Free Rapid COVID Tests Available Across Colorado

DENVER, CO — Colorado is expanding its free, rapid at-home COVID-19 testing program to make tests more accessible to Coloradans.

Previously, these rapid antigen tests were available only for order through the Department of Health and Environment's website. Tests ordered in this way are shipped directly to homes.

But, as of Tuesday, the state has added a community distribution component to the free test distribution program. This expansion is leveraging many of the 437 distribution centers across the state that have been used to successfully distribute more than 4 million free masks to Coloradans, according to a news release from the department.

Here are some distribution centers in and around Denver:

• Public Health Institute at Denver Health, 660 Bannock Street, 2nd floor, Denver CO
• History Colorado Center, 1200 North Broadway, Denver CO
• Adams County Fire Protection District - Fire Headquarters, 8055 N. Washington Street, Denver, CO
• Aurora Public Library, 14949 E Alameda Parkway , Aurora CO
• Jefferson County Public Health, 645 Parfet St., Lakewood, CO

Find a full list of distribution locations here.

The tests, which provide instructions in both Spanish and English, take about 15 minutes to provide a result. And although this increased availability of testing is a component of the department's COVID-19 arsenal, the department stressed the importance of vaccines as the "most effective way to slow the spread of COVID-19" in the news release.

"Testing is an important tool for slowing disease transmission and we are grateful to our community partners who are helping us increase access to free rapid COVID-19 tests," said Scott Bookman, COVID-19 Incident Commander. "By utilizing community partners to distribute tests like they did with the free mask program, we are able to add to the 2 million free Rapid-At-Home tests we have already distributed to Coloradans and further increase access to rapid testing."