Colorado's Right to Farm Act protects existing agricultural operations, including livestock and poultry, from nuisance claims when conducted on land zoned or used for agriculture statewide.
Under C.R.S. 35-3.5-101 et seq., agricultural operations existing for one year or more on agricultural land are protected from nuisance lawsuits if they were not a nuisance when established. Local governments cannot retroactively declare agricultural uses a nuisance. However, municipalities retain home-rule authority to regulate livestock in residential zones. The state defines agricultural land for tax purposes under C.R.S. 39-1-102(1.6). Counties typically permit chickens and small livestock on agricultural-zoned parcels without numeric limits.
Nuisance claims against protected operations are barred; cities imposing retroactive restrictions face preemption challenges.
Adams County, CO
Adams County does not set its own decibel-based noise ordinance for unincorporated areas; instead, Colorado state law at C.R.S. 25-12-103 applies. In residen...
Northglenn, CO
Northglenn's Unified Development Ordinance (Article 11-4) caps single-family driveways at 40% of the lot width and 50% of the front-yard area, with no single...
Adams County, CO
In unincorporated Adams County, any fence or wall taller than 42 inches (3.5 ft) requires a building permit through the Adams County E-Permit Center. Fences ...
Adams County, CO
Only 'permissible fireworks' under Colorado C.R.S. 12-28-101(8) - sparklers, ground spinners, fountains, and snakes - are legal in Colorado. All aerial devic...
Adams County, CO
Unincorporated Adams County does not impose STR-specific parking minimums. The Development Standards and Regulations Chapter 4 off-street parking rules for t...
Adams County, CO
Unincorporated Adams County has no STR-specific occupancy cap in the Development Standards and Regulations. Industry guidance commonly applies a 'two per bed...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Adams County.
See how other cities in Adams County handle chickens & livestock.
See how Northglenn's chickens & livestock rules stack up against other locations.
Quick Compare
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.