending?
No. Colorado states that an applicant may not provide nursing services until the license has been issued.
Does Colorado participate in the Nurse Licensure Compact?
Yes. A qualifying Colorado resident can hold a multistate RN or PN license after meeting the compact requirements.
Can earlier fingerprints be reused for a Colorado compact application?
No. Colorado states that the background check must be completed specifically for the Colorado compact application.
How do I send Colorado nursing verification to another state?
Use Nursys License Verification. The service currently charges $30 per license type for each receiving board.
How many paid hours does a Colorado CNA need?
A Colorado CNA must complete at least eight hours of paid service as a CNA during each renewal cycle.
Where can I find the current Colorado nursing renewal fee?
Sign in to DPO Online Services and open the correct renewal transaction. Colorado states that fees can change and may differ by application type.
What is the Colorado Board of Nursing phone number?
The Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations customer-service number is (303) 894-7800.
Colorado government pages used for this guide
Renewal availability, fees, application instructions and professional rules can change. Recheck the appropriate official page before paying, applying, renewing or making an employment decision.
For employers and public users
Use the live DORA credential, match the exact person and prefix, review expiration, compact status, healthcare profile and public disciplinary documents, and record the verification date.
For applicants and licensees
Use the existing DPO account for renewal, applications, reinstatement, profile updates and incomplete items. This independent guide cannot access or change a private Colorado licensing record.