Abortion laws in Colorado are among the least restrictive in the country. The procedure is legal at every stage of pregnancy, with no gestational cutoff, no waiting period, no mandatory counseling script, and no requirement that a physician personally perform it. Since November 2024, the right to abortion sits in the state constitution. The one procedural rule most patients will encounter is a 48-hour parental notification requirement for anyone under 18.
No Gestational Limit and No Waiting Period
Colorado sets no point in pregnancy after which abortion becomes illegal. Voters approved Amendment 79 in November 2024, adding a provision to Article II of the Colorado Constitution that reads: “The right to abortion is hereby recognized. Government shall not deny, impede, or discriminate against the exercise of that right, including prohibiting health insurance coverage for abortion.”1Colorado General Assembly. Amendment 79: Constitutional Right to Abortion
The constitutional language sits on top of an earlier statute. The Reproductive Health Equity Act, signed in April 2022 and codified at C.R.S. 25-6-401 through 25-6-407, declares abortion a fundamental right and provides that a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent or derivative rights under Colorado law.2Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 25 Section 25-6-403
For an adult patient, that means no mandatory waiting period between an initial visit and the procedure, no state-scripted counseling, no required pamphlet, and no mandatory ultrasound. Informed consent works the same way it does for any other medical procedure: the provider explains risks, alternatives, and what to expect, and care can proceed once the patient agrees.
Who Can Perform an Abortion, and How
Colorado does not confine abortion care to physicians. Any licensed health care provider acting within their professional scope of practice can perform abortion services, including advanced practice registered nurses, physician assistants, and certified nurse-midwives. That applies to both medication and procedural abortions.2Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 25 Section 25-6-403
There are no admitting-privilege requirements, no special facility mandates, and no clinic regulations aimed specifically at abortion providers. Standard health facility and medical licensing rules apply.
Medication Abortion by Telehealth
Medication abortion is available in Colorado through telehealth. A patient can consult with a certified prescriber remotely and receive mifepristone and misoprostol by mail. The FDA approves mifepristone for use through 70 days (ten weeks) of pregnancy, and any pharmacy certified under the federal Mifepristone REMS Program can dispense it.3U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Questions and Answers on Mifepristone for Medical Termination of Pregnancy Through Ten Weeks Gestation A January 2023 update to the REMS program allowed certified retail pharmacies to fill these prescriptions rather than limiting dispensing to certain clinical settings.
Colorado adds no state-level restrictions on top of the federal framework. There is no in-person pickup requirement, no mandatory ultrasound before a telehealth prescription, and no separate state certification for pharmacies.
Rules for Patients Under 18
Colorado requires parental notification, but not parental consent, before a minor under 18 can receive an abortion. Under the Colorado Parental Notification Act, codified at C.R.S. 13-22-701 through 13-22-708, the provider must give written notice to at least one parent or legal guardian at least 48 hours before the procedure. Notice can be delivered in person by the physician, a member of the physician’s staff, a sheriff’s deputy, a clergy member, or another adult who is not related to the minor. It can also go by certified mail with return receipt requested and delivery restricted to the addressee.4Justia Law. Colorado Code 12 Section 12-37.5-104 – Notification Concerning Abortion
If both parents share an address, notice to one counts as notice to both. If they live separately and both can be reached, both must be notified, unless the minor asks that only one be told.
Judicial Bypass
A minor who cannot or does not want to involve a parent can petition a district court for a judicial bypass. The court must hold a hearing and rule within four calendar days of filing. Notification is waived if the court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the minor is mature enough to decide independently, or by a preponderance of evidence that notifying a parent is not in the minor’s best interest. If the court does not act within four days, the waiver takes effect automatically. A denial can be appealed, and the appellate court has five calendar days to rule; missing that deadline also triggers an automatic waiver. The entire proceeding is confidential.
Medical Emergency
Parental notification is not required if the physician determines that delaying the procedure would pose an immediate threat to the minor’s life or health. In that situation the provider can proceed without notice or judicial bypass.
How Abortion Gets Paid For
Amendment 79 repealed a 1984 constitutional ban on using state and local funds for abortion services and prohibits government from discriminating against abortion coverage, “including prohibiting health insurance coverage for abortion.”1Colorado General Assembly. Amendment 79: Constitutional Right to Abortion That opened the door to public coverage and constrains state and local governments from excluding abortion from public insurance programs or government employee health plans.
Employer plans that are self-funded are governed by federal ERISA rules rather than state insurance law, so Amendment 79 does not directly require those plans to cover abortion. If you’re on an employer-sponsored plan, check the plan documents.
Medicaid
For decades, Colorado’s Medicaid program followed the federal Hyde Amendment, covering abortion only for rape, incest, or life endangerment.5KFF. The Hyde Amendment and Coverage for Abortion Services Under Medicaid in the Post-Roe Era That changed with SB 25-183, signed on April 24, 2025, which directs Health First Colorado to cover abortion care for all enrolled members. The law took effect January 1, 2026, funded through the state general fund.6Colorado General Assembly. SB25-183 Coverage for Pregnancy-Related Services Federal Medicaid dollars still cannot be used for abortion outside the Hyde exceptions, but state funding now fills the gap for Colorado’s Medicaid population.
Exchange Plans
Plans purchased through Connect for Health Colorado with federal premium subsidies may encounter Hyde-related restrictions on the federal subsidy portion. Amendment 79 limits the state’s ability to restrict these plans further, but the practical effect depends on how federal and state rules interact for each plan. Exchange enrollees should review their coverage documents or contact the exchange directly. For patients who still face out-of-pocket costs, several nonprofit abortion funds operate in Colorado to help with procedure fees and travel.
Protections for Out-of-State Patients and Providers
SB 23-188 shields patients and providers from legal actions originating in other states over care that is lawful in Colorado. The law covers any “legally protected health-care activity,” which includes abortion and gender-affirming care.7Colorado General Assembly. SB23-188 Protections for Accessing Reproductive Health Care Its main protections:
- The governor cannot extradite someone for charges tied to legally protected health care performed in Colorado, unless the other state alleges the person was physically present there when the alleged offense occurred.
- Colorado courts, judges, and attorneys cannot issue subpoenas connected to out-of-state proceedings targeting someone who accessed or provided legal abortion care in Colorado.
- Colorado regulators cannot deny or discipline a provider’s license based solely on performing legally protected health care, in Colorado or elsewhere, as long as it met Colorado’s standard of practice.
- Insurers cannot cancel, refuse to renew, or raise rates on a malpractice policy solely because the provider performed legal abortion care.
What Is Still Illegal
Colorado does not criminalize abortion. Patients face no penalties for obtaining an abortion, and licensed providers face no prosecution for performing one. There is no law targeting self-managed abortion.
What Colorado does penalize is practicing medicine without a license. Under C.R.S. 12-240-135, an unlicensed person who performs medical procedures, including abortion, faces criminal penalties, and impersonating a licensed provider or using false credentials is a class 6 felony.8Justia Law. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 12 Section 12-240-135 – Penalties
Colorado also treats certain misleading advertising as a deceptive trade practice. Under SB 23-190, signed in April 2023, it is unlawful for any person or entity to advertise that it offers abortions, emergency contraceptives, or referrals for those services when it knows or should know it does not provide them.9Colorado General Assembly. SB23-190 Deceptive Trade Practice Pregnancy-Related Service The law is aimed at crisis pregnancy centers that advertise reproductive health care but steer patients toward anti-abortion counseling instead.