Colorado has adopted new retail electric vehicle charging regulations that establish registration, testing, accuracy, and consumer transparency requirements for publicly accessible charging stations that charge customers based on the amount of electricity dispensed.
The regulations, issued by the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment’s Division of Oil and Public Safety, took effect July 1, 2026. Enforcement is scheduled to begin July 1, 2027, giving owners and operators time to bring existing retail charging equipment into compliance.
The rules apply to retail electric vehicle charging in Colorado, defined as a publicly accessible EV charging station where a customer’s charge is based wholly or partly on the quantity of electricity dispensed. The regulations do not apply to chargers owned, maintained, or used by public utilities; free workplace or fleet charging; free charging at multifamily properties; charging offered as a free amenity; wholesale electricity delivery; or private residential charging where no retail transaction takes place.
The rules are designed to set minimum standards for retail EV charging equipment and the methods of retail sale at publicly accessible charging stations. The technical requirements are based on national and international codes and standards covering inspections, specifications, record keeping, meters used for measurement, and the design and operation of retail EV charging systems.
For owners and operators, the first major requirement is registration. Retail EV charging equipment placed into service after July 1, 2026, must be registered with the Division of Oil and Public Safety within 30 calendar days after the first day the equipment is placed into service. Retail EV charging equipment placed into service before July 1, 2026, must be registered by January 1, 2027.
Registration must include owner and operator contact information, location information, facility name, address, geographic coordinates, facility type, equipment manufacturer, model number, serial number, installation date, digital network used for the transaction, EVSE type, supported voltage, current and power, number of ports, and connection types. Owners and operators must also notify the division within 30 days after removing retail EV charging equipment from service.
The regulations also create requirements for Registered Service Agencies and Registered Servicepersons. Service agencies must register with the division, use certified metrological test equipment, and provide traceable certificates of conformance. Servicepersons must complete an approved exam or equivalent training before registering with the division.
The rules establish new design and operation requirements for retail EV charging equipment. Equipment installed after July 1, 2026, must have an active certificate of conformance from the National Type Evaluation Program before installation or use for commercial purposes. Existing retail EV charging equipment installed before July 1, 2026, must have an active certificate of conformance from the National Type Evaluation Program or California Type Evaluation Program, or be approved by the director, by July 1, 2030. Equipment that does not meet that requirement may be taken out of service.
Retail EV charging equipment installed after July 1, 2026, must also provide point-of-sale information that includes electrical energy, parking or usage fees, the unit price per kilowatt-hour, and the total price of each transaction. For equipment capable of applying multiple unit prices during one transaction, the charger must show the timing, quantity of energy delivered, unit price, and total price for each pricing phase. Existing equipment must meet those point-of-sale requirements by July 1, 2030, or be taken out of service.
For new or remanufactured retail EV charging equipment installed after July 1, 2026, owners and operators must submit a placed-in-service form completed by a Registered Service Agency within 90 days. Existing equipment installed before July 1, 2026, must have a placed-in-service form submitted before July 1, 2030.
The division may inspect retail EV charging facilities to verify compliance, and owners must provide inspection access upon request. All retail EV charging equipment must be proved and sealed as correct at least once every five years by a Registered Service Agency. After July 1, 2027, a state inspector may seal noncompliant equipment in a way that prohibits its use until the equipment is brought back into compliance and placed back in service by a Registered Service Agency.
