Colorado HVAC, Plumbing & Electrical License Requirements
Last updated 2026. Requirements may change — always verify with your state licensing board.
- Renewal
- Varies by municipality
- CE hours
- No state CE — local jurisdictions may require CE
- Initial cost
- Varies by municipality
- License types
- None at state level — local licenses required
- Experience
- Varies by municipality
- Exam
- Varies by municipality
- Bond
- No state bond requirement
- Insurance
- Workers' comp required with employees under state law
- Reciprocity
- N/A at state level
- Board
- No statewide HVAC licensing authority
- Website
- dpo.colorado.gov
- Notes
- Colorado has NO statewide HVAC/mechanical contractor license. Denver requires a Mechanical Supervisor Certificate. Colorado Springs, Aurora, and other cities have their own requirements. Check every municipality where you work. SB 25-165 (2025) updated electrical licensing to clarify PV system training — this may affect HVAC contractors doing solar-related work.
- Renewal
- 3-year cycle
- CE hours
- 24 CE hours per 3-year renewal
- Initial cost
- ~$200–$350
- License types
- Apprentice, Residential Plumber, Journeyworker Plumber, Master Plumber, Plumbing Contractor
- Experience
- 4 years (7,200 hours) for journeyworker; 1 additional year for master
- Exam
- State exam at each level (UPC-based)
- Bond
- Not required at state level
- Insurance
- Workers' comp required with employees
- Reciprocity
- Colorado evaluates out-of-state licenses individually — no blanket reciprocity
- Board
- Colorado Division of Professions & Occupations — State Plumbing Board
- Notes
- Plumbing contractor registration requires a responsible master plumber. The plumber must be a W-2 employee, not a subcontractor.
- Renewal
- 3-year cycle
- CE hours
- 24 CE hours per 3-year renewal
- Initial cost
- ~$200–$350
- License types
- Apprentice, Residential Wireman, Journeyman Electrician, Master Electrician, Electrical Contractor
- Experience
- 4 years (8,000 hours) for journeyman
- Exam
- State exam at each level (NEC-based)
- Bond
- Not required at state level
- Insurance
- Workers' comp required with employees
- Reciprocity
- Evaluated individually — no blanket agreements
- Board
- Colorado Division of Professions & Occupations — State Electrical Board
- Notes
- SB 25-165 (passed 2025) updated how practical experience and PV training count toward residential wireman and journeyman licenses. PV installers must register with the Electrical Board by December 31, 2026.
Colorado has a split licensing system. The state licenses plumbers and electricians through the Division of Professions & Occupations, but there is no statewide HVAC/mechanical contractor license. HVAC work is regulated at the city and county level, meaning requirements vary dramatically depending on where you work.
Denver requires a Mechanical Supervisor Certificate for HVAC work. Colorado Springs, Aurora, Lakewood, and other cities each have their own HVAC licensing requirements. If you serve customers across multiple Colorado municipalities, you may need separate local licenses for each jurisdiction. This is one of the most complex states for HVAC contractors to navigate.
For plumbing and electrical, the state handles licensing with a 3-year renewal cycle and 24 CE hours per cycle. Plumbing contractor registration requires a responsible master plumber who must be a W-2 employee (not a subcontractor). Electrical licensing was updated by SB 25-165 (2025), which clarified how PV system training counts toward license qualifications — important if you're doing any solar-related electrical work.
TradesIQ tracks your Colorado state licenses and can help you manage the complexity of local HVAC permits across multiple municipalities — all in one dashboard.
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Renewal cycles, CE hours, fees, and licensing board links.
Colorado
Full Colorado guide →- Renewal
- Varies by municipality
- CE
- No state CE — local jurisdictions may require CE
- Cost
- Varies by municipality
- Board
- No statewide HVAC licensing authority
- Website
- dpo.colorado.gov
- Renewal
- 3-year cycle
- CE
- 24 CE hours per 3-year renewal
- Cost
- ~$200–$350
- Board
- Colorado Division of Professions & Occupations — State Plumbing Board
- Renewal
- 3-year cycle
- CE
- 24 CE hours per 3-year renewal
- Cost
- ~$200–$350
- Board
- Colorado Division of Professions & Occupations — State Electrical Board
Requirements may change. Always verify with your state licensing board.