Continuing-education / CPD renewal requirements for behavioral and mental health licenses in Colorado — hours or CPD model per cycle, mandated topics, live/interactive rules, and home-study limits. Pick a license for the full breakdown.
VerifiedColorado
LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker)
40hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
No specific subject mandates — general CE hours only.
Home study: No single Professional Development Activity (PDA) category may exceed 20 of the 40 PDH per 2-year cycle, so self-study/independent-learning is effectively capped at 20 PDH; accredited-institution coursework counts hour-for-hour.
Board notes: Renews through DORA under the Continuing Professional Competency (CPC) program: accrue 40 Professional Development Hours per cycle against a Professional Practice Rubric/Self-Assessment + Learning Plan (or qualify via Deem Status or active-duty military exemption). No mandated topic-specific hours and no live/interactive requirement. LSW/LCSW licenses expire Aug 31 of odd years; new licensees prorated at 1.66 PDH/month.
View full LCSW requirements → VerifiedColorado
LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor)
40hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
No specific subject mandates — general CE hours only.
Home study: No single Professional Development Activity category may exceed 20 of the 40 PDH per 2-year cycle; self-study/independent learning effectively capped at 20 PDH.
Board notes: DORA administers a Continuing Professional Competency (CPC) / Continuing Professional Development model: 40 Professional Development Hours per 2-year cycle accrued against a Professional Survey/Self-Assessment + self-directed Learning Plan (alternatives: Deem Status, active-duty military exemption). The board does NOT mandate specific topics (including ethics) or any live/interactive hours; new licensees prorated at 1.66 PDH/month.
View full LPC requirements → VerifiedColorado
Licensed Psychologist
40hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
No specific subject mandates — general CE hours only.
Home study: No online/home-study format limitation; no single Professional Development Activity category may exceed 20 of the 40 PDH per 2-year cycle.
Board notes: Self-directed Continuing Professional Development (CPD) portfolio: 40 Professional Development Hours per 2-year cycle with an optional Reflective Self-Assessment Tool + Learning Plan. No board-mandated subject-specific hours, no provider pre-approval, and no live/interactive requirement; new licensees prorated at ~1.67 PDH/month.
View full Licensed Psychologist requirements → VerifiedColorado
LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist)
40hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
No specific subject mandates — general CE hours only.
Home study: No single Professional Development Activity category may exceed 20 of the 40 PDH per 2-year cycle; self-study effectively capped at 20 PDH.
Board notes: DORA administers Continuing Professional Competency via the CPD program: 40 Professional Development Hours per 2-year cycle accrued against a self-assessment + Learning Plan (alternatives: Deem Status, active-duty military exemption). No subject-specific mandated topics and no live/interactive requirement; new licensees prorated at 1.66 PDH/month.
View full LMFT requirements → Confirm with boardColorado
BCBA (national BACB standard) / Colorado Licensed Behavior Analyst (HB26-1425, effective July 1, 2028)
32hours / 2-year renewal cycle
No live / interactive hours required — all hours may be self-study
Mandated topics
- Ethics — 4 h
- Supervision — 3 honly required for certificants who supervise others
Home study: Recorded/online BACB ACE-provider CEUs broadly allowed; no state home-study cap because Colorado has not yet promulgated CE rules.
Board notes: Colorado enacted HB26-1425 creating a Colorado Behavior Analyst Licensing Board; licensure of behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts becomes MANDATORY July 1, 2028 (regulation scheduled for sunset repeal Sept 1, 2031). The board has not yet promulgated CE rules and initial licensure will rely on maintaining a valid national certification in good standing, so the BACB recertification standard is the working default: 32 CEUs per 2-year cycle including 4 ethics CEUs, plus 3 supervision CEUs for those who supervise. No live/interactive hours are mandated.
View full BCBA requirements → How many CE hours do behavioral health licenses require in Colorado?
In Colorado, hour-based licenses require 32 to 40 continuing-education hours per renewal cycle depending on the license type; some credentials follow a CPD model instead. See the table above for each credential.
Do CE requirements differ by license type in Colorado?
Yes. Social work, counseling, psychology, marriage & family therapy, and behavior-analysis credentials each have their own requirements, mandated topics, and renewal cycles in Colorado. This page lists each one separately.
Does Colorado require ethics CE?
Colorado requires dedicated ethics continuing education for: BCBA. Exact hour counts are on each license's page.
Updated July 2026 from official licensing-board, regulatory-college, and government sources. CE / CPD requirements change often — always confirm current rules directly with your licensing board or regulator before you renew. Informational only, not legal advice.