How to Become a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado
Becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor in Colorado runs through the State Board of Licensed Professional Counselor Examiners, part of the Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO) within the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). Colorado is a member of the Counseling Compact, an interstate agreement that can ease practice across member states once you're fully licensed.
Step 1: Earn a Qualifying Master's Degree
You need a master's or doctoral degree from a CACREP-accredited program (or one reviewed as equivalent by the Center for Credentialing and Education), with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.5, or 2.5 across your last 60 semester credits.
Step 2: Register as a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPCC)
Before your supervised hours can count, you register with DORA as an LPCC, the state's formal designation for post-degree clinicians working under supervision.
Step 3: Complete Your Supervised Experience
Colorado requires a minimum of 2,000 post-degree supervised hours over at least two years, with at least 1,500 hours of direct client contact.
Step 4: Pass the NCE
You must pass the National Counselor Examination no more than five years before the date of your licensure application.
Step 5: Apply for Full LPC Licensure
Submit your application online through DORA, along with transcripts, your education review (if your program wasn't CACREP-accredited), exam scores, and completed Post-Degree Experience and Supervision forms.
Renewing Your License
Colorado LPC licenses expire August 31 of odd-numbered years. Renewal requires completing 40 hours of Continuing Professional Competency (CPC) activities each two-year cycle, built around a self-assessment and individualized learning plan rather than a fixed list of approved courses. The renewal fee is currently around $193, though DORA fees change periodically, so confirm the amount in your renewal application.
Apply for Your License
Start or continue your application directly with Colorado DORA / State Board of Licensed Professional Counselor Examiners, the official licensing authority. Applications submitted anywhere else won't be processed.
A Note on Accuracy
This post reflects information from DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations and the Colorado Counseling Association. Licensing rules, fees, and statutes change. Verify current requirements directly with DORA at dpo.colorado.gov before making any licensure decision.
Colorado's Continuing Professional Competency system is more self-directed than most states' CE requirements, so build your learning plan early in each renewal cycle rather than scrambling near the deadline.
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