What are the Colorado veterinarian CE requirements?

• Colorado veterinarians must obtain 32 hours of CE every two years.

• See 4 CCR 727-1.15 to 1.16 (pages 9-10) for board-approved CE parameters. 

• Criteria for automatically approved courses can be found on pages 28-29 of the State Board's Policies & Guidelines

• October 31, 2026 is the next license renewal deadline in Colorado.

• All 32 hours may be obtained online.

• No more than 16 CE hours may be in nonbiomedical topics, including, but not limited to, leadership training, personnel management, client relations, communication training, and integrated resource management principles.

• Colorado requires 2 CE hours of jurisprudence on the Colorado Veterinary Practice Act every two years.
  
  
• Opioid Mandate: 1 CE hour must include the topics of best practices for veterinary opioid prescribing, recognition of human substance use disorder, and use of the electronic prescription drug-monitoring program.

Jurisprudence CE required by law

Colorado requires 2 CE hours of jurisprudence on the Colorado Veterinary Practice Act every two years. Enroll in Colorado Veterinary Jurisprudence.

Fulfill your Colorado Opioid CE requirement with Opioid 411

Colorado veterinarians must take 1 CE hour, which includes the topics of best practices for veterinary opioid prescribing, recognition of human substance use disorder, and use of the electronic prescription drug-monitoring program.

non-VIN members click here:

VIN members click here:

Track Your CE with the Free Colorado CE Planner

Use this planner to keep a personal record of your CE. The Colorado Board of Veterinary Medicine conducts CE audits following each license period. Documentation for CE Programs must include:

• Name of participant/attendee
• Name and qualification(s) of the presenter
• Name of sponsoring organization or person
• Title, date(s), and location of meeting
• If not a seminar or face-to-face delivery, method of delivery should be indicated
• Length of presentation or number of hours earned
• Intended audience
• Verification by the CE program sponsor (signature, seal, or other similar indicia)

Colorado Veterinary CE Planner

Download Your Free Colorado CE Planner

CE Hour Requirements for Colorado Veterinarians

Veterinarians are required to obtain 32 hours of CE every two years. All 32 hours may be online.

CE Course Parameters for Colorado Veterinarians

Remember that when completing your required CE, there are some topic limitations.

You can't take any more than 16 hours in nonbiomedical topics including, but not limited to, leadership training, personnel management, client relations, communication training, and integrated resource management principles. Colorado requires 2 CE hours of jurisprudence on the "Colorado Veterinary Practice Act" every two years.

Colorado is ahead of the game! Other states have set limits or parameters for online CE but Colorado allows veterinarians to complete all CE hours online in any mix of live (interactive) or self study (non-interactive) formats.  This is a great opportunity for you to pick the CE that best meets your needs as a busy practitioner and complete it on your schedule!

Don't forget that every renewal period, you also have to take 1 hour of CE, including the topics of best practices for veterinary opioid prescribing, recognition of human substance use disorder, and use of the electronic prescription drug-monitoring program.

We've researched the Colorado Board's regulations, so you don't have to!

Need to learn something new? Need a refresher on a long-forgotten topic? We've got Colorado veterinarians covered and look forward to meeting your needs!