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Required CE

Required CE for Colorado Veterinarians

CVMA is your trusted resource for completing your state-required continuing education (CE)! We proudly offer refreshed content for state-required CE courses, and each course meets the Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine’s requirements.

Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine Required CE Courses

*Some exemptions may apply for Substance Use Prevention Training. See FAQ below. 

Veterinary license renewal in Colorado is due October 31, 2026. As part of the 32 CE hours needed for license renewal, veterinarians licensed in Colorado must complete the following state-required CE courses. These licensing requirements are a result of legislation that was passed in Colorado, and more details can be found in the FAQs below, or on the State Board of Veterinary Medicine Website. 

  • 1 hour of CE on substance use prevention training*;
  • 2 hours of CE on Colorado veterinary jurisprudence;
 
Update as of April 2026 from Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine on
Delegation & Supervision CE requirement

The Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine recently clarified the timeline for the Delegation & Supervision Continuing Education (CE) requirement.

This requirement became law in 2024 and the State Board approved CVMA’s course content in September 2025, the Board clarified in April 2026 that Delegation & Supervision CE will not be required for the 2026 license renewal cycle. Instead, the requirement will apply to the next license renewal cycle in fall 2028, with attestation of completion due by October 31, 2028.

This means veterinarians do not need to complete Delegation & Supervision CE to renew their license in October 2026. The requirement will apply to the following renewal cycle in 2028.

How to Access Courses

CVMA’s state-required CE courses are pre-recorded, and available online (see dates available below). 

1. Join or Renew as a CVMA Member for 2026

All 2026 CVMA members receive complimentary access to the required CE courses.

2. Join us at Convention 2026

CVMA will offer these courses at CVMA Convention 2026, taking place on June 25-28 in Keystone, CO. These will NOT be live courses: the pre-recorded videos will be available during regularly scheduled sessions. 

3. Purchase as a non-member

Non-members may purchase a bundle of ALL required CE courses, or purchase courses individually. Courses will be available for purchase beginning November 1, 2025.

  • CVMA Members
  • Non-Members
Courses CVMA MembersNon-Members
Courses
Substance Use Prevention Training
(1 hour, individual course)
FREE$90
Colorado Veterinary Jurisprudence
(2 hours, individual courses)
FREE$150
Required CE Course Bundle
(3 hours, includes both courses)
FREE$210
Member AccessRegister Today!

Refund Policy: No refunds will be provided after product has been purchased. If you purchase these courses and then decide to become a member to get the courses for free as a part of membership, please contact CVMA prior to signing up for a membership; CVMA will be happy to apply the value of the courses as a credit to the cost of your membership.

Please note that CVMA will release fresh versions of these courses each licensing cycle (even-numbered years). CVMA regularly refreshes its educational content to ensure information is accurate, up-to-date, and relevant to practitioners. Once a new version of this course is made available, the previous course will no longer be accessible and the new course will need to be purchased.

State-Required CE FAQs

Helping veterinarians succeed in Colorado is a key part of the CVMA mission. To help Colorado veterinarians navigate the CE requirements for Colorado veterinarian license renewal, CVMA has created a list of frequently asked questions.

This CE will be available on demand as recorded webinars on the CVMA website. “On demand” means that you can watch the CE as a webinar recording anytime that is convenient for you — there is no scheduled time for viewing. 

There are three easy ways to access this CE:

  1. CVMA members can access these trainings for free in their member portal.
  2. Join us at Convention 2026 taking place on June 25-28, 2025 in Keystone, CO. Registration opens Winter 2026. 
  3. Purchase as a non-member, either individual courses or both courses as a bundle. 

CVMA works hard to make sure you are compliant with quality, convenient content for each licensing cycle, and all of our state-required CE courses have been approved by the State Board of Veterinary Medicine.

CVMA will not endorse other options for state-required CE courses. It is the responsibility of the veterinarian to ensure that online courses meets all requirements of these trainings. 

The total amount of Colorado State-Required CE is 3 hours, which is included in the 32 total hours of CE needed for license renewal. 

  • Substance use prevention training CE provides 1 hour of CE.
  • Colorado Veterinary Jurisprudence provides 2 hours of CE.

You will be prompted to fill out a form at the end of each video; after completing the form, your CE certificate(s) will be emailed to you.

The Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine requires this CE to be verifiable. CVMA verifies completion of this CE by asking every veterinarian to complete the registration process so that we can track who has completed the CE. To receive a CE certificate, each veterinarian must have his or her own registration; only one CE certificate will be issued per registration.

No. These licensing requirements are a result of legislation that was passed in Colorado. CVMA is assisting veterinarians in obtaining the required CE by offering it virtually to veterinarians looking to renew their Colorado licenses.

Yes. The state requires licensed veterinarians in Colorado to take these required courses each licensing cycle. CVMA has released new course material to ensure the most relevant and accurate information is included.

While we love to be as helpful as we can, unfortunately CVMA does not manage Colorado veterinary licenses and is unable to help with specific questions related to licensing. Licensing is managed by DORA. DORA has a list of FAQs on their account login page that references some helpful steps related to licensing. Specific licensing questions can be directed to [email protected].

Legislation Changes

  • The rules are based on SB19-228 (Substance Use Disorders Prevention), which was passed during the 2019 Colorado legislative session. The law requires the State Board of Veterinary Medicine to adopt rules on substance use prevention training for prescribers; the new rules went into effect on November 30, 2019. Read more about the background of the bill and CVMA’s input on the new rules.
  • Veterinarians can find more information on the requirements in Rule 1.2(G) on page 9.
  • The rules went into effect on November 30, 2019 and require any veterinarian who is seeking a license renewal, reactivation, or reinstatement to complete at least one hour of CE per licensing cycle related to all of the four following topics:
    • (1) Best practices for opioid prescribing, according to the most recent version of the Division’s Guidelines for Prescribing and Dispensing Opioids;
    • (2) Recognition of substance use disorders;
    • (3) Referral of patients with substance use disorders for treatment; AND
    • (4) Use of the Electronic Prescription Drug Monitoring Program.
  • To the extent the statutorily required training pertains to the practice of human medicine, this training does not authorize veterinary medicine practitioners to engage in the practice of human medicine, nor does it require the veterinary medicine practitioner to refer human beings to treatment for suspected substance abuse disorders.
  •  The requirements exempt any veterinarian who meets the following criteria:
    • Maintains a national board certification that requires equivalent substance use prevention training; or
    • Attests to the board that the health care provider does not prescribe opioids.
  • This requirement is based on a change that was made to the Colorado Veterinary Practice Act. In 2022, the Colorado Veterinary Practice Act underwent a scheduled sunset review. As a result, a new requirement was added regarding continuing education.
  • The new requirement requires veterinarians to receive 2 hours of jurisprudence CE on the veterinary practice act per license renewal period.
  • The new requirement also allows veterinarians to receive up to 16 hours of credit toward relicensing on non-scientific topics such as client communication, management, leadership, wellbeing, and developing a highly functional veterinary workforce.
  • The jurisprudence requirement applies to all veterinarians holding a Colorado license; there are no exemptions.
  • Read more about the sunset review process and CVMA’s input on the review.
  • The Veterinary Technician Scope of Practice bill, HB24-1047, was passed in May 2024 and requires Colorado-licensed veterinarians to complete 2 hours of continuing education on delegation and supervision each licensing period (starting with 2028 renewals).
  • The law empowers veterinarians to delegate a wide range of tasks (including prescription administration, animal husbandry, and shelter work) to trained and competent veterinary personnel under defined supervision levels.
  • It updates definitions for three levels of supervision – direct, immediate, and indirect – and clarifies how delegation must be structured
  • The full text of the bill is available here. Alternatively, the revised Rules in sections 1.6 Supervision and 1.7 Delegation are also excellent resource (these revised Rules are not yet posted on the State Board of Veterinary Medicine website. You may view them here until they are posted). 
  • Looking for more? Make sure to watch CVMA’s new, very informative, Jurisprudence CE on the Veterinary Technician Scope of Practice (HB24-1047). You may also check out our previously published article for more details. 
Update as of April 2026 from Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine on
Delegation & Supervision CE requirement

The Colorado State Board of Veterinary Medicine recently clarified the timeline for the Delegation & Supervision Continuing Education (CE) requirement.

This requirement became law in 2024 and the State Board approved CVMA’s course content in September 2025, the Board clarified in April 2026 that Delegation & Supervision CE will not be required for the 2026 license renewal cycle. Instead, the requirement will apply to the next license renewal cycle in fall 2028, with attestation of completion due by October 31, 2028.

This means veterinarians do not need to complete Delegation & Supervision CE to renew their license in October 2026. The requirement will apply to the following renewal cycle in 2028.