CO DPO cosmetology renewal: Colorado 2026
Regulated by the Colorado Office of Barbering and Cosmetology (CO DPO)
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Colorado cosmetology licenses are valid for 2 years. There is no continuing education requirement. You renew through the Colorado Office of Barbering and Cosmetology (CO DPO).
Here is the short answer most Colorado licensees are looking for: there is no continuing education requirement to renew your cosmetology, esthetician, hairstylist, nail technician, or barber license. The state regulates the trades through the Office of Barbering and Cosmetology, and a routine two-year renewal asks you to keep your license current rather than to log classroom hours. The one place CE does appear is reinstatement of a license that has already lapsed for years.
No continuing education is required to renew an active license in Colorado. Whether you hold a cosmetologist, esthetician, hairstylist, nail technician, or barber license, the regular renewal does not include any CE hours. This is set out in the state's rules at 4 CCR 731-1, Section 1.5, which covers license maintenance and reinstatement but lists no CE hours for ordinary renewal.
- Renewal cycle: Licenses are renewed every 2 years.
- CE hours for renewal: 0. There is nothing to track, log, or report at renewal time.
- What renewal involves instead: Submitting your renewal application and fee through the state before your license expires so it stays active.
Where CE actually shows up: reinstatement. If you let a license lapse and want it back, the rules do require continuing education before reinstatement, scaled to how long it has been expired:
- Expired 2 to 5 years: 16 contact hours of continuing education are required to reinstate (4 CCR 731-1, Section 1.5.C.2.b).
- Expired 5 or more years: 24 contact hours are required to reinstate (Section 1.5.C.3.b).
For these reinstatement hours, Colorado defines a contact hour as 50 minutes of instruction (4 CCR 731-1.1.B.7), so a one hour course block in a catalog may or may not equal a full contact hour depending on actual instruction time.
Because regular renewal has no CE, there are no online or self-study limits, no required special topics, and no per license-type differences to worry about for an active renewal. The simplest way to avoid CE entirely is to renew on time and never let the license expire.
Does Colorado require CE for cosmetology renewal?
Colorado does not require continuing education for license renewal. You renew every 2 years by paying the fee and submitting any required documentation. Add your renewal date below and we'll email you 90, 60, and 30 days before your deadline.
Colorado state board contact info
- Board: Colorado Office of Barbering and Cosmetology (CO DPO)
- Website: https://dpo.colorado.gov/BarberCosmetology
Other states with no CE requirement: Arizona, California, Massachusetts. See the full list of states with no CE requirement. Compare all 53 states.
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Frequently asked questions about Colorado cosmetology renewal
Does Colorado require CE for cosmetology or esthetician renewal?
Colorado does not require continuing education for estheticians, cosmetologists, hairstylists, nail technicians, and barbers. You renew every 2 years by application and fee only. No CE hours or courses are required.
Can I complete Colorado cosmetology CE online?
Colorado has no CE requirement, so there are no online CE hours to complete. Renewal is by application and fee only.
How often does a Colorado cosmetology license need to be renewed?
Colorado estheticians, cosmetologists, hairstylists, nail technicians, and barbers licenses renew every 2 years. No CE is required; renewal is by application and fee.
What happens if my Colorado cosmetology license lapses?
If you miss your Colorado renewal deadline, your license enters expired or inactive status. You may face late fees, a reinstatement application, and in some cases additional CE hours or re-examination. Set a free reminder on CEFinder so your deadline is never a surprise.
Do I need continuing education to renew my Colorado cosmetology license?
No. Colorado does not require any continuing education to renew an active cosmetology, esthetician, hairstylist, nail technician, or barber license. You renew every two years by filing your renewal and fee before the license expires.
How often do I renew my license in Colorado?
Every two years. The renewal keeps your license active and does not include CE hours.
If renewal has no CE, when would I ever need continuing education?
Only for reinstatement of a lapsed license. A license expired 2 to 5 years needs 16 contact hours, and one expired 5 or more years needs 24 contact hours, before it can be reinstated under 4 CCR 731-1, Section 1.5.
Does the CE rule differ for estheticians, nail techs, or barbers?
No. The renewal rule is the same across all of these license types: zero CE for an active renewal. The reinstatement hours also apply the same way based on how long the license has been expired.
What counts as a contact hour for the reinstatement requirement?
Colorado defines one contact hour as 50 minutes of instruction (4 CCR 731-1.1.B.7). This matters only if you are reinstating an expired license, since active renewal has no CE.