Colorado Podiatry Licensing: Endorsement and Telehealth Methods

Colorado's Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO) licenses podiatrists for the Colorado Podiatry Board, and its online application asks a question most states do not: which method are you applying under? The answer can be original licensure, endorsement, or a telehealth method for podiatrists outside Colorado who will only see Colorado patients remotely. Picking the right one first saves an application.

Who uses the endorsement method?

The board's application preview describes endorsement for an applicant who:

• is at least 18;
• graduated from a board-approved podiatry school;
• holds a podiatry license in good standing in another state or jurisdiction;
• passed, at the time of that licensure, the written PMLexis exam (now APMLE Part III) and the national basic sciences exam (Parts I and II), unless first licensed before 1970;
• had training comparable to Colorado's requirements when licensed; and
• can document active practice of podiatry for the two years immediately before applying, defined as 20 hours a week with no continuous absence over six months, or show competency another way the board approves first.

The endorsement file also asks for practice history for the last five years with original reference letters covering those years, sent on letterhead directly from the source, and proof of a CPME-approved residency for anyone first licensed after May 23, 2001. Official transcripts go to DPO in a sealed envelope. The online application closes with an attestation "under penalty of perjury in the second degree" that its contents are true, which you sign yourself.

What does Colorado's portability law add?

Colorado also has a general occupational credential portability program, C.R.S. 12-20-202(3). It entitles a person licensed in good standing in another state to a Colorado license on satisfactory proof, under penalty of perjury, of substantially equivalent experience or credentials, or of holding a current license for at least one year in a jurisdiction with a substantially similar scope of practice, plus the fees and any other requirement of the profession's own article, including an exam. A regulator can refuse only by showing, after notice and a hearing, that the applicant lacks equivalent education, experience or credentials, or has done something that would be grounds for discipline.

In practice, the podiatry endorsement method is where most experienced podiatrists land, and the portability law sets the floor beneath it. Our post on universal recognition laws compares Colorado with Ohio and Iowa.

How does the telehealth method work?

The application preview lists a telehealth method for an applicant who is at least 18, graduated from a board-approved podiatry school, holds a license in good standing in another state, and attests that they "will practice telehealth ONLY and will not prescribe controlled substances when practicing Telehealth." Applicants also designate a registered agent in Colorado to accept service of legal documents, and attest that they are not a resident of, or located in, Colorado.

The telehealth section of the application asks you to upload verification of every license you hold, showing the original issue date and any disciplinary actions; a screen capture from another state's lookup is acceptable if it shows both. DPO also lists a separate telehealth reinstatement application. This method fits a podiatrist who reviews wound photos, manages follow-ups or consults on diabetic foot care for Colorado patients from another state. It does not fit anyone who will see patients in person in Colorado or prescribe controlled substances to them. For other states' telehealth-only pathways, see states with a telehealth registration on our sister site, and telehealth for podiatrists.

Can Colorado podiatrists treat leg wounds?

C.R.S. 12-290-102(3) defines podiatry around "the human toe, foot, ankle, tendons that insert into the foot, and soft tissue below the mid-calf." It excludes amputation of the foot and any anesthetic other than local. A podiatrist may treat a soft tissue wound below the mid-calf only if the patient is being treated by a physician for the underlying condition, or the podiatrist refers the patient to one. The statute defines a soft tissue wound as a lesion of dermal and subdermal tissue that does not involve bone removal or repair or muscle transfer. For wound-care companies, that referral condition belongs in the workflow. See how far up the leg a podiatrist can treat wounds.

When do Colorado licenses expire?

The original licensure method under C.R.S. 12-290-107 requires one year of a board-approved residency, a board-approved exam, and, in the two years before applying, enrollment in podiatric school or residency, passage of the national exam, active practice, or other proof of competency. Residents in Colorado programs use a podiatry training license under 12-290-110, which needs Parts I and II and acceptance into a Colorado residency, expires within three years and cannot be renewed. See residency, training and limited licenses.

DPO's applications page says podiatrist licenses expire on August 31 every year, and new licenses issued within 120 days of that date are issued with the next expiration date.

How can we help with Colorado?

Endorsement and telehealth-method files are both our Podiatrist License by Endorsement service, $799. We confirm which method fits your plans, prepare the online application for your signature and attestation, collect the five years of reference letters and license verifications, request transcripts and residency verification, and, for the telehealth method, help you line up the registered agent details. You sign under penalty of perjury and pay DPO directly. Annual Renewal and CE Tracking ($199 per license per year) keeps the August 31 renewal on your calendar. See the Colorado state page for current requirements.