BY STATE · COLORADO · 49 CFR §40.281
How to Become a DOT SAP in Colorado
Becoming a DOT Substance Abuse Professional is one uniform federal pathway, set in 49 CFR §40.281 and applied the same way in every state. What is specific to Colorado is the underlying clinical credential — the license or certification you earn through the boards below to satisfy the §40.281(a) requirement before you complete SAP qualification training and pass the national exam.
TRACK A
Addiction-counselor certification (the DOT counselor path)
This is the path that satisfies the §40.281(a) “drug and alcohol counselor” category, which DOT accepts only through a NAADAC-, IC&RC-, or NBCC-affiliated board. In Colorado that credential is:
LAC (Licensed Addiction Counselor); CAS (Certified Addiction Specialist); CAT (Certified Addiction Technician)
IC&RC-affiliated: Yes- Issuing board
- Colorado State Board of Addiction Counselor Examiners — DORA, Division of Professions and Occupations (DPO)
- Education requirement
- Education requirements vary by credential (CAT/CAS/LAC); LAC is a full clinical license requiring a graduate degree. See DORA for current education standards.
- Supervised hours
- CAS: 2,000 hours of supervised addiction-counseling experience over a minimum of 12 months, with at least 1,000 hours direct client contact. LAC has graduate-level requirements — confirm at DORA.
- Required exam
- NAADAC exam (e.g., NCAC II) + Colorado Jurisprudence Examination. (COPA administers the IC&RC exam for its reciprocal credentials.)
- Also accepted
- Colorado addiction counselors are STATE-LICENSED through DORA and take the NAADAC (e.g., NCAC II) exam plus a Colorado jurisprudence exam. The Colorado Providers Association (COPA) is the state's IC&RC member board for reciprocity.
TRACK B
State clinical license
Colorado also issues a clinical license that qualifies on its own under §40.281(a).
LAC (Licensed Addiction Counselor); CAS (Certified Addiction Specialist); CAT (Certified Addiction Technician)
OTHER PATHS
Other SAP-eligible boards in Colorado
You do not have to be an addiction counselor. Any one of these Colorado boards licenses a profession that satisfies one of the other five §40.281(a) SAP credential categories — physician, social worker, psychologist, employee assistance professional, or marriage and family therapist.
THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS
The federal steps are the same in every state
Once you hold a qualifying Colorado credential above, the rest of the SAP pathway is set by federal rule and does not change by state. See the full federal requirements →
- 1 What credential do you need to become a DOT SAP?
- 2 What knowledge does a SAP need?
- 3 What qualification training and exam are required?
- 4 What continuing education must a SAP maintain?
- 5 What documentation must a SAP keep?
- 6 What does a DOT SAP actually do?
Sources
- https://internationalcredentialing.org/member-boards/
- https://coprovidersassociation.org/
- https://dpo.colorado.gov/AddictionCounselor
- https://dpo.colorado.gov/Medical
Last reviewed: 2026-07-07
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