Colorado Asbestos Abatement Contractor License

CDPHE's Air Pollution Control Division certifies General Abatement Contractors (GACs) under Regulation 8 (5 CCR 1001-10). Any business removing or encapsulating regulated asbestos-containing material on commercial, industrial, or multi-family projects must hold a valid GAC certificate before starting work.

Fees and certification terms

Initial GAC certification costs $2,000 for a one-year certificate. Renewal options:

• 1-year renewal: $1,000
• 2-year renewal: double the annual rate
• 3-year renewal: triple the annual rate

The regulation offers multi-year terms at the same per-year cost — annual renewal is not required.

Worker training vs. the GAC certificate

The regulation explicitly states "No training is required for GACs" as a company-level condition. What is required is that individual workers and supervisors hold Colorado-certified credentials — initial Division-approved training meeting 40 C.F.R. Part 763 (AHERA) standards, plus an 8-hour annual refresher. Project Designers require the same 8-hour annual refresher; Air Monitoring Specialists require a 4-hour annual refresher.

In practice: every abatement job must have certified personnel on site, and those individuals must stay current with annual training. But the GAC certificate itself has no attached training requirement.

Mandatory project notification

Before starting any regulated abatement project, file a notification with CDPHE's APCD at least 10 working days in advance. Fees are set in 5 CCR 1001-10-B-III and vary by project type (standard vs. demolition) and structure footprint; check cdphe.colorado.gov/apcd-asbestos-support for the current fee schedule.

Emergency notifications are subject to separate rules.

Independent air monitoring at clearance

The AMS (Air Monitoring Specialist) must be independent of the GAC — conflict of interest is explicitly prohibited. The AMS must be Colorado-certified, affiliated with a registered Asbestos Consulting Firm, and must conduct a final visual inspection and clearance air monitoring before project close-out. The clearance report with analytical results is required documentation.

Civil penalty exposure

CDPHE may assess up to $25,000 per day per violation under C.R.S. § 25-7-511 for unlicensed work or violation of Part 5 requirements.

*Disclaimer: This information is provided for general reference only and does not constitute legal advice. Verify current fees, notification requirements, and training provider lists directly with CDPHE's Air Pollution Control Division at cdphe.colorado.gov before applying, starting a project, or renewing.*