A provision in Colorado's real estate sunset bill creates a direct cost for continuing education providers—and most don't know it's coming.
Most Colorado real estate brokers and property managers assume continuing education course approval works the same way it always has. It doesn't anymore. Buried in HB1287, a bill focused on the sunset review of the Division of Real Estate, is a provision that imposes a new fee on every continuing education course provider that submits a course for state approval.
Here's what changed, and why it matters to your business.
Under Section 8 of HB1287 (found on Page 5 of the bill), the Division of Real Estate now has explicit statutory authority to charge a fee to continuing education course providers each time they submit a course for approval. This is a new direct cost that didn't exist before.
Previously, the Division could approve CE courses, but had no clear authority to charge providers for that approval process. HB1287 closes that gap and gives the Division the power to set and collect a fee for every submission.
This provision directly impacts:
CE course providers — including small training companies, individual brokers who develop and sell courses, and larger education vendors. Anyone submitting a course for Division approval will now pay a fee for that submission.
Brokers and property managers — indirectly. If you operate a training business or develop in-house courses for your team, this is a new operating cost. If you purchase CE courses from external providers, those providers may pass the fee along through higher course prices.
The provision becomes effective on August 12, 2026, assuming no referendum petition is filed to block it. That gives the Division time to establish the fee amount and collection process before the deadline.
The Division has not yet announced the fee amount. That will likely be determined through rulemaking in the months before August 2026.
If you develop or sell CE courses in Colorado, you'll want to:
Monitor Division rulemaking. Watch for notices about how the fee will be structured — whether it's per-submission, per-course, tiered by course type, or another model. The amount and structure will affect your business planning.
Review your course portfolio. If you have multiple courses submitted for approval, each submission may trigger the fee. You may want to evaluate which courses justify the cost.
Factor it into pricing. If you're a provider selling courses to brokers and agents, this is a legitimate cost to consider when setting prices or updating contracts.
Plan for 2026. If you're planning to submit new courses for approval, timing matters. Courses submitted before August 12, 2026, may not be subject to the fee, depending on how the Division interprets the effective date. That's worth clarifying with the Division as the date approaches.
HB1287 is primarily a sunset bill that reviews and reauthorizes the Division of Real Estate. This fee provision is a small but meaningful change to how the Division operates — and a new cost for providers to budget for.
For a full text of HB1287 and details on other provisions affecting Colorado real estate, visit the Colorado General Assembly website or contact the Division of Real Estate directly.