Colorado State Board of Cosmetology
Information verified:About the Colorado State Board of Cosmetology
Colorado cosmetology licensing is administered by the Office of Barber and Cosmetology Licensure within the Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO), a unit of the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA). The office is located at 1560 Broadway, Suite 1350, Denver, CO 80202. Program Director Kathryn Duran oversees day-to-day administration; the office can be reached at (303) 894-7800 (fax 303-894-0144) or by email at dora_barber-cosmetology@state.co.us.
Colorado does not have an autonomous "state board of cosmetology" — licensing decisions, rulemaking, and enforcement are issued by the Director of DPO under the Barber and Cosmetologist Practice Act (sections 12-105-101 et seq., C.R.S.). The Director receives input from a six-member Advisory Committee that includes professional barbers, an esthetician, and public-school and private-school representatives. The Barber Board was created in 1909 and the Cosmetology Board in 1931; the two were combined under one office in 1977.
Operating rules are codified at 4 CCR 731-1 (Barber and Cosmetology Licensure Rules and Regulations), with the most recent permanent rule effective October 30, 2025. Initial license-by-examination applications are processed through PSI's Colorado portal at test-takers.psiexams.com/cocos. Endorsement, reinstatement, renewal, and contact-information updates are handled through DPO Online Services at apps2.colorado.gov/dora/licensing.
Two features distinguish Colorado: the rules give the cosmetologist license a different renewal cadence than the rest — cosmetologist licenses expire on April 30 each year (with the exact even/odd year keyed to issuance date), while barber, esthetician, hairstylist, and nail-technician licenses expire on a biennial cycle on March 31 of even-numbered years. Per HB24-1004 (Polis, June 2024), a regulator may consider a criminal conviction only for a three-year window after conviction or release, materially expanding licensure access for applicants with prior records.
Licenses Regulated
The Office of Barber and Cosmetology Licensure issues five individual licenses and one business registration under 4 CCR 731-1. Schools themselves are approved by the Division of Private Occupational Schools (DPOS) within CDHE or the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), not by this office.
- Cosmetologist — Full hair, skin, and nail scope. Requires 50 credit hours or 1,500 contact hours at a DPOS- or CCCS-approved program. With additional training, scope expands under Rule 1.9 to include cosmetic resurfacing, microdermabrasion, semi-permanent and permanent pigment implantation, and electric nail files.
- Hairstylist — Hair services only (cutting, coloring, chemical texture, styling). Requires 40 credit hours or 1,200 contact hours. Does not authorize skin or nail services.
- Esthetician — Skin care, facials, waxing, makeup. Requires 20 credit hours or 600 contact hours. Additional training unlocks microdermabrasion and pigment implantation.
- Nail Technician — Manicures, pedicures, nail enhancements. Requires 20 credit hours or 600 contact hours. With additional training a nail tech may use electric files for natural-nail services and perform leg-to-knee/arm-to-elbow hair removal by wax or depilatory.
- Barber — Hair cutting, shaving, beard services. Requires 50 credit hours or 1,500 contact hours.
- Shop/Salon Registration — One registration per location for fixed establishments, temporary establishments, or mobile units. A booth-rental shop needs only one registration regardless of how many independent licensees rent space.
Colorado does not issue a separate cosmetology-instructor license — instructor staffing is regulated by DPOS under private-occupational-school rules. Universal practice prohibitions in Rule 1.8(A) include penetrating skin beyond the epidermis, methyl methacrylate (MMA), use of live creatures in a service, and disinfection by ultraviolet light boxes.
Renew Your Colorado Cosmetology License
Colorado has different renewal cycles for different license types. Continuing education is not required for routine renewal of any individual license. Renew through DPO Online Services at apps2.colorado.gov/dora/licensing; renewals open roughly 4–5 weeks before each expiration date.
Expiration Cycle by License Type
- Cosmetologist: Annual cycle. Licenses expire on April 30; whether the expiration falls in an odd-numbered or even-numbered year depends on the issuance date (the office assigns the next April 30 that is more than 120 days away).
- Barber, Esthetician, Hairstylist, Nail Technician: Biennial cycle. Licenses expire on March 31 of even-numbered years (next deadline March 31, 2026, then March 31, 2028).
- Shop/Salon Registration: Biennial cycle expiring November 30 of odd-numbered years (next deadline November 30, 2027).
The renewal fee currently shown on most published guides is $40.00; the actual amount payable in DPO Online Services controls. Per Rule 1.5(A)(2)(c) there is a 60-day grace period after each expiration date during which the licensee may continue to provide services while completing renewal.
Reinstatement After Expiration
If you allow a license to lapse past the grace period, Rule 1.5(C) requires reinstatement. Lapses of more than two years and less than five years require one of: (a) verification of an active out-of-state license under which you have actively practiced within the past two years; (b) 16 hours of Director-approved continuing education completed in the prior two years; or (c) re-passing the written examination. Lapses longer than five years raise the CE option to 24 hours. Reinstatement applications and the reinstatement checklist are on the DPO Applications page.
New-License "Bump" Rule
If your license is issued within 120 days of the upcoming renewal date, the Office issues it with the next subsequent expiration date — so you do not pay a near-immediate renewal fee.
File a Complaint
The Office of Barber and Cosmetology Licensure investigates complaints against licensed cosmetologists, hairstylists, estheticians, nail technicians, barbers, and registered shops or salons. Common complaint subjects include unlicensed practice, scope-of-practice violations (for example, an esthetician performing services that require a cosmetologist license), sanitation and disinfection failures, and prohibited services such as MMA application or skin penetration beyond the epidermis.
Filing a Complaint Online
The fastest route is the Division's online complaint application at apps2.colorado.gov/DORA/licensing/Activities/Complaint.aspx. The DPO complaint hub at dpo.colorado.gov/FileComplaint also offers a hard-copy download. Provide the licensee's name, the location of the alleged conduct, dates, witnesses, and any supporting documentation. Anonymous complaints are accepted, but they limit the Division's ability to follow up.
What Happens Next
Division enforcement staff screen each complaint and may open an investigation. Outcomes range from a closing letter (no violation found) and a confidential letter of admonition, through stipulated disciplinary actions such as fines and probation, up to license suspension or revocation. Final disciplinary actions are publishable on the licensee record.
Other Contacts
Phone: (303) 894-7800 (DPO main line). Email: dora_barber-cosmetology@state.co.us. Mail: Office of Barber and Cosmetology Licensure, 1560 Broadway, Suite 1350, Denver, CO 80202.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many training hours does a Colorado cosmetologist license require?
- Per 4 CCR 731-1 Rule 1.2, a cosmetologist license requires 50 credit hours or 1,500 contact hours at a school approved by DPOS or CCCS, or completion of a Colorado-approved apprenticeship. The hairstylist license requires 1,200 contact hours; barber, 1,500; esthetician and nail technician, 600 each.
- When does my Colorado cosmetology license expire?
- Cosmetologist licenses expire on April 30 every year; whether the next expiration falls in an odd or even year depends on when the license was issued. Barber, esthetician, hairstylist, and nail-technician licenses are biennial and expire on March 31 of even-numbered years. Shop/salon registrations expire November 30 of odd-numbered years.
- Does Colorado require continuing education to renew?
- No. Continuing education is not required for routine renewal of any individual license under Rule 1.5(A). CE only enters the picture during reinstatement of a lapsed license — 16 hours if expired more than 2 but less than 5 years, 24 hours if expired more than 5 years.
- What exam do I need to take for a Colorado cosmetology license?
- The Office's examination vendor is PSI. Initial license-by-examination applications now go through PSI's Colorado portal at test-takers.psiexams.com/cocos. The PSI cosmetology test-taker guide lists a $32 application fee, $62 cosmetology theory test fee, and $69 practical test fee. Candidates who fail the written exam must wait at least 30 days before retaking it.
- How do I file a complaint against a Colorado cosmetologist or salon?
- Use the DORA online complaint application at apps2.colorado.gov/DORA/licensing/Activities/Complaint.aspx or download the hard-copy complaint form from dpo.colorado.gov/FileComplaint.
- How do I contact the Colorado cosmetology licensing office?
- Call (303) 894-7800 or email dora_barber-cosmetology@state.co.us. Walk-in office: 1560 Broadway, Suite 1350, Denver, CO 80202. Fax: (303) 894-0144.