Colorado Psychologist Continuing Education Requirements
Colorado psychologists must complete 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew their Psychologist license, including 35 hours of accredited coursework.
40
total hours / 2 years
35
accredited coursework hours
Biennial renewal · calculating the next statewide deadline
Colorado Psychologist requirements
| Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|
| Total continuing education | 40 hours every 2 years. |
| Renewal | Biennial cycle: CE due by August 31 of odd years. |
| Accredited Coursework | 35 hours required each cycle. |
| Carryover | Up to 10 unused hours can carry into the next cycle. |
| New licensees | First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically. |
| Approved providers | For accredited coursework, qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by apa approved provider, state professional association, accme accredited provider, and accredited university. |
| Recordkeeping | Keep CE documentation for 5 years after the end of each cycle. |
| Board audit | The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance. |
| Late renewal | A late renewal allows a 60-day grace period after expiration and a late fee. |
| Provisional renewal | The board allows a provisional/conditional renewal for up to 60 months before full compliance is required. No conditional/provisional registration exists for a CPD shortfall — all 40 PDH must be completed before renewal; a license may not be renewed until all CPD requirements for the cycle are completed (Rule 1.20 C.1.a(2)). The nearest analog is the 60-day post-expiration grace period with a delinquency fee (Rule 1.10 B), which is a late-renewal window, not a CE-shortfall accommodation. |
Limits on how the hours are earned
Board caps and floors on where the 40 hours can come from.
- non accredited courseworkmax 5 hrs
- carryovermax 10 hrs
Keeping the proof in order: what to keep for a CE audit, with every state’s retention period and what the audit notice asks for.
Total hours
40 hours every 2 years.
Renewal
Biennial cycle: CE due by August 31 of odd years.
Accredited Coursework
35 hours required each cycle.
Carryover
Up to 10 unused hours can carry into the next cycle.
New licensees
First renewal is different: new licensees have adjusted first-cycle requirements (proration and/or first-cycle-only rules), which we apply automatically.
Approved providers
For accredited coursework, qualifying CE may be offered or sponsored by apa approved provider, state professional association, accme accredited provider, and accredited university.
Recordkeeping
Keep CE documentation for 5 years after the end of each cycle.
Board audit
The board may audit licensees to verify CE compliance.
Late renewal
A late renewal allows a 60-day grace period after expiration and a late fee.
Provisional renewal
The board allows a provisional/conditional renewal for up to 60 months before full compliance is required. No conditional/provisional registration exists for a CPD shortfall — all 40 PDH must be completed before renewal; a license may not be renewed until all CPD requirements for the cycle are completed (Rule 1.20 C.1.a(2)). The nearest analog is the 60-day post-expiration grace period with a delinquency fee (Rule 1.10 B), which is a late-renewal window, not a CE-shortfall accommodation.
Full board policy details
- 1 continuing education hour = 1 PDH (1:1). Online CE is expressly allowed and treated the same as live; there is no self-study/home-study cap and no minimum live/in-person hours. All 40 PDH may be earned online (Rule 1.20 C.4.A(2)-(3)).
- ACCEPTABILITY STANDARDS: Except for up to 5 PDH, coursework activities must qualify as CEU/CME/CE approved or accredited by the American Psychological Association, a State Medical Association, the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), or a regionally accredited institution of higher education (Rule 1.20 C.4.A(1)). No mandatory subject/topic hours exist for the base Licensed Psychologist; ethics is an optional allowable activity, not a required minimum.
- PROVIDER MODEL: The Board does not pre-approve providers or courses (C.R.S. § 12-245-307(3); Rule 1.20 C.3.c). Qualifying-organization classes apply only to the coursework activity; teaching, publishing, and editorial-review activities are self-certified.
- COURSE REPEAT RESTRICTIONS: Credit for developing and teaching a given academic course is earned only the first time within a licensure cycle (Rule 1.20 C.4.c(1)). Credit for developing and presenting a given workshop/seminar is earned only the first time within a cycle (Rule 1.20 C.4.e(1)). The rule is silent on re-taking the same attended CE course within a cycle (no express prohibition).
- LICENSE STATUS RULES: Inactive licensees are exempt from CPD while inactive and may not practice (Rule 1.21 A). Colorado has no separate 'retired' tier. REACTIVATION (from inactive): must comply with all Rule 1.20 CPD requirements within the two years immediately preceding application (Rule 1.21 E.1); if inactive > 2 years, must also pass the jurisprudence exam AND demonstrate competence via a work-experience statement, an average of 20 PDH per year expired (1.67/month), or retaking/passing the EPPP (Rule 1.21 F.1). REINSTATEMENT (from expired): comply with all Rule 1.20 CPD within the two preceding years (Rule 1.13 E.1); if expired > 2 years, jurisprudence exam plus one of 20 PDH per year expired, retake/pass EPPP, or (if practicing in a non-CPD jurisdiction) verification + work statement (Rule 1.13 F.1). MANUAL REVIEW: the duration-dependent makeup (20 PDH per year expired/inactive) scales with time and cannot be represented as a fixed conditional requirement.
- MILITARY EXEMPTION (only enumerated CPD exemption): a psychologist called to federally funded active duty > 120 days for a war/emergency/contingency may request an exemption from CPD for the renewal, reinstatement, or reactivation covering the two-year period within the service period or within six months after service ends; must be approved by DPO with written evidence (Rule 1.20 E; Rule 1.10 C; C.R.S. § 12-20-302). No general hardship/illness/disability CPD waiver is provided in the codified rule.
- REACTIVATION/REINSTATEMENT COMPETENCE SUBSTITUTION: for licensees inactive/expired more than 2 years, retaking and passing the EPPP is an available route to demonstrate competence in lieu of the make-up PDH (Rule 1.21 F.1; Rule 1.13 F.1).
- MULTI-LICENSE CREDIT REUSE: a person licensed in more than one DORA mental-health profession still completes only 40 PDH total to satisfy all such renewals (CPD Manual Rev. 2/2025). Informational only; the engine evaluates one license at a time.
- NEW LICENSEE BUMP: a license issued within 120 days of the upcoming Aug-31 renewal expiration is issued with the next expiration date (DORA Applications page). Mid-cycle initial licenses prorate at 1.67 PDH per month or portion thereof (Rule 1.20 C.3.d).
- PSYPACT OVERLAY (informational, not part of the CO 40-PDH requirement): Colorado participates in PSYPACT (C.R.S. § 12-245-308). APIT/TAP mobility authorizations are issued and renewed annually by the PSYPACT Commission/ASPPB, not the Colorado board; E.Passport renewal requires 3 hours of telepsychology-related CE, separate from and not counting toward the CO requirement.
We turn every category, format limit, and one-time rule on this page into a live checklist on your Colorado Psychologist record, and reapply board changes automatically as they happen.
Track Colorado Psychologist CE free →Colorado Psychologist CE: frequently asked questions
How many CE hours do Colorado Psychologist licensees need?
Colorado requires 40 continuing education hours every 2 years to renew a Psychologist license. Biennial cycle: CE due by August 31 of odd years.
How often do Colorado Psychologist licensees renew?
Biennial cycle: CE due by August 31 of odd years.
Are there subject-specific CE requirements for Colorado Psychologist licensees?
Yes. In addition to ethics, Colorado requires 35 hours of accredited coursework.
Is the first renewal different for new Colorado Psychologist 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
- Last verified
- August 2026
- Ruleset version
- 2026.2
Reviewed against the Colorado board source and refreshed from the compiled ruleset above. Methodology and disclaimer. Compliance data is for guidance only, not legal or board advice. Always confirm requirements with your licensing board before renewing. See something wrong? Report it →
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What to keep for a CE audit
What boards ask for in a CE audit, how long each state says to keep certificates, what the notice looks like, and a printable checklist.
Colorado mental health workforce data
36,559 active providers, or 608 per 100,000 residents, ranked 11 of 51. County density map and free CSV downloads.
Other Colorado CE requirement pages
Psychologist CE requirements in other states
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