1.2 Colorado Nail Technician Licensure: Eligibility, Training, Application, Fees, Renewal & Reinstatement
Key Takeaways
Colorado nail technicians are licensed by the Director of DORA's Division of Professions and Occupations under C.R.S. Title 12, Article 105, and 4 CCR 731-1; there is no separate licensing board.
A Colorado nail technician applicant must be at least 16 and complete 600 contact hours or 20 credit hours (C.R.S. 12-105-111; 4 CCR 731-1, Rule 1.2).
Training must come from a DPOS- or CCCS-approved program or from an apprenticeship approved by the U.S. Department of Labor or Colorado's State Apprenticeship Agency (Rule 1.2(B)).
Colorado no longer requires proof of lawful presence for licensure; SB21-077 removed it and allows an ITIN in place of a Social Security number.
Rule 1.5 gives a 60-day grace period after each expiration date during which licensees may keep working; after that, the license expires and needs reinstatement.
Who Regulates Colorado Nail Technicians
Colorado uses a director model, not a board. The Director of the Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO), part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), issues licenses, writes rules, orders inspections and imposes discipline through the Office of Barber and Cosmetology Licensure. Two layers of law apply:
- The Barber and Cosmetologist Act, C.R.S. Title 12, Article 105, which defines "manicuring" and "nail technician" and sets qualifications.
- 4 CCR 731-1, the Director's rules on licensing, shop registration, infection control, scope of practice, additional training and inspections. The current version was last amended effective October 30, 2025.
House Bill 26-1181 (signed June 3, 2026; effective August 12, 2026) continued the Act until September 1, 2033 after DORA's 2025 sunset review. It also repealed the old barber and cosmetology advisory committee and directed that the exams emphasize health and safety. It added a list of exemptions, including "an individual who polishes nails." A person who only applies polish no longer needs a license, but filing, shaping, cuticle work, enhancements, pedicures and massage still do.
Eligibility and Training Requirements
| Requirement | Colorado rule |
|---|---|
| Minimum age | 16 (C.R.S. 12-105-111(1)) |
| Training | 600 contact hours or 20 credit hours (C.R.S. 12-105-111(3)(d); Rule 1.2(A)) |
| Where training counts | A school approved by the Division of Private Occupational Schools (DPOS) or the Colorado Community College System (CCCS), or an apprenticeship approved by the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship or Colorado's State Apprenticeship Agency (Rule 1.2(B)(1)) |
| Exams | PSI practical test, then PSI theory test |
| Lawful presence | Not required since SB21-077 (2021); an ITIN can be used |
For students who enrolled on or after February 28, 2018, Rule 1.2(A)(3)(e) requires coursework in manicuring and pedicuring; application of artificial nails; laws and rules; management, ethics, interpersonal skills and salesmanship; and disinfection, cleaning and safe work practices. Hours in each topic must be substantially equivalent to those at approved schools. Students who enrolled earlier follow a fixed table: 210 hours of manicuring and pedicuring, 150 of artificial nails, 30 of law, 30 of management, and 180 of disinfection, cleaning and safe work practices.
Other training paths:
- Internships and externships approved by DPOS or CCCS count as proof of training.
- Hours earned for another license type at an approved school or apprenticeship can be applied to matching subject areas.
- Out-of-state training needs certified proof of the hours. Applicants who fall short can complete the remaining hours at a Colorado school.
- Foreign training must be evaluated by AEQUO International or by an agency accredited by NACES or AICE, at the applicant's expense.
- Foreign work experience can substitute for contact hours at three months of work per 100 hours. It cannot replace the hours for disinfection, cleaning and safe work practices or for laws and rules (C.R.S. 12-105-111(3.5)).
Applying Through PSI
Exam applicants apply online at PSI's Colorado page (test-takers.psiexams.com/cocos). Since January 30, 2026, PSI no longer accepts applications by mail, fax or email. Upload the Record of Completion, transcripts and any supporting documents with the first submission. PSI allows 10 business days to process a complete application. Missing documents delay approval, and incomplete applications expire one year after submission.
| PSI fee (Colorado) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Application fee | $32 |
| Practical test | $69 (retake $67) |
| Theory test | $62 (retake $60) |
| Practical and theory together | $131 in test fees, plus the application fee |
Test fees are not refundable or transferable and stay valid for one year from payment. When you pass both tests, the license is issued at once if every screening answer in Section 3 of the application is "No" and you have never worked as a nail technician in Colorado. A "Yes" answer, or past nail work in Colorado, sends the file to DORA for approval first. Under HB24-1004, a regulator may consider a criminal conviction for only three years from the conviction or the end of incarceration, provided the applicant has had no other conviction in that period.
Licensure by Endorsement
A nail technician licensed in another state, a U.S. territory or the federal government (or holding a military occupational specialty) may apply by endorsement (Rule 1.4). The applicant must hold at least one active license in good standing and either:
- Attest to substantially equivalent credentials: graduation from an approved school, training hours equal to Colorado's, passage of a written exam, and passage of a practical exam or at least 1,000 hours of work in the two years before applying. Training counts as equivalent when the hours meet Colorado's requirement. It also counts when the applicant has at least 65% of the hours plus five hours of licensed work for every missing training hour.
- Or show at least one year of licensure in a jurisdiction with a substantially similar scope of practice.
Endorsement applicants may not practice in Colorado until DORA issues the license, except for the military-spouse provision in Rule 1.4(E). They must also attest to any additional training, such as electric-file or hair-removal courses (Rule 1.4(F)).
Keeping the License Active
| Obligation | Deadline (4 CCR 731-1, Rule 1.5) |
|---|---|
| Report a change of name, address, telephone or email | Within 30 days |
| Report a felony conviction, out-of-state discipline, or a practice-related civil judgment or settlement | Within 45 days |
| Keep working after the expiration date | Allowed for 60 days (grace period) |
| Practice after the grace period without renewing | Not allowed; the license has expired |
Colorado barber and cosmetology licenses renew every two years. DORA's most recent cycle expired March 31, 2026, with renewals accepted through May 31, 2026, the end of the 60-day grace period. DORA may send renewal notices by email, but not receiving one does not excuse a late renewal. Rule 1.5 sets no continuing-education requirement for an ordinary on-time renewal. Continuing education appears only as one way to reinstate.
Reinstatement
| Time expired | What Rule 1.5(C) requires |
|---|---|
| Up to 2 years | Reinstatement application and all applicable fees |
| More than 2 but less than 5 years | Application and fees, plus one of: active license elsewhere with practice in the last 2 years, or 16 hours of approved continuing education, or passing the written exam |
| More than 5 years | Application and fees, plus one of: active license elsewhere with practice in the last 2 years, or 24 hours of approved continuing education, or passing the written exam |
PSI's guide notes that someone reinstating by exam applies to PSI for the theory test and completes a separate reinstatement application with DORA.
Holding More Than One License
Esthetician, hairstylist and nail technician licenses are Colorado's three limited licenses. A person who holds all three may also hold a cosmetologist license on written request, or combine them into one cosmetologist license (Rule 1.5(D)). Each license carries its own fee.
Which training record meets Colorado's education requirement for a nail technician exam applicant?
300 contact hours at a CCCS college plus a manufacturer's gel certification
400 contact hours at a DPOS-approved school plus 200 hours of documented, unsupervised practice on family members at home
20 credit hours of general college biology from any accredited university
600 contact hours through an apprenticeship approved by Colorado's State Apprenticeship Agency
A licensee's Colorado nail technician license expired on March 31 and has not been renewed. What does Rule 1.5 allow on April 20?
Services may continue only under another licensee's direct supervision
Nothing; all services must stop on the expiration date
Services may continue, because the rule allows a 60-day grace period after the expiration date
Services may continue for a full year if continuing education is completed
A former Colorado nail technician's license has been expired for six years. Which option does Rule 1.5 accept as proof of competency for reinstatement?
Paying a double renewal fee with no other requirement
Completing 8 hours of continuing education in the previous year
Submitting a letter of recommendation from a salon owner
Completing 24 hours of Director-approved continuing education in the previous two years
What changed for Colorado license applicants under SB21-077?
Applicants must now complete 1,500 contact hours
Applicants must now pass a separate Colorado law and rules exam before the theory test
Applicants no longer verify lawful presence and may use an ITIN
Applicants must now be at least 18 years old
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.