In Colorado, the nursing profession is regulated by the State Board of Nursing, a division of the Department of Regulatory Agencies. Colorado is fairly typical in terms of its Licensed Professional Nurse (LPN) requirements – like most states, you must take and pass the NCLEX after completing an approved program of study, unless you already hold a license from another state. However, due to a recently passed law, Colorado does have a somewhat unusual requirement for maintaining a nursing license, which we’ll discuss further below.

Obtaining a License

Here are the general steps required to become a Licensed Practical Nurse in Colorado:

• Successfully complete a program of study at a Board-approved nursing school. Colorado has no specific type of degree requirement for LPNs, though most programs are one year and include a "hands-on" component. However, depending on the type of school you attended, the application process may be different. If you attended a “traditional” degree program, and obtained an Associate’s or Bachelor’s Degree, simply attach a sealed transcript to your application. If, however, you completed a vocational program, you must attach a “skills checklist” ensuring that you have been trained in proper procedures. That checklist is available with the application linked below.
• Upon program completion, submit an application to the Board. You can find the LPN-specific application and supporting forms here, and the fee is 88 dollars.
• Register for the NCLEX exam. You should do this at around the same time you submit your Board application. The fee to register is 200 dollars, and like most states, Colorado uses Pearson to administer its NCLEX.
• Take and pass the NCLEX. This is the “big one” so to speak – the test required in all 50 states to become a Licensed Practical Nurse (there is also a version for registered nurses).
• Once you pass, you're in! Because you already submitted your application and academic records, passage of the exam means an automatic license.

If you already hold a license in another state, and wish to practice in Colorado, there are two options. Colorado is a Nurse Licensure Compact (NLC) state, along with 23 others. In essence, this makes it far easier to practice in CO if you have a license in another NLC state – the details can be found here, but the main point is that you need not apply for a license at all! If you hold a license in a non-NLC state, you may still become a Colorado nurse by “endorsement,” since you have already passed the NCLEX, but this requires its own application – you can find it on this page. There is no additional education requirement.

Maintaining a License

Colorado LPN licenses expire automatically on August 31st of every even-numbered year, although if you are issued a license within 120 days of this date, you’ll be okay until the next licensing period. The renewal fee is 117 dollars. Although you’ll almost certainly have already done this during the application process, you must have an online account with the Division of Regulatory Agencies. You can begin the online process here.

As a result of a 2013 law, all registered and licensed nurses in Colorado are required to maintain what’s called a Healthcare Profession Profile as a condition of keeping their license in good standing. Here’s how it works. You create a profile here. On the actual profile, you will list quite a bit of information, including your original license date, address, employer, and whether you have ever been the subject of any disciplinary actions. Any member of the public is free to look up this profile at any time.

Discipline in the profession is also handled by the Board of Nursing. In essence, a complaint made by a member of the public triggers a preliminary inquiry by the Board, possibly assisted by the state’s Office of Investigations. The Board may choose to dismiss the complaint based on a lack of jurisdiction or a finding that no violation occurred. Alternately, it may investigate further – if a violation is found, the Board may take any number of disciplinary actions, from issuing a public reprimand to revoking your license. And remember, any violations must be listed on your Healthcare Profession Profile!