Colorado licenses occupational therapists and occupational therapy assistants through DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO). There is no separate board; the Director of the Division regulates the profession. Everything below comes from the board's own pages and rules, checked October 18, 2026. Fees and rules change, so confirm on the linked pages before you pay.
Check with your board. OT Ticket is a study aid, not clinical or legal guidance. Not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy (NBCOT), AOTA, ACOTE, the OT Compact Commission or any state board; NBCOT, OTR and COTA are their marks, used here only to name the exam.
Colorado at a glance
Occupational therapist (OT)
OT assistant (OTA)
Exam
NBCOT OTR exam (180 questions, 4 hours), $540 to NBCOT
NBCOT COTA exam (190 questions, 4 hours), $540 to NBCOT
Board fees
Shown when you apply online; check with DPO (no refunds or fee transfers)
Same
Exam timing
NBCOT passed within the last 2 years, or registered to test within 4 weeks
NBCOT passed; upload your results
Background check
Not in the OT application preview; check with DPO
Same
Provisional license
Provisional OT (OTP) for graduates of an ACOTE program
Check with DPO
OT Compact
Member, not accepting applications yet. Colorado has enacted the OT Compact but has not opened privilege applications, so for now you need a full Colorado license. (OT Compact, checked October 18, 2026)
Colorado, step by step
Colorado Occupational Therapy Licensure (Division of Professions and Occupations, DORA)
Apply online through DPO's licensing portal (the application questions are posted as previews on the Applications and Forms page). Fees are not refunded or transferred if you file the wrong application or do not qualify.
NBCOT: the OT application asks whether you passed the NBCOT exam within the last two years or are registered to take it within the next four weeks. OTA applicants must have passed and upload a copy of their results.
Provisional OT license (optional): graduates of an ACOTE-accredited program can apply for a provisional OT license (OTP); read DPO's Occupational Therapy Licensing Guide for its limits before you work under it.
Timing: a license issued within 120 days of the next renewal date gets the following expiration date. Colorado has enacted the OT Compact but is not accepting privilege applications yet.
Every state licenses occupational therapists and OT assistants on NBCOT certification: an ACOTE-accredited degree with its Level II fieldwork, then NBCOT's exam (the OTR exam for OTs, 180 questions in 4 hours; the COTA exam for OT assistants, 190 questions in 4 hours; 450 on a 300-600 scale passes; $540 to apply online). NBCOT certification is not a license: you apply to your state board separately, and NBCOT sends the board your score (the Score Transfer is free if you add it when you apply for the exam, $35 later). The full walk-through: How to get your OT license.