Transfer Your Contractor License to Colorado: Reciprocity & Endorsement (2026)

Last verified: 2026-08-07 · source: Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations — State Electrical Board and State Plumbing Board ↗

Colorado issues no statewide general contractor license, so there is no Colorado state license to transfer into or out of. Any licensing for this work is handled below the state level (a city, county or contractor-level authority), so check with the authority where you will work. NERA reciprocity waives the Colorado written exam for Journeyman Electrician applicants holding a qualifying journeyman or master license from one of the 14 agreement states; the separate endorsement path (electrical and plumbing) also waives the exam where the out-of-state license was state-issued and earned by a comparable state-administered exam on the currently adopted code. Electrical and plumbing work is licensed statewide and handled separately — check your trade in the checker.

Moving to Colorado from a specific state?

Pick your current state — the checker returns your exact pathway.

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Verdict

No statewide license

The structural fact first: Colorado issues no statewide general contractor license, so a general contractor moving here has no state license to transfer and none to apply for. The work is to identify the local authority that governs your jobsite and meet its rules. Trade licenses are a separate question: check your trade and class in the checker before you assume anything carries over.

Colorado licenses NO general contractor and NO HVAC/mechanical contractor at the state level — DORA states plainly that roofers and general contractors are not licensed occupations, and DPO's regulated-programs list contains only Electrical and Plumbing among the building trades. GC licensing is purely municipal (Denver, Colorado Springs, Estes Park, etc.), and those local licenses are not transferable between Colorado jurisdictions, so the general and hvac trade keys are omitted rather than faked. Real state-level portability exists only for electricians and plumbers. Electrical reciprocity is a genuine NERA state-list agreement covering Journeyman Electrician ONLY (14 states); it waives the written exam, not the application, fee, or verification paperwork. Master Electrician, Residential Wireman, and all plumbing classes must use the endorsement path, which requires a state-issued (never city or county) license earned by a comparable state exam on the code Colorado currently adopts. Electrical Contractor and Plumbing Contractor company registrations are separate and have no reciprocity — they require a Colorado-licensed responsible master and workers' comp / unemployment compliance.

Colorado requirements at a glance

Out-of-state contractor license transfer requirements for Colorado, verified 2026-08-07
Exam	NERA reciprocity waives the Colorado written exam for Journeyman Electrician applicants holding a qualifying journeyman or master license from one of the 14 agreement states; the separate endorsement path (electrical and plumbing) also waives the exam where the out-of-state license was state-issued and earned by a comparable state-administered exam on the currently adopted code
General contracting	No state general contractor license: general contracting in Colorado is licensed locally (city or county), where it is licensed at all.
General contractor fee	None at state level — general contractor licensing is local, so the city or county sets any fee
General contractor processing	None at state level — set by the local authority
Trade licenses (not general contracting)	Hold an active license issued and regulated by a state board — city, county, or municipal licenses are not accepted Electrical reciprocity: hold the journeyman or master electrician license for at least 1 year and have passed a state-administered exam (grandfathered licenses are refused) Plumbing endorsement: hold the state-issued license for at least 6 months and verify a comparable state plumbing exam based on the currently adopted Colorado code Submit a Verification of Licensure form completed by the issuing state board Document all practical experience on the board's Affidavit of Experience form, signed by the supervising contractor — applicants may not verify their own experience Answer the criminal history screening questions and disclose any felony conviction
Trade-license fees	$100–$140 (Plumbing application fee per the DPO Plumbing Licensing Guide: Residential $100, Journeyworker $120, Master $140. Electrical application fees are NOT published on the board's website or in the Electrical Licensing Guide — they are charged by credit card inside the DPO Online Services portal. All fees non-refundable and non-transferable. No state general contractor or HVAC fee exists.)

Step by step

Colorado issues no statewide general contractor license, so there is no state license to transfer: confirm with the authority linked on this page who licenses the work where you will practice.
Contact that city, county or contractor-level authority for its own requirements, exams and fees.
Keep records of your current license, exams and documented experience — a local authority may credit them, but nothing transfers at state level.
General contractor fee: none at state level — general contractor licensing is local, so the city or county sets any fee.
Electrical and plumbing work is licensed statewide in Colorado and handled separately: use the checker with your trade selected.

Official links

Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations — State Electrical Board and State Plumbing Board ↗Colorado trade-license application ↗License verification ↗

Coming from a specific state?

Direction matters — these guides cover the exact move into Colorado:

All 24 origin states

South Dakota → Colorado Texas → Colorado Utah → Colorado Wyoming → Colorado

Nearby states

Contractor license transfer into the states bordering Colorado:

Colorado for other professions

Frequently asked questions

Does my contractor license transfer to Colorado?

Colorado issues no statewide general contractor license, so there is no state license to transfer; any general-contractor licensing is local. NERA reciprocity waives the Colorado written exam for Journeyman Electrician applicants holding a qualifying journeyman or master license from one of the 14 agreement states; the separate endorsement path (electrical and plumbing) also waives the exam where the out-of-state license was state-issued and earned by a comparable state-administered exam on the currently adopted code. Its electrical licenses do have reciprocity — select your trade in the checker.

Which states does Colorado have electrical contractor reciprocity with?

Alaska, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming (verified 2026-08-07 against the Colorado Division of Professions and Occupations — State Electrical Board and State Plumbing Board). National Electrical Reciprocal Alliance (NERA) agreement, Journeyman Electrician licenses ONLY — Master Electrician and Residential Wireman are not reciprocal and must use the endorsement path

Does reciprocity waive all of Colorado's requirements?

There is no state general contractor license in Colorado for reciprocity to apply to; any trade license that does reciprocate waives the trade exam only, not the business/law exam, bond, or insurance.

What fees apply in Colorado, and how long does processing take?

Colorado issues no state general contractor license, so there is no state license fee: general contracting is licensed locally, and the city or county sets any fee and timeline. The fee figures on file are for Colorado's trade licenses, not general contracting: $100–$140 (Plumbing application fee per the DPO Plumbing Licensing Guide: Residential $100, Journeyworker $120, Master $140. Electrical application fees are NOT published on the board's website or in the Electrical Licensing Guide — they are charged by credit card inside the DPO Online Services portal. All fees non-refundable and non-transferable. No state general contractor or HVAC fee exists.)

Sources

Primary sources only — official boards and compact commissions. Data last verified 2026-08-07.

Reviewed by the License Reciprocity Editorial Team · verified against primary sources 2026-08-07

How we verify · All sources · spot an error? [email protected]