Colorado Teacher PD Requirements (2026)

90 hours every 7 years for teachers

Source

Source: https://ed.cde.state.co.us/cdeprof/checklist-renewprofessionalteacher
Last verified: May 25, 2026

Primary source: CDE Educator Licensing. CO is unusual for its 7-year cycle (vs. typical 5). The 45-hour ELL requirement (effective 2025-09-01) is a major new mandate per CO State Board of Education rule — applies to all teachers renewing with elementary or core-content (English/math/science/social studies) endorsements regardless of current assignment.

Teachers

Annual hours: —
Cycle hours: 90
Cycle years: 7

Colorado professional teacher licenses renew every 7 years (unusually long cycle). 90 contact hours of professional learning OR 6 semester hours of college coursework (or any combination) per 7-year cycle. Mandatory sub-requirements: (a) 5 contact hours minimum in behavioral health (culturally responsive, trauma- and evidence-informed) + 5 hours minimum in laws/practices for educating students with disabilities (Child Find + inclusive learning) — 10 hours total in these two categories. (b) Effective Sept 1, 2025: 45 additional contact hours of English Language Learner PD required for teachers with elementary, English, math, science, or social studies endorsements — regardless of what they currently teach. Activities must align to endorsement area + CO academic standards + educator quality standards.

Counselors

Annual hours: —
Cycle hours: 90
Cycle years: 7

School counselors hold a CDE Special Services license, renewal pattern parallels teachers: 90 contact hours / 6 semester hours per 7-year cycle. ELL endorsement-specific 45-hour add-on does not apply to counselors.

Administrators

Annual hours: —
Cycle hours: 90
Cycle years: 7

Administrators (principal, administrator licenses) follow the same 90-hour / 6-credit framework per 7-year cycle. PD should align with administrator quality standards.

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Information current as of May 25, 2026. Verify with your state Department of Education for official licensure decisions.