Requirements, license levels, and the issuing authority, sourced from Colorado's official board.
Colorado requires a license from the state Board of Examiners at the Division of Water Resources before anyone may contract for water well construction, pump installation or cistern installation. Two official sources name the board differently: the Division's current Boards and Commissions page calls it the Board of Examiners of Water Well and Ground Heat Exchanger Contractors, while the Board's own December 2024 licensing process letter and the 2 CCR 402-14 administration rules call it the Board of Examiners of Water Well Construction and Pump Installation Contractors.
| Requirements | Under the Board's administration rules every individual, before engaging in the business of contracting for and performing the construction or repair of wells, the installation or repair of pumping equipment, or the installation or repair of cisterns connected to water well supply systems, must obtain a license for one or more methods of well construction or pump installation from the Board. Well construction licenses are designated by method: air rotary, mud rotary, reverse rotary and cable tool construction. Pump installation licenses are designated for pumps producing 100 gallons per minute or less and for pumps producing more than 100 gallons per minute plus line shaft turbine pumps. Individuals who use special equipment or perform limited procedures must obtain a special license. An applicant must demonstrate two years of active experience in the type of work applied for, meaning at least 24 months of on-site hands-on activities; the Board may accept accredited education for a portion of the required experience, up to a maximum of one year. Applicants take National Ground Water Association written examinations covering well construction, pump installation, general geology and hydrology, plus an examination on the Colorado Rules and Regulations for Well Construction and Pump Installation, and then an oral examination before the Board in Denver. Test results are valid for two years, an applicant who fails must wait 45 days before retaking, and an applicant who has not received a license within two years of initial submittal must reapply. The Division states the application fee is $20.00 for a Well Construction Contractor's License and $20.00 for a Pump Installation Contractor's License regardless of how many categories are checked, and $50.00 each for non-residents. Before a license is issued or renewed the applicant must file evidence of financial responsibility of $20,000, in the form of a corporate surety compliance bond, a savings account, deposit or certificate of deposit, or an irrevocable letter of credit. Every rig owned, leased or operated under a license must be registered with the Board and display the license number. |
| Reciprocity | Not addressed on the agency's published pages. The Division publishes a separate, higher non-resident application fee but describes no waiver of examination or experience for holders of out-of-state licenses. |
| Renewal | Licensed contractors must renew annually or may elect to renew at two or three-year intervals, with the renewal fee multiplied accordingly. Eight hours is the annual cumulative period of approved continuing education instruction required for license renewal, and regardless of the renewal period chosen a Certificate of Completion for continuing education must be filed with the Board by January 15 of each year. A license lapses on February 1 if the continuing education requirement is not met and the certificate is not filed by January 15. |
| Notes | Colorado requires a license from the state Board of Examiners at the Division of Water Resources before anyone may contract for water well construction, pump installation or cistern installation. Two official sources name the board differently: the Division's current Boards and Commissions page calls it the Board of Examiners of Water Well and Ground Heat Exchanger Contractors, while the Board's own December 2024 licensing process letter and the 2 CCR 402-14 administration rules call it the Board of Examiners of Water Well Construction and Pump Installation Contractors. |
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Sources: dwr.colorado.gov, dwr.colorado.gov, dnrweblink.state.co.us. Always confirm current requirements with the issuing authority.
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