How to Verify a Contractor's License in Colorado
Which authority licenses contractors in Colorado, what the credential is called, and where to check it before work starts.
Checking a licence takes a minute and is the cheapest protection available. What differs by state is WHO issues the credential and what it is called — in Colorado, the details below.
Licensing in Colorado
Colorado splits the answer between two authorities, so one lookup is not enough. The STATE licenses the electrical and plumbing trades through the Division of Professions and Occupations — Electrical Contractor, Master and Journeyman Electrician, Plumbing Contractor, Master and Journeyman Plumber — and those are verifiable through DORA's licence lookup. General contractor licensing is handled by the city or county rather than by DPO, so confirm the general contractor's standing with the jurisdiction issuing your building permit and the trades with the state.
Both boards run the SAME five-step ladder, so the two trades are structurally identical rather than lopsided: apprentice, residential, the middle tier, master, and a contractor registration held by the firm. Electrical is Electrical Apprentice (APE), Residential Wireman (RW), Journeyman Electrician (JW), Master Electrician (ME) and Electrical Contractor (EC). Plumbing is Plumbing Apprentice (AP), Residential Plumber (RP), Journeyworker Plumber (JP), Master Plumber (MP) and Plumbing Contractor (PC).
COLORADO USES A DIFFERENT WORD FOR THE MIDDLE TIER IN EACH TRADE: it is "Journeyman Electrician" on the electrical side and "JOURNEYWORKER Plumber" on the plumbing side. Because the two ladders are otherwise identical, that middle rung is the ONLY place the trades diverge in name — so searching a Colorado licence list for "journeyman" finds the electricians and silently misses every plumber.
There is no numbered class scheme like Arizona's — Colorado's credentials are named tiers, and the tier name is the whole of the classification.
Why It Matters
An unlicensed contractor can cost you more than the job. Inspectors can red-tag the work, insurers may decline a claim arising from it, and the recovery funds that exist in some states are open only to people who hired a licensed contractor. Checking the credential before work starts is the cheapest step in the whole project.
Where to check, and where this comes from
Colorado DORA — Verify a professional or business licence · Colorado DPO — Electrical licensing services · Colorado DPO — State Electrical Board applications · Colorado DPO — State Plumbing Board applications
See the national overview for verifying a contractor's licence →