I have not been able to find a specific date for the adoption and use of the colpack. It seems to me that it was a gradual adoption as the voltigeur companies were formed and probably was taken from a practice of light infantry officers sometimes wearing colpacks, as well as green leather belts, before the formation of the voltigeur companies. The light infantry regiments had already adopted personal choices for facing and braid colors before the authorization of the voltigeur companies.

Those in the light infantry regiments were authorized in March 1804 and those in the line regiments in September 1805. I would suspect that those in the light infantry regiments began wearing them shortly after formation as they almost immediately adopted yellow for their uniform collars, instead of the regulation chamois, and epaulets, green and yellow plumes came shortly thereafter.