Colorado is largely a certification-based state for nurse practitioners: the State Board of Nursing does not set a general per-cycle CE hour total beyond maintaining your current national certification (your certifying body has its own recertification CE). APRN licenses renew every two years by September 30 of odd-numbered years. APRNs with prescriptive authority (RXN) must, however, complete at least 5 contact hours of pharmacology CE and at least 2 contact hours of substance-use prevention CE each renewal. Below is the full breakdown.
Certification-based
Maintain national certification to renew your APRN license.
5 pharmacology hours
RXN prescribers need 5 pharmacology contact hours per cycle.
2 substance-use hours
Prescribers add 2 contact hours of substance-use prevention.
Renews by Sept 30 (odd years)
APRN licenses renew biennially by September 30 of odd years.
How Colorado nurse practitioners renew
Colorado does not set a general per-cycle CE hour total for APRNs beyond maintaining current national certification. APRN licenses renew every two years by September 30 of odd-numbered years.
Pharmacology and substance-use requirements for prescribers
- Pharmacology: APRNs with RXN prescriptive authority must complete at least 5 contact hours of pharmacology CE per cycle.
- Substance-use prevention: at least 2 contact hours with every renewal.
Renewal cycle and deadlines
Colorado APRN licenses renew biennially by September 30 of odd-numbered years. Maintain national certification and complete any required prescriber CE before that date.
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View pricingColorado Nurse Practitioners (NP/APRN) CME at a glance
- Pharmacology (RXN Prescribers)5 hrs
APRNs with prescriptive authority (RXN) must complete at least 5 contact hours of pharmacology CE each renewal cycle.
- Substance Use Prevention2 hrs
APRNs with prescriptive authority must complete at least 2 contact hours in substance-use prevention with every renewal.
Always confirm with your licensing board
Colorado does not impose a general per-cycle CE hour total for APRNs beyond maintaining current national certification (the national certifying body has its own recertification CE). APRN licenses renew every two years by September 30 of odd-numbered years. APRNs with prescriptive authority (RXN) must complete at least 5 contact hours of pharmacology CE per cycle and at least 2 contact hours in substance-use prevention with every renewal.
CE requirements change. Confirm current rules with the Colorado State Board of Nursing before relying on these figures.
Source: Colorado State Board of Nursing. Board website · Researched as of 2026-06-01 · CME rules change; this is administrative guidance, not legal or CME-accreditation advice.
Licensed in more than one state?
APRN Compact: enacted but not yet active. Enacted by several states but NOT yet operational — no multistate APRN license is being issued. APRNs/NPs license state-by-state today (an APRN who is also an RN may hold an NLC multistate RN license).
Each state license carries its own CME requirement and renewal date — if you hold more than one, you need a plan for each.
Also licensing in Colorado or beyond?
Our sister teams handle the licensing side with the same concierge service.
White Glove APRN
Advanced practice (NP, CRNA, CNS, CNM) state-by-state licensing, DEA, and CSR. The APRN Compact is not yet active, so we handle single-state licensing.
whitegloveaprn.comWhite Glove NLC
RN and LPN/LVN licensing — Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) multistate and single-state.
whiteglovenlc.comColorado Nurse Practitioner CE Requirements — Frequently Asked Questions
Does Colorado require CE hours for nurse practitioners?
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There is no general per-cycle CE total beyond maintaining national certification; prescribers must complete pharmacology and substance-use CE.
How many pharmacology hours do Colorado APRN prescribers need?
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At least 5 contact hours of pharmacology CE per two-year cycle, plus 2 hours of substance-use prevention.
When does a Colorado APRN license renew?
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Every two years by September 30 of odd-numbered years.
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