Colorado licenses registered nurses through the Colorado Board of Nursing, in the Department of Regulatory Agencies' Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO). Everything below comes from the board's applications page, its FAQ, its home page and DPO's fingerprinting page, checked October 18, 2026. Colorado says fees are on the application itself.
| Board | Colorado Board of Nursing (DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations) |
|---|---|
| Exam | NCLEX-RN, registered with Pearson VUE: $200 to Pearson VUE ($350 for registrations completed on or after February 1, 2027) |
| Board fee | Shown on the application; the board says fees change and differ for new graduates, so check the current application |
| Background check | Colorado Bureau of Investigation and FBI check by electronic fingerprints through IdentoGO or Colorado Fingerprinting |
| Nurse Licensure Compact | Compact state: multistate license if you live here |
| Renewal | RN licenses expire September 30 (renewal was open on the board's home page); check the board for your cycle |
| Continuing education | None: the board says CE hours are not currently required to renew an RN license |
| Authorization to Test | Not stated; Part 1 (RN Exam Approval) is what gets you approved for the Authorization to Test |
Sources: Colorado Board of Nursing, applications and forms, nursing FAQ, nursing home page and DPO fingerprinting and background check. Checked October 18, 2026.
Colorado is a Nurse Licensure Compact state. If Colorado is your primary state of residence and you meet the compact's uniform licensure requirements (they include a fingerprint-based state and federal background check), the board issues a multistate license that also lets you practice in every other compact state. If you live in another state, or do not meet those requirements, you get a single-state license good in Colorado only. Move your primary residence to another compact state and you must apply there for a new multistate license within 60 days.
Compact status from NCSBN, nursecompact.com, checked October 18, 2026.
An associate degree, bachelor's degree, diploma or entry-level master's program approved by a board of nursing, with an NCLEX program code. Your school confirms you graduated.
The license comes from the state board, not the exam. Apply, pay the board fee and do the background check the board asks for.
The NCLEX-RN registration fee is $200 to Pearson VUE ($350 for registrations completed on or after February 1, 2027), non-refundable. Your registration stays open 365 days while the board decides your eligibility.
When the board makes you eligible, Pearson emails your Authorization to Test (ATT). Test within its dates: they cannot be extended. The NCLEX-RN runs 85 to 150 questions in up to five hours, and it stops when the computer is 95% sure you are above or below the passing standard.
The full national walk-through and every state: How to get your RN license. NCLEX facts from NCSBN, NCLEX fees and registration.
Practice for the NCLEX freeThe NCLEX shut-off simulator: real practice questions under the exam's published stopping rules, 85 to 150 questions. No sign-up.