Colorado LCSW, LSW & SOCIAL-WORK-CANDIDATE Continuing Education Requirements
Colorado clinical social workers must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their LCSW / LSW / SOCIAL-WORK-CANDIDATE license.
40
total hours / 2 years
Biennial · renewal date varies by licensee.
Colorado LCSW, LSW & SOCIAL-WORK-CANDIDATE requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 40 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date. |
| New licensees | First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically. |
| Board audit | The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance. |
| Other mandates | Colorado law requires completion of an implicit bias (cultural competency) training at initial licensure and at each renewal. This is a recurring statutory requirement and does NOT count toward the 40-hour CPC total. Confirm the current required hours with the Board (commonly 2 hours). |
| Other mandates | Colorado law requires a one-time training on identifying human trafficking for health care licensees, including social workers. This training is separate from the 40-hour CPC requirement and is fulfilled once. Confirm current required hours with the Board (commonly 2 hours). |
Total hours
40 hours every 2 years.
Renewal
Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
New licensees
First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Other mandates
Colorado law requires completion of an implicit bias (cultural competency) training at initial licensure and at each renewal. This is a recurring statutory requirement and does NOT count toward the 40-hour CPC total. Confirm the current required hours with the Board (commonly 2 hours).
Colorado law requires a one-time training on identifying human trafficking for health care licensees, including social workers. This training is separate from the 40-hour CPC requirement and is fulfilled once. Confirm current required hours with the Board (commonly 2 hours).
Full board policy details
- No cap on self-study or online CE. The Colorado Board imposes no limit on the number of CPD hours that may be completed online, and no minimum number of hours must be completed live or in-person. All 40 PDH may be earned via online or self-study courses.
- Course repeat restrictions: The Board's rules do not explicitly prohibit repeating a course for credit. Instructors may receive credit for presenting a Professional Development Activity (PDA), and no rule limits teaching the same course multiple times. However, credit is intended to reflect new learning; repeating identical content is not expected to yield additional valid PDH.
- Inactive status: Licensees on inactive status are exempt from the CPC requirement for the period during which they remain inactive. Colorado does not have a separate retired-status classification for social workers; inactive status generally covers non-practicing licensees.
- Reactivation from inactive status: To reactivate, a licensee must document 40 PDH earned in the two years immediately preceding the reactivation application. If the license has been inactive for more than two years, the Board additionally requires passing a Board-approved jurisprudence examination and either completing additional PDH (10 PDH per year of inactivity) or providing other evidence of continued competence.
- Provider approval: Colorado does not maintain a formal approved-provider list. Coursework from accredited educational institutions or nationally or regionally recognized professional organizations is fully creditable toward the 40-hour requirement. Any qualifying Professional Development Activity (PDA) may count.
- First renewal proration: For licensees whose initial license was issued mid-cycle, the first-renewal CPC requirement is prorated at 1.66 PDH per month from the issuance month through the expiration month, in lieu of the full 40 hours.
- Conditional registration: Colorado does not provide a conditional or provisional renewal status for licensees who have not completed CE by the renewal deadline. Licensees must complete CPC by the renewal deadline or the license will expire and require reinstatement.
- Social Work Candidate first-renewal exemption: Licensees holding a Social Work Candidate registration may be exempt from the Continuing Professional Competency (CPC) requirement at their first renewal under Board policy; the standard first-renewal proration (1.66 PDH/month) applies to LSW and LCSW licensees but not necessarily to Social Work Candidates. Candidates should confirm exemption applicability with the Board at first renewal.
- Live-interactive online classification: Live, real-time webinars and online courses with simultaneous instructor/participant interaction are treated as live Professional Development Hours (PDH), not as self-study. "Self-study" refers to asynchronous, on-demand, or pre-recorded online content with no live interaction. Colorado imposes no cap on either category, but the distinction is preserved for documentation and audit purposes.
We turn all of this (every category, format limit, and one-time rule) into a live checklist on your Colorado LCSW / LSW / SOCIAL-WORK-CANDIDATE record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Colorado LCSW / LSW / SOCIAL-WORK-CANDIDATE CE free →Colorado LCSW, LSW & SOCIAL-WORK-CANDIDATE CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Colorado LCSW / LSW / SOCIAL-WORK-CANDIDATE licensees need?
Colorado requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a LCSW / LSW / SOCIAL-WORK-CANDIDATE license. Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
How often do Colorado LCSW / LSW / SOCIAL-WORK-CANDIDATE licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: tied to your license's renewal (expiration) date.
Is the first renewal different for new Colorado LCSW / LSW / SOCIAL-WORK-CANDIDATE licensees?
First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically.
Sources & verification
- State source
- Colorado board rule
- Profession source
- ASWB ACE continuing education guidance
- Last verified
- May 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.2
Reviewed against the Colorado board source and refreshed from the compiled ruleset above. Methodology and disclaimer. Compliance data is informational only and not legal or board advice. Always verify requirements with your licensing board before you renew. See something wrong? Report it →
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