Colorado contractor license requirements
By Mountain West Trades editors · Updated
Last verified
Do you need a contractor license in Colorado?
Colorado law lets local governments license building contractors. A county that has adopted a building code may require building contractors to hold a county license for work in its unincorporated areas, and the same law recognizes contractor licenses issued by cities and towns. Electricians and plumbers are licensed by the state under separate laws. (source) A business that contracts electrical work for others must register with the Colorado State Electrical Board, and a plumbing contractor must register with the State Plumbing Board before operating. Cities, towns and counties may also require electrical contractors to register (at no charge) and may license plumbing contractors. (source)
This guide summarizes what Colorado requires to run a contracting business, with a link to the state's own source for every requirement. Licenses for individual electricians, plumbers and HVAC technicians are separate; see the trade guides linked below. Rules change; check the linked source before you apply.
License classes
Colorado's state professional licensing law (Title 12 of the Colorado Revised Statutes) has no general contractor license. The contractor registrations it creates are trade-specific: electrical contractor and photovoltaic installer, with the State Electrical Board, and plumbing contractor and water conditioning contractor, with the State Plumbing Board. (source)
Experience and exams
Colorado's electrical and plumbing contractor registrations are tied to a master license. An electrical contractor must have a licensed master electrician, either an owner or a full-time employee, in charge of supervising all of its electrical work. A plumbing contractor must be, or employ full-time, a master plumber. The registration sections of the statute list no separate experience requirement for the contractor itself. (source)
Counties that license building contractors may require a passing grade on a nationally recognized International Code Council (ICC) exam. A county with such a program must license, without its own exam, a contractor who holds a valid license from another Colorado county, city or town that required a nationally recognized ICC exam. (source)
Bond and insurance
To register, Colorado electrical and plumbing contractors must show they comply with the state's workers' compensation and unemployment compensation laws. (source)
Fees and renewal
Colorado electrical and plumbing contractor registrations expire on a schedule set by the director of DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations, and each registration period lasts at least one year and no more than three years. (source)