16-Hr. CO 2026 Broker CE Package

The Division of Real Estate is tasked by statute with keeping licensees informed of license law and legislative, statute, and rule changes related to practicing real estate in Colorado. The 2026 ACU course offers fresh information brokers need now. It covers the following topics: compliance, general practice issues, new regulations, new forms and contracts, and Commission news and resources to keep you up to date on what you need to know for your real estate practice. 

Each active licensed broker must complete the ACU course by achieving a passing score of 70% or greater on the course examination developed by the commission. 

As always, it is recommended that brokers take the Annual Commission Update (ACU) course between January and June. Be sure to mark your annual calendar to avoid a last-minute rush.  

Lead hazards aren’t just a concern for homeowners—they’re also a big deal for real estate professionals. If you're listing a home built before 1978 or guiding buyers through disclosures, understanding the risks of lead exposure isn’t just helpful—it’s essential. Federal laws require specific disclosures and safety measures and skipping them can lead to hefty fines and legal trouble.

This course helps you recognize where lead hazards lurk, stay on top of your legal responsibilities, and follow safe practices help protect you, your clients, and your transactions. But beyond compliance, having a strong grasp of lead safety makes you a trusted advisor. When clients see that you take their health and safety seriously, it strengthens your reputation and sets you apart as a knowledgeable, reliable real estate professional. Ultimately, keeping people safe, reducing risk, and staying compliant aren’t just obligations—they’re smart business moves supporting long-term success.

Course highlights include:

• Common sources of lead in residential properties
• Health risks of lead exposure
• Community-based approaches to lead hazard prevention
• Review of federal lead disclosure laws
• Compliance with lead disclosure laws
• Consequences of non-compliance with disclosure requirements
• Mitigating lead hazards
• Lead-safe work practices for renovations and repairs
• EPA’s Renovation, Repair, and Painting Program
• Preventing lead hazards long-term

Chances are good that, if it hasn't happened yet, you will one day work on a transaction involves a property that’s part of a tax-deferred exchange. When this happens, will you be ready to guide your client through the process and ensure they meet the critical deadlines?

With an appropriately formed exchange, an investor can defer paying taxes on the profit from one investment and instead use all of the profits to fund another investment. 

This course helps licensees become more comfortable with guiding clients through a 1031 tax-deferred exchange transaction and ensuring critical deadlines are understood and met.  

Course highlights include:

• Section 1031 tax-deferred exchange definitions
• Starker’s Exchange background and application
• U.S. Internal Revenue Code requirements
• IRS Safe Harbor Guidelines
• Investor taxes advantages
• Setting up an exchange
• Selecting a Qualified Intermediary
• Licensee role in a Section 1031 tax-deferred exchange
• The non-exchanger's role in a Section 1031 transaction
• Reverse exchanges
• Rare exemptions to exchange deadlines

Whether you're representing a seller who's listing a high-efficiency home or working with a buyer to find one, it's important to be able to recognize a home's green features and the value they bring to the property. This means understanding the benefit of big-ticket green items such as solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal heating and cooling systems, solar water heaters, or even energy-efficient windows, as well as knowing the value in quick-and-easy updates like low-flow faucets, LED lighting, and smart thermostats. It also means knowing the difference between HERS and HES and SEER and LEED. Of course, greening up a home isn't cheap. Letting your clients know about available federal and state programs and incentives is another way you can ensure your clients are getting the best service around.

Course highlights include:

• An overview of the green home movement
• Green terminology, certifications, and ratings
• A review of energy-efficient upgrades, including solar panels, wind turbines, geothermal heating and cooling systems, solar water heaters, and more
• Tips for assisting green homebuyers and sellers
• A review of the FHA's Energy Efficient Mortgage and the 203(k) Rehabilitation Mortgage programs
• Qualifications for the DOE's Weatherization Assistance Program
• Interactive activities and scenarios to seal in the new information and frame it in everyday context

Must a property manager accept a tenant's emotional support animal, and under what conditions? What proof can a property manager or landlord require of a tenant who claims a need for an emotional support animal? What about homeowners associations—must accommodation be made in these communities?

This course explores the issues and options for landlords and property managers surrounding assistance animals, helping real estate professionals who represent them to ensure that individuals with disabilities have equal access to housing in compliance with the law.

Course highlights include:

• The evolving fair housing law
• How the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Fair Housing Act intersect--and don't
• Types of assistance animals
• How to handle reasonable requests for accommodation
• Case studies and legal trends 
• Examples and scenarios to help apply course content to real life

Note: This course does not meet NAR Fair Housing requirements.