Key Facts

Effective Date
July 1, 2023
Enacted
July 7, 2021
Enforcing Authority
Colorado Attorney General; District Attorneys
Consent Model
Opt-out
Fulfillment Time
45 days
Applies To
Entities in CO or targeting CO residents: 100,000+ consumers OR 25,000+ consumers and revenue from selling PI

Overview

The Colorado Privacy Act features the highest per-violation penalties among US state privacy laws ($20,000) and mandatory GPC signal honoring since July 2024. Colorado participated in a joint GPC enforcement sweep with California and Connecticut in September 2025, signaling aggressive enforcement.

What This Means for Your Website

  • GPC (Global Privacy Control) signals must be honored since July 2024
  • Opt-in consent is required for sensitive data processing
  • The cure period was eliminated in January 2025, so the AG can take immediate action
  • Penalties are $2,000-$20,000 per violation, the highest among US states
  • October 2025 amendments add a duty of care for minors under 18 with no processing thresholds

Key Requirements

The Colorado AG and District Attorneys enforce the CPA. Consumer requests must be fulfilled within 45 days. The September 2025 joint GPC enforcement sweep with California and Connecticut demonstrates multi-state coordination on privacy enforcement. Biometric data processors are covered regardless of thresholds since July 2025.

How ConsentStack Handles This

ConsentStack detects Colorado visitors, honors GPC signals automatically, and applies the opt-out model with opt-in for sensitive data. The platform ensures compliance with the strictest US state penalty structure.

Penalties

$2,000-$20,000 per violation (treated as deceptive trade practices).

Maximum Fine
$20,000 per violation

Key Requirements

  • Honor GPC/universal opt-out signals since July 2024
  • Opt-in consent for sensitive data processing
  • Data protection assessments required
  • Right to access, correct, delete, port, and opt out
  • Data minimization obligations

Notable Provisions

  • Highest per-violation penalty ($20,000) among US states
  • Cure period eliminated January 2025
  • Joint GPC sweep with CA and CT September 2025
  • Biometric and minor protection expansions in 2025 remove thresholds

Data Subject Rights

Opt out of targeted advertising45 days

Opt out of the processing of your personal data for targeted advertising, including through a universal opt-out mechanism that meets the Colorado Attorney General's technical specifications.

Opt out of sale45 days

Opt out of the sale of your personal data, including through a universal opt-out mechanism that meets the Colorado Attorney General's technical specifications.

Opt out of profiling45 days

Opt out of profiling in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects, such as decisions about lending, housing, insurance, education, employment, health care or access to essential goods or services.

Use an authorized agent to opt out45 days

Authorize another person, including through a browser setting, browser extension or global device setting, to opt out on your behalf of targeted advertising, sale or profiling; this agent right covers opt-outs only.

Revoke your consent

Revoke consent you gave to targeted advertising or the sale of your personal data as easily as you gave it.

Access your data45 days

Confirm whether a controller is processing your personal data and access that data.

Correct your data45 days

Correct inaccuracies in your personal data, taking into account the nature of the data and the purposes of the processing.

Delete your data45 days

Have a controller delete personal data concerning you.

Port your data45 days

When accessing your data, obtain it in a portable and, where technically feasible, readily usable format you can transmit to another entity, no more than twice per calendar year.

Appeal a refusal45 days

Appeal a controller's refusal to act on your request through an internal appeal process that must be conspicuously available and as easy to use as the request process.

Contact the Attorney General

If you have concerns about the result of an appeal, you may contact the Colorado Attorney General, and the controller must tell you so.

Non-discrimination

A controller may not increase the cost of, or decrease the availability of, a product or service based solely on your exercise of a right and unrelated to feasibility or the value of a service.

Know about your biometric data45 days

If a controller collects your biometric data, ask it to tell you, free of charge, what category of biometric data it holds, where it got the data, why it collects or processes it, and what biometric data it discloses to third parties.

Learn who receives your biometric data45 days

If a controller collects your biometric data, ask it to tell you, free of charge, the identity of each third party it has disclosed or discloses that data to and its purposes for disclosing it.

US State Specifics

Private Right of Action
No
Global Opt-out Required
Yes
Sensitive Data Opt-in
Yes
Children Provisions
Under 13 data is sensitive (opt-in). October 2025: duty of care for minors under 18 with no processing thresholds.

Other North America Regulations

CPRACalifornia, United States
The CPRA is the most comprehensive US state privacy law with a dedicated enforcement agency (CPPA). Cross-context behavioral advertising via cookies constitutes sharing personal information, triggering opt-out obligations. GPC signals must be honored as valid opt-out requests.
CCPACalifornia, United States
The CCPA was the first comprehensive consumer privacy law in the United States, giving California residents the right to know what personal information businesses collect and to opt out of its sale. It established the opt-out consent model that most subsequent US state privacy laws adopted. Amended by the CPRA from January 1, 2023, it is enforced by the California Privacy Protection Agency and the Attorney General.
PIPEDACanada
Canada's federal private-sector privacy law based on 10 fair information principles. Requires express consent for sensitive data and implied consent for less sensitive data. OPC guidance addresses cookies and online behavioral advertising. The CPPA replacement bill died January 2025; a new bill is expected.
CIPACalifornia, United States
CIPA is a 1967 California chapter covering wiretapping, eavesdropping, and other privacy invasions, not a website-specific law. Since 2022, courts have applied two of its sections to website chat, analytics, and ad tools, and any visitor can sue directly for at least $5,000 per violation, no revenue threshold.
MODPAMaryland, United States
The most restrictive US state privacy law. Sensitive data may only be processed when strictly necessary to deliver a requested service, and sale of sensitive data is completely prohibited even with consent. Under-18 sale and targeted advertising are prohibited regardless of consent. Strictest data minimization in the US.
TDPSATexas, United States
The TDPSA is the broadest US state privacy law: no revenue thresholds and no minimum consumer data volume thresholds. Applies to any non-small-business processing personal data of Texas residents. Must honor GPC signals since January 2025. This breadth means far more businesses are captured than under any other state law.

Frequently Asked Questions

CPA requires you to recognize an opt-out preference signal such as Global Privacy Control. Check whether GPC is working on your site to confirm the signal reaches you and that trackers actually stop firing when it does.

Stay compliant with CPA

ConsentStack helps you implement Opt-out consent for Colorado, United States automatically.