Colorado State Board Of Nursing

Welcome to the website of the Colorado State Board of Nursing. Our goal is to provide you with useful information, including how to renew your nursing license, find resources, and access our other services.

Colorado State Board Of Nursing

1 License Verification

You can verify a nurse’s license status online at the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) website: https://www.ncsbn.org/Verify-Nurse-License?LSC=CSB_0014_01&state=CO

To verify another nurse’s license, you must use their full name and date of birth to search for them in the NCSBN database. This site may not be able to find all nurses, so it is important for you to check your local state board if you cannot find the person on this site. The NCSBN does not have access to licenses issued by each individual state; therefore, they rely on their co-sponsors’ data systems which include licensure information from other countries as well as nursing licenses issued by some states outside the United States.

2 Board Information

Colorado State Board of Nursing (CSBN)

Address, phone number, email and website:

Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies Division of Professions and Occupations, 150 N. Broadway, Suite 300 Denver CO 80203-2809 Phone: (303) 894-7830 Fax: (303) 894-7834 Email: cdrl_dpor_webmaster@state.co.us Website: https://www.colorado.gov/cdrl/drl/professions_and_occupations

3 Contact Us

• Phone: (303) 592-1142
• Email: [email protected]
• Address:
• Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies
• 1560 Broadway, Suite 1200, Denver, CO 80202
• Hours of Operation: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mountain Time

4 Nursing Practice Act

The Nursing Practice Act is the law that governs the practice of nursing in Colorado. The Nursing Practice Act is a set of rules and regulations that define the scope of practice for nurses in Colorado.

5 Rules and Regulations

The Colorado State Board of Nursing (Board) is a regulatory agency that protects the public interest by regulating the practice of nursing in Colorado. The Nursing Practice Act (NPA), C.R.S. 12-64-101 et seq., governs the practice of nursing and sets forth specific requirements and standards for all licensed registered nurses (RNs), licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPNs/LVNs) and nurse assistants who provide direct care to patients in health care facilities, including hospitals, home health agencies and hospice agencies operating within Colorado. A copy of the NPA is available at https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/dora/lawsandrules

• To work as an RN or LPN in Colorado you must be licensed by passing a national certification exam with minimum score or completing an accredited education program from an accredited school whose graduates have passed such exams with minimum scores;
• If your education program was not completed at an accredited educational institution, it must be evaluated by one of two accrediting bodies recognized by DORA before you can apply for licensure;
• If your education program was not completed at either type I or type II school listed above then you may still take one test from those two types listed above but will have three years after completion date instead of two years prior certification deadline.”

6 Lapsed Licenses

A lapse is when your license has expired and you have not renewed it.

A renewal allows you to maintain your active status.

You can renew a lapsed license if:

• You were actively pursuing the renewal process before it lapsed; or
• The lapse was due to extenuating circumstances beyond your control (e.g., serious illness, death in family). In addition, if a board member determines that other factors contributed directly or indirectly to the delay in submitting the application for renewal, such as lack of knowledge about renewal procedures or deadlines, then they may consider these when determining eligibility for reinstatement of licensure.

7 Practice Issues

The Colorado State Board of Nursing (CSBN) is responsible for the licensure and discipline of nurses in Colorado. The CSBN licenses over 75,000 nurses throughout the state, including all registered nurses and licensed vocational nurses.

The CSBN regulates nursing practice by ensuring that nurses are competent and ethical. The board ensures public safety by protecting patients from unsafe nursing care through licensing, education and investigation activities designed to protect vulnerable people from unethical or incompetent healthcare providers.

8 Renewals

How to Renew Your License

If you’re licensed in Colorado, you’ll need to renew every two years. You can renew online or by mail. If you don’t renew your license on time, it will expire and prevent you from working as a nurse in the state until it is reinstated. If this happens, contact the Board of Nursing at (303) 894-7299 so they can help you with that process.

What Happens if I Don’t Renew My License?

If your license expires while under investigation by the Board of Nursing due to misconduct or malpractice claims against you, then they have up until 30 days after expiration before an automatic suspension goes into effect for up to 10 months (60 days for each count). If there are multiple charges against someone’s nursing license and those charges were filed within ten days of expiration date then that person may be able to request for an extension on their original deadline based upon extenuating circumstances such as illness or other issues related specifically toward resolving these matters.”

9 Licensure by Endorsement

If you are licensed in another state and want to be licensed in Colorado, the process is called licensure by endorsement. To apply for this type of licensure, you will need to submit a completed application form (Form 4) with:

• A $60 fee
• Proof that you have graduated from an accredited nursing program and/or have passed the NCLEX-RN exam within 10 years before applying; OR proof that you have graduated from an accredited nursing program or passed the NCLEX-RN exam more than 10 years ago but can validate current competency through documented activities such as clinical practice, teaching or research since your graduation date. Documentation must include letterhead stationary identifying the organization where activities were performed and stating dates when they occurred (no less than three months after graduating).

In addition to submitting Form 4, applicants must provide:

• Verification of identity and citizenship (Form 1A) or verification of legal presence if currently residing outside U.S.; AND fingerprint card (Form 1B). If not residing within 100 miles from Denver at time of application submission, fingerprints must be submitted electronically via Live Scan service provider using fingerprint submission guidelines available on our website under “Licensure Requirements for Nurses.”

10 Welcome to the website of the Colorado State Board of Nursing.

If you are a nurse, this website is for you. It contains information about the Board and its duties, as well as about the laws it enforces. We hope that these resources will help nurses make informed decisions about their nursing practice or career.

Our goal is to provide useful information in an accessible format using clear language that everyone can understand including those with disabilities; however, we cannot guarantee that all content will be available in all formats due to different browser settings used by end users (e.g., screen readers). To ensure optimal accessibility of our website, we recommend that users go through the following checklist:

• Download our mobile app (search “Colorado State Board of Nursing” on your favorite app store)
• Increase font size on your computer/device
• Decrease brightness/contrast on your computer/device

Closing

We hope you find the information on our website useful and easy to navigate. If you need more information or have questions, please contact us at 303-894-3100.