The act that defines APRN practice in Colorado
The compact decides whether you may practice in Colorado. What APRN practice actually means here — scope, titles, what you may do and delegate — is set by Colorado’s own nurse practice act, C.R.S. tit. 12, art. 255 (Nurse and Nurse Aide Practice Act), and interpreted by the Colorado State Board of Nursing. Two states can both recognize your license and still differ on what you may do with it.
Where Colorado stands on the APRN Compact
We have found no APRN compact law on Colorado’s books. Read that as a floor rather than a census: our own research turned up two jurisdictions that the published member lists we checked had omitted, so “we have not found it” is the honest claim rather than “it is not there”. Either way no APRN is practicing across state lines on that compact today, Colorado included.
The compact does not cover APRN roles
The Nurse Licensure Compact covers RN and LPN/LVN licenses. It does not cover APRN authorization — NPs, CRNAs, CNSs, and CNMs. That has been the case since the compact began and applies in every state.
What that means in Colorado
Colorado is a compact state, so your underlying RN license can be a multistate license. But your APRN authority sits on top of that RN license and is not part of the compact — to practice as an APRN in another state, you generally need that state’s APRN authorization, granted by its board. Confirm specifics with the Colorado State Board of Nursing.
The separate APRN Compact
A distinct APRN Compact has been drafted to do for advanced practice what the NLC does for RNs and LPNs/LVNs, but it is not yet operational. Until enough states join and it is implemented, APRN privileges do not cross state lines automatically.