Working in Colorado on an out-of-state nursing license
Last verified against Colorado State Board of Nursing (DORA).
The five facts
- Compact status
- Member (implemented), January 19, 2018
- Endorsement fee
- Shown only inside the online application — DORA publishes no fee schedule
- Temporary permit
- Unclear — see below
- Processing
- Board review typically takes a minimum of three weeks; final correspondence within 14 days after the Board meeting.
- Portal
- DORA Online Services
Check your own licence against Colorado
Your Texas multistate license already authorizes practice in Colorado.
- No Colorado application, fee, or verification is required.
- You practice under Colorado's nurse practice act while your patient is located there.
- Keep your Texas license active and unencumbered; a restriction in any state suspends the multistate privilege everywhere.
- Earliest start
- Today
- Fee
- $0
Data as of September 2, 2026.
Nothing you enter here is stored. Trust keeps credentials on your phone, not on our servers.
If you hold a multistate license
Colorado honors it. You can work in Colorado today, in person or by telehealth, with no Colorado application, fee, or verification. You follow the Colorado nurse practice act while your patient is located in Colorado.
If you move your primary residence to Colorado you have 60 days after the move to apply for a Colorado license by endorsement (NLC Rule 402(2), effective January 2, 2024). Your former multistate license is deactivated when the Colorado license issues — you do not hold two.
Licensure by endorsement in Colorado
- 01
Open a DORA Online Services account
Create your DORA Online Services account and start the RN licensure-by-endorsement application with the Colorado State Board of Nursing (DORA).
- 02
Request Nursys verification
Request license verification through Nursys for every state that applies to you. Colorado accepts Nursys verification.
- 03
Complete fingerprints and the background check
Colorado requires a fingerprint-based criminal background check: Electronic fingerprints via IdentoGO (code 25YN1Y) or Colorado Fingerprinting (code 5948NUCI); do not submit until ready to apply.
- 04
Clear the course requirements
Refresher course only if no active practice in the last 2 years
- 05
Pay the application fee
The endorsement fee is Shown only inside the online application — DORA publishes no fee schedule. Confirm the amount on the board's fee page before you pay.
- 06
Plan for the wait
The board's public pages do not describe an endorsement temporary permit. Confirm with the board before relying on one.
- 07
Wait for the permanent license
Board review typically takes a minimum of three weeks; final correspondence within 14 days after the Board meeting. Verify the license on the board's public lookup, then store the expiration in Trust.
Active practice within the last 2 years, or a refresher course.
DORA prints no fee anywhere public — the same rule that applies to the Colorado renewal guide applies here: print no number.
Board: you are not required to obtain a Colorado license if you hold a multistate license in a compact state you claim as your primary residence.
What it costs, all in
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Endorsement application | Shown only inside the online application — DORA publishes no fee schedule |
| CBI/FBI fingerprinting via IdentoGO or Colorado Fingerprinting | varies |
| Nursys verification | $30 |
Amounts marked “varies” come from a secondary source rather than a current board page — confirm them in the application before you budget.
How long it takes
Board review typically takes a minimum of three weeks; final correspondence within 14 days after the Board meeting.
The board's public pages do not describe an endorsement temporary permit. Confirm with the board before relying on one.
EMTs and paramedics
Colorado — EMS Compact: Member (operational), since May 8, 2015.
If your home state is also an operational member and you are not relocating, your EMT, AEMT, or Paramedic license carries a privilege to practice in Colorado with no application and no fee — provided you are 18 or older, unrestricted, working under a physician medical director, and affiliated with an EMS agency authorized in Colorado. Moving there means applying for a Colorado license.
After you’re licensed
A new license starts a new renewal clock. The Colorado RN renewal guide covers the cycle length, the CE the board counts, and the fee — read it once, then let Trust hold the date.
Questions people ask
Is Colorado a compact state?
Yes. Colorado is an implemented member of the Nurse Licensure Compact as of January 19, 2018, so a multistate license from another implemented member state authorizes practice there.
Can I work in Colorado with a multistate license from another state?
Yes, if your primary state of residence issued the multistate license and it is active and unencumbered. No Colorado application or fee is required, and you practice under Colorado's nurse practice act while your patient is there. Moving your residence to Colorado starts a 60-day clock to apply by endorsement.
How much does it cost to transfer an RN license to Colorado?
The Colorado State Board of Nursing (DORA) endorsement fee is Shown only inside the online application — DORA publishes no fee schedule. Budget for the extras too: CBI/FBI fingerprinting via IdentoGO or Colorado Fingerprinting $39.5, Nursys verification $30.
Does Colorado offer a temporary permit while my endorsement is pending?
The board's public pages do not describe an endorsement temporary permit. Confirm with the board before relying on one.
How long does Colorado RN endorsement take?
Board review typically takes a minimum of three weeks; final correspondence within 14 days after the Board meeting.
Do I need fingerprints for a Colorado nursing license?
Yes. Electronic fingerprints via IdentoGO (code 25YN1Y) or Colorado Fingerprinting (code 5948NUCI); do not submit until ready to apply
What courses does Colorado require before it issues an endorsement license?
Refresher course only if no active practice in the last 2 years
Do I need recent nursing practice to endorse into Colorado?
Active practice within the last 2 years, or a refresher course.